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A few weeks back we posted a video discussing the strength (or lack thereof) of Corning’s Gorilla Glass.  According to Corning, Gorilla Glass features exceptional damage resistance to the scratches, drops, and bumps of everyday use.  But this is an incomplete story when applied to cell phones.

Gorilla Glass is much more durable than the traditional glass used (and we’d prefer it given the choice) but based on the number of devices on which it’s installed that we see in our shop for cracked lenses, it certainly does not live up to Corning’s hype about it with respect to cell phones.

This past week at CES Corning announced its latest development – Gorilla Glass 2.  They tout it as being 20% thinner yet just as durable.  That got us thinking.

The new glass will make for thinner and lighter smartphones (although we’re not sure how much thinner & lighter than the Motorola Droid RAZR we can get, and it uses the original Gorilla Glass).  It should also result in brighter screens and better sensitivity.  Since the touch sensitive digitizer sits below the outer lens, thinner glass will increase responsiveness.  The glass has also been engineered to allow more light.

While thinner would appear to be better, unless the glass is substantially stronger there could be see some potential issues.  Most of the devices we see come into our shop with broken screens still function properly.  This gives the customer the option of having the unit repaired or continuing to use it damaged, a very feasible choice for the customer who cannot afford the repair – many screen replacements are more than $100 – or who have only a couple of months to get by before qualifying for an upgrade.

However, devices manufactured with the thinner Gorilla Glass 2 as the outer glass will be more susceptible to more collateral damage, either to the digitizer or the LCD.  This will eliminate the owner’s ‘use-as-is or repair’ option as the damage would render the cell phone unusable in that state.  Not only will repairs be required for the phone to be functional, the thinner design will likely mean a higher repair cost.

Most of the new phones already require that the LCD and lens be replaced as a sealed factory unit (for proper repair) but some can still be replaced as individual parts.  With the thinner Gorilla Glass 2, it is far more likely that this will not be possible.  Add that to the expected higher cost of the new glass and customers could be in for a surprise.

We are all for better design and new innovation and are excited for the possibilities projected for Corning’s Gorilla Glass 2, but we are also cautious as to potential costs facing customers should this new glass break.

Time will tell.

lue Ridge Wireless