Corning Redefines the Standard in Damage Resistance With Gorilla® Glass 4

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Gorilla Glass
Corning Redefines the Standard in Damage Resistance With Gorilla® Glass 4
Corning Redefines the Standard in Damage Resistance With Gorilla® Glass 4
Corning NY | Corning Incorporated | November 20, 2014
Up to two times better performance over competitive glasses when dropped on rough surfaces

CORNING, N.Y., November 20, 2014— Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) today announced its latest breakthrough innovation in consumer electronics material design, the revolutionary Corning® Gorilla® Glass 4, which is up to two times tougher than any competitive cover glass design now in the market. The new Gorilla Glass 4 has been formulated to address consumers’ No. 1 issue – screen breakage from everyday drops.

Gorilla Glass 4 provides at least two times improved damage resistance over competitive aluminosilicate glass, as measured by retained strength after damage events, resulting in improved mechanical durability of the glass to in-field damage events, such as drops.

Corning scientists examined hundreds of broken devices and found that damage caused by sharp contact accounted for more than 70 percent of field failures. The scientists then developed new drop-test methods that simulate real-world break events, based on thousands of hours analyzing cover glass that had broken in the field or laboratory. The scientists used the new methods to drop devices face down from one meter, such that the cover glass directly contacted a rough surface. They found:

  • Gorilla Glass 4 is up to two times tougher than competitive glasses
  • Gorilla Glass 4 survives up to 80 percent of the time
  • Soda-lime glass, as deployed in today’s commercial devices, breaks nearly 100 percent of the time.

Corning® Gorilla® Glass has outperformed competing materials such as  soda-lime glass and other strengthened glass, since it was introduced in 2007, and we’re always innovating to push the limits of what glass can do,” said James R. Steiner, senior vice president and general manager, Corning Specialty Materials. “With Gorilla Glass 4, we have focused on significantly improving protection against sharp contact damage, which is the primary reason that mobile devices break. Dropping and breaking a phone is a common problem, and one that our customers have asked us to help address.”

Gorilla Glass 4 is manufactured using Corning’s proprietary fusion draw process. It maintains the thinness, durability, and optical clarity for which Gorilla Glass is known, while dramatically improving drop performance. Gorilla Glass is the cover glass of choice for device manufacturers around the globe. Over 40 manufacturers have designed Gorilla Glass into a total of 1,395 product models, and have branded Gorilla Glass touch cover glass as a key selling feature. Since its launch in 2007, Gorilla Glass has been featured in more than 3 billion devices.

Product sampling and shipment for Gorilla Glass 4 are under way with Corning’s global customers.

For more information on Corning Gorilla Glass 4, visit our website.

Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” (within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995), which are based on current expectations and assumptions about Corning’s financial results and business operations, that involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include: the effect of global political, economic and business conditions; conditions in the financial and credit markets; currency fluctuations; tax rates; product demand and industry capacity; competition; reliance on a concentrated customer base; manufacturing efficiencies; cost reductions; availability of critical components and materials; new product commercialization; pricing fluctuations and changes in the mix of sales between premium and non-premium products; new plant start-up or restructuring costs; possible disruption in commercial activities due to terrorist activity, armed conflict, political or financial instability, natural disasters, adverse weather conditions, or major health concerns; adequacy of insurance; equity company activities; acquisition and divestiture activities; the level of excess or obsolete inventory; the rate of technology change; the ability to enforce patents; product and components performance issues; retention of key personnel; stock price fluctuations; and adverse litigation or regulatory developments. These and other risk factors are detailed in Corning’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the day that they are made, and Corning undertakes no obligation to update them in light of new information or future events.

About Corning Incorporated
Corning (www.corning.com) is one of the world’s leading innovators in materials science. For more than 160 years, Corning has applied its unparalleled expertise in specialty glass, ceramics, and optical physics to develop products that have created new industries and transformed people’s lives. Corning succeeds through sustained investment in R&D, a unique combination of material and process innovation, and close collaboration with customers to solve tough technology challenges. Corning’s businesses and markets are constantly evolving. Today, Corning’s products enable diverse industries such as consumer electronics, telecommunications, transportation, and life sciences. They include damage-resistant cover glass for smartphones and tablets; precision glass for advanced displays; optical fiber, wireless technologies, and connectivity solutions for high-speed communications networks; trusted products that accelerate drug discovery and manufacturing; and emissions-control products for cars, trucks, and off-road vehicles.

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