The crease on the screen is the main problem of any foldable smartphone today, whatever one may say. Or rather, don't bend it. This crease spoils the whole experience of using the gadget and makes you wonder whether you spent a lot of money right. Many people forget about another problem – a scratched screen. It is very soft due to the fact that it has to bend, and you can literally scratch it with your fingernail. We have already lost the habit of this. But that could soon change when Samsung teamed up with Corning to create a nice thin glass for the new foldable phone.
The new Galaxy Fold may be brand new.
Corning and Samsung collaboration
According to the latest reports from various sources, Samsung is teaming up with Corning to produce ultra-thin glass. Most likely, the new type of coverage will be used in the company's new foldable smartphones. Considering that she is a pioneer in this area, she now has the most folding models in her lineup and she does not plan to discontinue their production, the decision looks as logical as possible.
Back this spring, Samsung unveiled its Galaxy Z Flip with ultra-thin glass (UTG), which sells well. Then the bet was made on the development of the German manufacturer Schott. Apparently, Samsung was not satisfied with something in this partnership or in the quality of glass and now it plans to start working for a recognized world leader in the production of glass for smartphones. Proof of leadership is that almost all more or less decent smartphones have one of the generations of Gorilla Glass.
According to the Korean publication DDaily, Samsung has established its own UTG supply chain with US-based Corning. Samsung is believed to be teaming up with Corning to reduce the cost of foldable display components. In addition, the website says the two companies need more time to develop their view of UTG, but the technology could be ready for Samsung's foldable phones as early as 2021. Thus, we can assume that the first device with such glass will be the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 2.
The biggest challenge is flexing the screen.
Who benefits from installing new glass in folding Samsung
Such cooperation will be beneficial to both companies. Samsung will enlist the support of a strong player in the world of screen protection and will be able to write on boxes that the glasses are made by Corning. For example, it could be some kind of Gorilla Glass Flip. In turn, the American company will “fill its hand” in the production of such glasses and almost immediately take a leading position in the new market. She simply will not have competitors, and cooperation with the company that promotes folding technologies the most will give her tremendous experience.
If the terms of the agreement with Samsung do not require a long period of exclusive supplies, then you can count on an increase in the number of foldable smartphones, since it is the coverage that is a big problem in their production. If there is a ready-made solution that you can just buy, this will greatly simplify the process.
Corning's interest in this area has already been shown some time ago, when the company announced that it was developing ultra-thin folding glass. But we all understand that it is one thing to bend it and quite another to understand how it will work on a finished smartphone.
It's worth noting that Corning's Gorilla Glass first appeared on the original iPhone before everyone else in the industry adopted it. Then Steve Jobs realized that his new phone simply could not have a plastic screen, called the CEO of Corning and suggested that he think about how he could make good coatings for the touch screen.
New glass is harder to design than it sounds.
When will the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 come out?
Many sources agree that the upcoming Galaxy Fold 2 will offer the usual folding glass that the company already has. On the one hand, this is a minus, but radical changes will have to wait for some time, but on the other hand, this once again confirms that the novelty will still be there.
Let me remind you that, most likely, the novelty will be shown along with the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 in late August or early September. The timing varies slightly depending on the source. This is largely due to some uncertainty due to the global coronavirus pandemic.
Who makes Gorilla Glass
The most popular glass in the world of smartphones is made by Corning, which has been doing something similar since the end of the century before last. Its product line includes medical equipment, glassware for cooking at high temperatures, lenses for telescopes and several other products. It is to her that we owe the appearance of safety glass, which is installed in the car and which does not break into large fragments, but crumbles into small crumbs, unable to injure the driver and passengers.
I told you more about more than a century of brand history in a separate article, which is on our website.