14 DAY TRIAL // Corning's Gorilla glass made a name for itself among rugged consumer electronics devices, but it may finally be time for it to retire and pass on the torch to the new generation.
Like so many other companies in the IT industry, Corning is going to make an appearance at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2012).
The company has been working hard on a new sort of glass, one that will make rugged devices even harder to crack than before.
Basically, Corning has completed the development of Corning Gorilla Glass 2.
The first Gorilla Glass (info sheet) has been used in over 575 devices so far, from 30 different brands.
One would think this doesn't mean much, until the realization dawns that rugged products themselves are very few in the grand scheme of things.
Corning will let visitors test the resistance of the new glass panels for themselves.
“As we did last year, we’ll provide consumers and customers visiting the Corning booth the opportunity to test first-hand the outstanding damage resistance and flexibility of this industry-leading, ultra-thin, and tough specialty glass,” said James R. Steiner, senior vice president and general manager, Corning Specialty Materials.
“Corning Gorilla Glass has been a tremendous success for Corning, enjoying excellent market acceptance across mobile device industries. Handset and tablet device manufacturers are clearly driving toward higher functionality from thinner designs. Corning’s latest innovation in Gorilla Glass technology is very well positioned to meet these challenges and enable broader touch technology penetration.”
There will be several large-scale applications of the Gorilla Glass 2 on show between January 10 and 13.
For one, Corning has prepared touch-enabled automobile interior and home appliance center simulators (new interfaces with harder but just as clear glass).
Secondly, there will be a centerpiece video wall with Gorilla Glass-enabled speakers on both sides.
Finally, to really drive home the value of unbreakable glass, Corning will demo an 82-inch multi-touch LCD prototype.