[PA-NJ Glassblowers] Vibrant Gorilla Glass
Tony Patti
gaffer at glassblower.info
Sun May 8 11:10:48 EDT 2016
Saw this in one of the computer lists I subscribe to (cio.com)
http://www.cio.com/article/3066371/consumer-electronics/5-things-you-need-to
-know-about-vibrant-gorilla-glass.html
vibrant gorilla glass samples
Corning's latest version of Gorilla Glass is not designed for use in mobile
device displays,
but instead uses a proprietary ink technology to provide vivid custom
imagery on phones, tablets, PCs, gaming consoles and more.
5 things you need to know about 'Vibrant Gorilla Glass'
When you hear the term "Gorilla Glass," you likely think of mobile device
screens, possibly even smartphone display "stress tests" in which overly
enthusiastic nerds attempt to purposely break assess the strength of glass
displays. If so, that makes perfect sense, because many of today's leading
smartphone producers use Gorilla Glass, including Samsung and HTC, as well
as notable PC makers Dell and HP. (A number of other major gadget makers
also use Gorilla Glass, but they choose not to publicize it - and they have
official agreements with Corning so that company can't disclose those
partnerships.)
However, Corning's latest version of its flagship "cover glass," called
<http://www.corninggorillaglass.com/en/news/news-releases/436> "Vibrant
Corning Gorilla Glass," represents a departure for the company. Scott
Forester, director of innovation products at Corning, shares his insights on
the latest Gorilla Glass, as well as the company's vision for the glass
moving forward.
What is Vibrant Corning Gorilla Glass?
Let's start with what Vibrant Gorilla Glass is not. The glass is not a new
version of Gorilla Glass. It uses Corning's current generation Gorilla Glass
4. And it's not meant for use as display glass. Instead, it's designed for
use on the backs of smartphones or tablets, or the outside covers of mobile
devices, such as laptops, or other accessories.
The product is all about customization, and it lets original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs), brands and individuals create personalized gadgets
with their own designs. It's composed of a hardened sheet of Gorilla Glass
4. Corning "paints" the rear side of the glass with a new type of ink the
company specifically designed to stick to glass, so it doesn't scratch or
rub off on the outside, according to Forester. And because it fuses to the
rear side of the glass, it drastically reduces the glare from light on the
inside of the panel and results in vivid, lifelike images, he says.
"Vibrant technology is, for us, the ability to put a full, multicolor image
on the back of Gorilla Glass that gives you the durability of Gorilla, but
then you have images that just kind of pop off the glass," Forester says.
When will Vibrant Gorilla Glass be available?
Acer will become the first company to offer a device with customizable
Vibrant Gorilla Glass when it releases the
<http://www.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/professional-series/acerchromebook14fo
rwork> Chromebook 14 for Work next month.
Forester also says Corning is in discussions with at least two other leading
mobile device manufacturers, and he expects to announce related information
soon. "I can't disclose who it is yet," Forester says, but they're among the
top recognizable mobile devices makers. "I expect to have another
announcement within the next quarter, with a similar approach, that we're
pretty excited about."
It's worth noting, however, that the Chromebook 14 for Work product page
features some important fine print: "A minimum order requirement must be met
for Acer to offer the customization service." I reached out to Acer for more
details, and according to its PR team, "[p]ricing for the Chromebook 14 for
Work with a custom Vibrant Corning Gorilla Glass case will vary on the
complexity and quantities of the colors in the design, but as a general
rule, the minimum order quantity would be 1,000 units." Acer's minimum
purchase limit means individuals can't buy just one custom device, and that
restriction will put the option out of reach for many folks.
Samsung's latest Galaxy S7 phones and its Note 5 phablets have Gorilla Glass
4 displays and rear panels. Motorola had some success with its
<http://www.motorola.com/us/moto-maker> Moto Maker online phone
customization tool, and it's not difficult to imagine Samsung or another
phone maker offering a similar personalization utility for Gorilla Glass.
Will Vibrant Gorilla Glass may make its way into cases?
Many smartphone and tablet users protect new devices almost immediately with
some sort of cover. Forester says Corning is considering many options to
address the potential problem of users covering up custom Vibrant Gorilla
Glass with cases.
"There are different ways to [answer those questions] and still provide the
ability to customize," he says. "One idea that we've been kicking around is
actually working with folks to integrate our glass into those types of
covers. You still get the durability of the glass, your images are as
vibrant as they can be, and they're high resolution, realistic - some of the
things you really can't get with the other types of materials. "
Does Vibrant Gorilla Glass have enterprise appeal?
Though consumers are Corning's target customers for Vibrant Gorilla Glass,
Forester says it also could be valuable for branding. "If you were in a
corporation that was brand-centric, where your brand was your product, you
could think about having devices - tablets, notebooks, phones - that now on
the back, or even on the front, have your logo, in full color, in high
definition," he says. "Your workforce becomes your advertising agency, as
they travel around and engage with the public, [and] their devices become
advertising billboards."
So how does Vibrant Gorilla Glass actually look?
Corning sent me two 12.5-inch by 8.25-inch samples of Vibrant Gorilla Glass
so I could see the color quality for myself. At first, I wasn't blown away
by the image quality. However, after I spent more time with the samples, and
viewed them in environments with different levels of light, I noticed that
some colors - light pastels, such as pinks, purples, greens and blue -
really do seem to "glow," as if softly lit from behind.
The glass is cool, though certain types of images, with specific colors,
will clearly benefit more from Corning's ink-and-glass tech.
Additional
<http://www.corninggorillaglass.com/en/glass-types/vibrant-gorilla-glass>
details on Corning Vibrant Gorilla Glass are available on the company's
website.
Enjoy,
Tony Patti
<http://www.glassblower.info> www.glassblower.info
<mailto:gaffer at glassblower.info> gaffer at glassblower.info
<http://www.glassblower.info/qr-code.html> QR Code for Tony Patti -
www.glassblower.info
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