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Gorilla Glass-Maker Plans To Produce Glass Suitable For Folding iPhones (arstechnica.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: According to Wired, glass-maker Corning is "working on ultrathin, bendable glass that's 0.1 millimeters thick and can bend to a 5 millimeter radius" that may be usable for smartphone displays within two years. Corning produces Gorilla Glass used in Apple's iPhones, as well as in phones made by other manufacturers like LG, Asus, OnePlus, Nokia, Samsung, and more. Developing Gorilla Glass that can bend or fold like the materials used for the Samsung Galaxy Fold display or other foldable phone concepts could address some shortcomings endemic to these early designs.
The folding phones you see in headlines and gadget blog galleries today rely on plastic polymers that may scratch easier or have other undesirable properties. Generally, smartphone-makers that have announced foldable phones have not allowed us to test-drive these phones, which is otherwise normal practice for traditional smartphone product unveilings. That may be primarily because the software is not there yet, but it could also be that the companies anticipate negative reactions to the plastic displays, which have not been standard in flagship phones for a decade. [...] John Bayne, Corning's head of Gorilla Glass, and another expert Wired spoke with believe that Corning (or a competitor like ACG) will have foldable glass ready for use in foldable smartphones within a couple of years. But it's a difficult journey. "We have glasses we've sampled to customers, and they're functional," Bayne told Wired. "But they're not quite meeting all the requirements. People either want better performance against a drop event or a tighter bend radius. We can give them one or the other; the key is to give them both."
The folding phones you see in headlines and gadget blog galleries today rely on plastic polymers that may scratch easier or have other undesirable properties. Generally, smartphone-makers that have announced foldable phones have not allowed us to test-drive these phones, which is otherwise normal practice for traditional smartphone product unveilings. That may be primarily because the software is not there yet, but it could also be that the companies anticipate negative reactions to the plastic displays, which have not been standard in flagship phones for a decade. [...] John Bayne, Corning's head of Gorilla Glass, and another expert Wired spoke with believe that Corning (or a competitor like ACG) will have foldable glass ready for use in foldable smartphones within a couple of years. But it's a difficult journey. "We have glasses we've sampled to customers, and they're functional," Bayne told Wired. "But they're not quite meeting all the requirements. People either want better performance against a drop event or a tighter bend radius. We can give them one or the other; the key is to give them both."
"Gorilla Glass" is a really cool technology. Maybe we could have a discussion about using it for something other than people's personal entertainment addiction gadgets? I can't think of a more inane and ultimately useless use for such an amazing technology.
I don't respond to AC's.
Judging by the sheer number of blogs and news sites that have picked up this story, they've certainly gotten a yooge amount of PR out of just telling people that they might one day do something.
I guess having a cell phone that opens like a paperback book increases usability/viewing area but is anybody looking at turning something the size of a USB thumb drive into a full sized cell phone by unrolling it in the vertical ("Y") direction?
In a lot of ways, that would be a lot more interesting to me - have something small that I can just use as a phone with a minimal screen for seeing who's calling and select a number to call and expand when I need to access other features/apps on the device.
Mimetics Inc. Twitter
What is a less inane and useless application for this amazing technology?
Mimetics Inc. Twitter
Before glass screens, phones lasted a long time and without any case needed. Now with glass on both sides of every phone, everyone needs a case, and half the phones you see have at least one corner of them cracked and shattered, the lifespan of a phone has also dropped dramatically while prices soar.
The sooner we kill off the all glass phone the better!
It's being worked on. Rollable phones have been a staple of science fiction for years, and several companies are trying to get there. These foldable phones are the first step. The technology just isn't quite there yet to go further, but all the big names know that if they can find a way, rollable phones will make them a pile of money. Give it time.
Or here's a thought Corning, come up with glass that will last for the life of the phone instead of breaking so easily. I care less about a folding phone and more about a phone I can use without a gigantic case.
While an interesting idea. The question is by rolling it in the Y direction, what problem are you going to solve.
The standard Cell phone size, seems about right to fit into pockets. While current tablets which are more useful with extra screen space, cannot fit in your pocket, causing people to not use them as much as their phone due to lack of portability. So the folding a tablet in half to fit the phone dimensions solves a problem.
Let us redefine progress to mean just because we can do a things, doesn't mean we must do that thing.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
I appreciate them being transparent about their glass.
If it's transparent enough and available in large enough panes, I'd have a use for it.
Plus, it should be easy to clean. That would be a bonus.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
I guess having a cell phone that opens like a paperback book increases usability/viewing area but is anybody looking at turning something the size of a USB thumb drive into a full sized cell phone by unrolling it in the vertical ("Y") direction?
In a lot of ways, that would be a lot more interesting to me - have something small that I can just use as a phone with a minimal screen for seeing who's calling and select a number to call and expand when I need to access other features/apps on the device.
Call me when we have subdermal implants for our phones, and internal retinal "screen" projection inside our eyes.
This so called high tech stuff today is so lame and primitive.
The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
half the phones you see have at least one corner of them cracked and shattered
That feels like a gross overstatement. I've seen a lot of kids out and about with cracked iPhone screens. What I haven't noticed is a similar number of adults with cracked screens. Maybe they're more careful, or maybe they're better able to afford to get their phones repaired. Personally, I've never cracked a screen, and I've never dropped my phone outdoors. Guess I've just been lucky.
Before glass screens, phones lasted a long time and without any case needed. Now with glass on both sides of every phone, everyone needs a case, and half the phones you see have at least one corner of them cracked and shattered, the lifespan of a phone has also dropped dramatically while prices soar.
I have yet to see a screen that a young person can't destroy. So this will simply give them multiple screens to mess up.
The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
Mimetics Inc. Twitter
is going to expose the glass to all the abrasive stuff in your pocket/bag. The fold area is going to suffer the greatest wear. How many micro scratches acting as stress risers will it take before it breaks, with sharp edges waiting for your hand?
Folding phones is a dumb idea that no one -except phone makers- wants. Now a folding phone with a notch, that's something else entirely. I WANT one of those!
transparent aluminum
It should have been obvious as soon as we saw these bendy screens that they would feel horrible, accumulate scratches and probably distort / crease too. Not sure I trust a bendy glass layer any more though - I'll let someone else discover what it's like to pick slivers of it out their face if they bend their phone open and it shatters.
I guess having a cell phone that opens like a paperback book increases usability/viewing area but is anybody looking at turning something the size of a USB thumb drive into a full sized cell phone by unrolling it in the vertical ("Y") direction?
Not with the current bending radius. Rolling would be more feasible.
Of course news about a fake are Fake News.
Folding the display on the outside of the phone is going to expose the glass to all the abrasive stuff in your pocket/bag.
Yes, true.
So doesn't the Samsung idea seem good? A simple durable display on the outside, and the more delicate screens folded against each other for protection?
That can mean protection for the folding area as well.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
I really feel like we have the engineers (ooh, shiny!) leading the process here, not the marketing (what problems do our customers have?) teams.
Who really needs a foldable iPhone when you can instead make a flip phone?
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Or maybe their parents give their old phones to their kids and grandparents, which is exactly what happens in my large extended family that lives all over the US?
Think of that Geico commercial about the young son getting Beige Betty that his older sister had, when she gets a new car herself.
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
Good morning, Corning! Your competitor Schott Glass has been selling such flexible, ultra-thin glasses since 2016. See also: https://www.us.schott.com/adva...
When did Apple even get a folding phone?!