Gorilla Glass 5 will make your next smartphone harder to break

Smartphones are set to get tougher before the year's end thanks to the fifth iteration of Corning's Gorilla Glass. Devices using Gorilla Glass 5 displays will be more likely to survive selfie-height drops unscathed. According to Corning's tests, Gorilla Glass 5 will be able to make it through drops of 1.6 metres (80% of the time, when a phone is dropped on its face), making it approximately four times more durable than regular glass.

While there are a few "ifs and buts" associated with Corning's latest glass technology, it should hopefully nonetheless result in a few less cracked screens. For comparison, current generation Gorilla Glass 4 displays were only said to survive drops from one metre.

"With each successive generation of Corning Gorilla Glass, we have taken cover glass technology to new levels," said Corning Gorilla Glass vice president and general manager John Bayne. "Gorilla Glass 5 is no exception, extending Corning’s advantage in drop performance over competitive glasses. With many real-world drops occurring from between waist and shoulder height, we knew improving drop performance would be an important and necessary advancement."

The first devices with Gorilla Glass 5 screens will be available before the end of the year. Corning has yet to confirm which manufacturers will be making use of Gorilla Glass 5, but Apple, Samsung, HTC, Lenovo, Huawei, and LG have all used Gorilla Glass in past smartphones.

Gorilla Glass has been used for smartphones displays since 2007, where it was popularised by Apple's original iPhone.