Corning Gorilla Glass claim its next generation of glass for mobile phone screens is the manufacturer's most durable to date and can survive multiple drops without cracking.
The company said it has improved cover glass performance by developing and engineering an entirely new material to address the challenge of multiple drops.
On average, in lab tests, Gorilla Glass 6 survived 15 drops from one metre onto rough surfaces, which is two times better than Gorilla Glass 5.
"As consumers become more dependent on their smartphones, the opportunity for potentially damaging drops is also on the rise. Now more than ever, it's critical that the cover glass provides outstanding protection," said John Bayne, vice president of Corning Gorilla Glass.
"Corning Gorilla Glass 6 improves upon Gorilla Glass 5 by surviving drops from higher heights, but, more importantly, has been engineered to survive multiple drops."
Smartphones are an integral part of daily life and on average people drop their phones seven times a year, with more than 50% of the drops occurring at one metre or below, according to a recent worldwide Toluna consumer study.
Over the last few years, smartphone manufacturers have expanded display sizes and also launched larger 'Plus' models. The Samsung Galaxy S9 has a 5.8" display and the plus has a 6.2" screen and this is largely the same for most of 2018's flagship devices.
In addition to the larger front displays, manufacturers are also embracing phone designs with glass backs that provide new features and applications for consumers, such as enhanced wireless charging, and customisation through printed glass backs.
"In addition to addressing drop height and drop frequency, Gorilla Glass 6 was also developed to meet the requirements of modern designs that use glass for more than 85% of the enclosure," said Scott Forester, marketing and innovation products vice president, Corning Gorilla Glass.
"With both its aesthetic and performance advantages, glass is on the right side of the technology curve and will continue to be the material of choice for mobile consumer electronics."
If this has a little ring of Deja Vue, it's because Gorilla Glass is always unveiled as being the strongest yet and Julian Shovlin, founder and managing director of iSmash, is yet to be convinced variation number 6 is any different.
"Corning claimed that their 5th gen Gorilla Glass was significantly stronger than previous versions, yet our data shows that all of the newest smartphones including S8 and iPhone X are among the most breakable phones in the market, so the benefit to consumers appeared to be minimal," he said.
"Although the glass may gradually be getting stronger, smartphones are becoming larger, which results in the devices becoming considerably more breakable. The real test here will be seeing how the glass really holds up in real-world situations, outside of a laboratory."
The latest model is currently being evaluated by multiple customers and is expected to be on the market in the next several months.
