Corning’s new Gorilla Glass protects smartphone cameras while letting in more light

After conquering phone screens, Corning is bringing Gorilla Glass to handset cameras. The company’s line of damage-resistant DX and DX + lenses will soon be available for mobile camera lens covers, starting with Samsung devices. Along with the added protection, Corning says its technology can improve the optical performance of smartphone cameras.

According to the company, DX glass essentially reduces the reflection of light from the lens of the camera cover. Currently, even with the use of an anti-reflective coating, around 92% of transmitted light enters a smartphone’s camera. Corning says that with DX / DX + outdoors, a camera lens can capture 98% of light, helping to reduce optical issues like ghosting. These reflections are usually caused by a bright light source during the day or in low light conditions. Lens hoods and coatings applied to lens surfaces can help remove ghosting, also known as ghosting.

Some smartphone manufacturers are already working with specialist vendors to solve the problem. Sony and Vivo both use a Zeiss coating to improve light transmission while reducing glare, ghosting, and glare on their high-end phones.

But, Corning also offers the added benefit of durability and has strong ties with the biggest smartphone makers in the field. The company claims that its DX glass is scratch resistant and that DX + comes close to the strength of sapphire, which is used in high-end watches thanks to its grade 9 on the Mohs scale – a system for rating the hardness of various minerals. It might even allow you to finally ditch that smartphone case.

Gorilla Glass is now present on 8 billion devices by more than 45 major brands, according to Corning. While Gorilla Glass DX is also available on over 30 million wearables. Recognizing its essential role as a supplier, Apple invested $ 450 million in the company as part of two separate investments in 2017 and 2019.