Whereas we’re nonetheless a great six months away from the discharge of the iPhone 16 lineup, Apple is already making strides in growing progressive options and applied sciences for subsequent 12 months’s iPhone 17. Some of the intriguing is the potential use of a extra sturdy glass materials that could possibly be a possible game-changer.
A current Weibo put up by chief Prompt Digital claims the outer glass of the iPhone 17 will likely be considerably extra scratch-resistant and fewer reflective. Apple is claimed to have already developed the brand new coating and lately handed it over to its provide chain, however it received’t be prepared for this 12 months’s iPhone fashions.
4 years in the past, Apple launched a brand new Ceramic Protect glass with the iPhone 12 to exchange the extra frequent Gorilla Glass that had been used on earlier iPhone fashions.
Nevertheless, Ceramic Protect didn’t kick Gorilla Glass-maker Corning out of the tent. As a substitute, Apple labored with Corning to develop a extra unique glass-ceramic materials that it undoubtedly hoped would set it aside from the remainder of the smartphone pack — and sure make comparisons as exhausting as the fabric itself.
Ceramic Protect promised 4 instances the drop efficiency of the glass used on the iPhone 11. Apple by no means stated a lot about what formulation of Gorilla Glass that was, however Corning has naturally moved on since then anyway. Across the similar time the iPhone 12 debuted, Corning started equipping high-end Android telephones with Gorilla Glass Victus. That was outdated by Gorilla Glass Victus 2 in 2022, and this 12 months’s Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely now options the corporate’s newest bleeding-edge Gorilla Armor.
In the meantime, Ceramic Protect hasn’t had any notable enhancements because it was launched 4 years in the past — Apple definitely would have praised the elevated sturdiness if there had been any modifications — and it’s nearly definitely been left behind by Corning’s newest Gorilla Armor, which many reviewers have lauded as probably the most important improve to smartphone glass in a very long time.
That’s not solely in sturdiness but in addition in slicing down reflections. Gorilla Armor claims to not solely survive tougher impacts but in addition be considerably extra proof against micro scratches. Maybe extra considerably, it additionally reduces glare by as much as 75 % in comparison with conventional glass surfaces.
From the data shared on Weibo, Apple’s new glass sounds similar to Gorilla Armor. Nevertheless, that’s not stunning contemplating that Apple will probably nonetheless accomplice with Corning to develop its next-gen Ceramic Protect. It’s uncertain Apple will return to utilizing the Gorilla model, however “Ceramic Protect 2.0” will undoubtedly undertake a number of the similar options.
Sadly, if what Prompt Digital has to say is true, the elevated hardness and anti-reflective coating may include the draw back of creating the screens much less proof against fingerprints and smudges, at the least over time. Nevertheless, it could possibly be adequate to remove the necessity for a display protector in your iPhone 17.
Whereas this report appears probably on the floor, like all rumors it ought to be taken with a grain of salt. Prompt Digital has a blended monitor report for accuracy, and whereas it’s not a stretch to consider Apple is engaged on enhancing its glass in gentle of Samsung’s large leap forward, it’s too early to make certain of any particular particulars of what that may seem like.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]