4 years in the past, Corning unveiled its seventh technology of Gorilla Glass, which got here with new branding – Gorilla Glass Victus. It’s aimed toward extra premium gadgets (although we’re beginning to see it in mid-rangers too), so now the corporate is bringing out a brand new glass for “worth and intermediate gadgets”, as the corporate describes it.
In different phrases, Gorilla Glass 7i is aimed toward mid-rangers and extra inexpensive telephones. Why “7i” when there is no such thing as a model 7? We requested Corning that they usually say that it is a seventh technology glass (like Victus) they usually needed the identify to replicate that. As for the “i”, it’s for “industry-leading innovation for intermediate gadgets”.
With that out of the way in which, let’s meet Gorilla Glass 7i. Corning claims that it could actually survive drops from as much as 1m (3.3ft) onto tough surfaces like asphalt, whereas comparable glass options can solely go half as excessive earlier than breaking.
Moreover, 7i is claimed to be two instances extra scratch resistant (or higher) than these competing glasses. The 7i formulation was designed to be appropriate for all kinds of telephones at totally different worth factors. It additionally has a concentrate on sustainability too, since these will likely be mass market fashions.
Why was 7i needed within the first place? It’s 2024 and there are many new gadgets that also use Gorilla Glass 5 – standard fashions just like the Nothing Cellphone (2a) and Poco F6 Professional, for instance. GG5 launched within the distant 2016, so it’s already 8 years previous. There are even telephones that use Gorilla Glass 3 (e.g. the Pixel 8a) and that’s from 2013.
Corning and its companions felt the necessity for a extra trendy providing, however one that may match in additional modest budgets whereas nonetheless matching the current development of placing high-quality shows on mid-range fashions – 10-bit and even 12-bit OLED shows should not unusual. They usually’ve grown bigger too, a lot bigger than the typical show dimension again in 2016 when GG5 launched, therefore the necessity for one thing to fit between GG5 and Victus.
Corning revealed that Oppo would be the first firm to unveil a cellphone with Gorilla Glass 7i. Extra particulars will come quickly from Oppo itself. 7i will likely be used on telephones, although it’s appropriate for smartwatches and different gadgets that want scratch and fall resistant glass.