Gorilla Glass
A Corning brand of chemically strengthened cover glass for electronic devices and other demanding applications.
Last updated October 7, 2026
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Overview
Gorilla Glass is a Corning Incorporated brand of thin, chemically strengthened alkali-aluminosilicate glass. It is primarily used as protective cover glass for smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, portable computers, televisions, vehicle displays, and other electronic products. The material is designed to combine low thickness and weight with resistance to scratches, surface damage, and cracking. Its strengthening process is based on ion exchange. During manufacture, glass is immersed in a molten potassium-salt bath at approximately 400 degrees Celsius. Larger potassium ions replace smaller sodium ions near the glass surface. Because the replacement ions occupy more space, the treated surface develops compressive stress. This stress helps contain flaws and improves the glass's resistance to everyday damage and fracture. The glass can subsequently be cut, shaped, and finished for use in device designs. Corning's work on chemically strengthened glass began decades before the Gorilla Glass brand. In 1960, the company conducted experiments under Project Muscle, and researchers later developed chemically strengthened materials in which potassium replaced sodium in the surface layer. Additional work involving aluminum and zirconium oxides produced a material marketed as Chemcor. Chemcor was used in selected industrial, automotive, aviation, and pharmaceutical applications, including lightweight racing-car glazing in the late 1960s. The consumer-electronics opportunity emerged when Corning revisited the technology in 2005 and investigated whether it could be produced thin enough for mobile-device displays. The material was used on the first-generation iPhone launched in 2007, although the Gorilla Glass name was formally introduced in 2008. The relationship with Apple helped establish chemically strengthened glass as a standard alternative to plastic display covers, after which Corning supplied successive generations to many device manufacturers. The brand has expanded through successive generations that target different performance priorities. Gorilla Glass 2 emphasized reduced thickness; Gorilla Glass 3 improved scratch and deep-scratch resistance; Gorilla Glass 4 and 5 focused more strongly on damage and drop resistance; Gorilla Glass 6 was designed to survive repeated drops. Later products included specialized versions for wearables, camera lenses, optical clarity, and anti-reflective performance. Victus, Victus 2, Gorilla Armor, Gorilla Glass 7i, Gorilla Armor 2, and Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 extended the range into improved drop protection, lower reflectivity, lower-cost devices, and glass-ceramic construction. Although smartphones remain the brand's most visible market, Gorilla Glass has also been used in watches, portable media players, laptops, automotive displays and glazing, and other products. Ford announced its use of the material in the second-generation Ford GT's windshield and rear window, and later applications reached vehicles such as the Ford F-150 and Jeep Wrangler. Corning has manufactured Gorilla Glass in facilities including Harrodsburg, Kentucky; Asan, South Korea; and Taiwan. By October 2017, the material was reported to have appeared in approximately five billion devices worldwide. Gorilla Glass competes with other strengthened or protective materials, including AGC's Dragontrail, SCHOTT's Xensation, and synthetic sapphire. Its positioning rests on the combination of thinness, optical clarity, hardness, scratch resistance, crack resistance, processability, and broad integration across device manufacturers. It remains an active Corning brand and, by 2025, had reached a ninth-generation family represented by Gorilla Armor and related products.
History
Corning's chemically strengthened-glass research predates the Gorilla Glass name by several decades. The company began experiments under Project Muscle in 1960. Researchers developed a process in which sodium ions near the surface of glass were replaced by larger potassium ions, producing a compressive surface layer and improving resistance to damage. Further formulation work involving aluminum and zirconium oxides led to Chemcor, a chemically strengthened glass used in selected industrial, automotive, aviation, and pharmaceutical applications. In 1968, lightweight Chemcor glazing was reportedly installed in approximately 100 Dodge Dart and Plymouth Barracuda racing cars. Commercial interest in the technology declined during the following decades, but Corning revived experimentation in 2005. The objective was to make chemically strengthened glass sufficiently thin, light, and optically suitable for portable electronics. The material was used on the original iPhone when that device launched in June 2007. It was subsequently given the Gorilla Glass name and formally introduced as a branded product in February 2008. The iPhone helped demonstrate that glass could replace plastic as a durable mobile-display cover, creating a substantial new market. Gorilla Glass 2 arrived in 2012 with a thinner design and was first used on Samsung's Galaxy S III. Gorilla Glass 3 followed in 2013 with improved scratch and deep-scratch resistance; its development used atomic-scale modeling to guide the glass composition. Gorilla Glass 4, launched in 2014, focused on damage resistance while retaining the ability to be made thin. Gorilla Glass 5 followed in 2016 with stronger drop performance. Corning also introduced SR+ for wearables and demonstrated an antimicrobial version incorporating ionic silver. Gorilla Glass 6 launched in 2018 and was designed to withstand multiple drops. Corning then broadened the product family with DX and DX+ optical composites for wearables, including improved anti-reflective properties and, in later applications, protection for smartphone camera lenses. Gorilla Glass 3+ was introduced as an intermediate option with improved drop performance over Gorilla Glass 3. Victus was introduced in 2020, followed by Victus 2 in 2022. These generations emphasized drop protection while retaining strong scratch performance. In 2024, Corning introduced Gorilla Armor, marketed with reduced reflectivity and improved resistance to drops and scratches, and Gorilla Glass 7i for less expensive phones. In 2025, the portfolio expanded with Gorilla Armor 2, a glass-ceramic product, and Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2. The brand's uses have expanded beyond handheld displays. Gorilla Glass has appeared in smartwatches, portable computers, televisions, camera lenses, automotive displays, and vehicle windows. Ford announced Gorilla Glass for the second-generation Ford GT in 2015, and later applications included mainstream vehicles such as the Ford F-150 and Jeep Wrangler. Production has taken place in the United States, South Korea, and Taiwan. By October 2017, Corning stated or was reported to have supplied glass used in approximately five billion devices. The brand competes with AGC Dragontrail, SCHOTT Xensation, synthetic sapphire, and other protective materials.
- 2025
Gorilla Armor 2 and Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 announced
[1]The family expanded into glass-ceramic cover materials with Armor 2 and Ceramic 2.
- 2024
Gorilla Armor and Gorilla Glass 7i introduced
[1]Corning introduced a premium low-reflection Armor product and a more affordable 7i product for smartphones.
- 2022
Gorilla Glass Victus 2 introduced
[1]Victus 2 was formulated to improve survival of drops onto rough surfaces such as concrete.
- 2020
Gorilla Glass Victus introduced
[1]Victus combined improved drop performance with a claimed twofold increase in scratch resistance over Gorilla Glass 6.
- 2018
Gorilla Glass 6 and DX family introduced
[1]Gorilla Glass 6 emphasized repeated-drop protection, while DX and DX+ added specialized optical performance for wearables.
- 2016
Gorilla Glass 5 and SR+ introduced
[1]Gorilla Glass 5 focused on drop resistance, while SR+ was developed for wearable devices.
- 2014
Gorilla Glass 4 introduced
[1]The fourth generation targeted better damage resistance while supporting thinner device designs.
- 2013
Gorilla Glass 3 introduced
[1]The third generation emphasized improved resistance to scratches and deep scratches.
- 2012
Gorilla Glass 2 introduced
[1]The second generation was introduced with a design approximately 20 percent thinner than the original.
- 2008
Gorilla Glass brand formally launched
[1]Corning formally introduced the Gorilla Glass brand.
Products and positioning
Premium, thin, lightweight and damage-resistant protective glass for consumer electronics, wearables, automotive applications and other products requiring durable optical surfaces.
Mobile-device cover glass · 2008
Gorilla Glass
The original branded Gorilla Glass product used chemically strengthened alkali-aluminosilicate glass to provide a thin and durable protective cover for mobile displays. It established the core design balance of optical clarity, low weight, hardness, and resistance to everyday scratches and cracks.
Mobile-device cover glass · 2012
Gorilla Glass 2
Introduced in 2012, Gorilla Glass 2 was designed to be approximately 20 percent thinner than the first generation while retaining comparable protective performance. It was first used on the Samsung Galaxy S III and supported manufacturers' efforts to reduce device thickness.
Mobile-device cover glass · 2013
Gorilla Glass 3
Gorilla Glass 3 emphasized scratch resistance and improved resistance to deep scratches that could weaken a glass sheet. Corning promoted stronger scratch performance and greater flexibility than the preceding generation. Its development incorporated atomic-scale modeling to help select the glass composition.
Mobile-device cover glass · 2014
Gorilla Glass 4
Gorilla Glass 4 was designed to improve damage resistance and to maintain performance when produced in thinner forms. The Samsung Galaxy Alpha was identified as an early device using the product.
Mobile-device cover glass · 2016
Gorilla Glass 5
Gorilla Glass 5 shifted emphasis toward surviving drops and resisting cracking from impact. It was introduced in 2016 and first appeared in the Samsung Galaxy Note 7.
Wearable cover glass · 2016
Gorilla Glass SR+
SR+ was developed for wearable devices, combining toughness and scratch resistance with optical clarity. It was first used in the Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch.
Mobile-device cover glass · 2018
Gorilla Glass 6
Gorilla Glass 6 was engineered for multiple-drop scenarios and greater drop heights while maintaining the scratch performance associated with the preceding generation. It was first used on the Samsung Galaxy S10.
Wearable and optical cover glass · 2018
Gorilla Glass DX and DX+
The DX family extended the SR+ concept with improved optical properties, including anti-reflective performance. DX+ offered higher scratch resistance and was initially aimed at wearables before being adapted for additional applications such as smartphone camera-lens protection.
Mobile-device cover glass · 2019
Gorilla Glass 3+
Gorilla Glass 3+ provided an intermediate option with better drop resistance than Gorilla Glass 3 and was intended to extend enhanced protection to a broader range of devices.
Premium mobile-device cover glass · 2020
Gorilla Glass Victus
Victus was introduced as a premium generation combining improved drop performance with a claimed doubling of scratch resistance compared with Gorilla Glass 6. It was first used on the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.
Premium mobile-device cover glass · 2022
Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Victus 2 uses a revised composition intended to improve survival during drops onto rough surfaces such as concrete. Corning positioned it as retaining the scratch-resistance level of Victus while addressing more demanding impact conditions.
Premium mobile-device cover glass · 2024
Gorilla Armor
Gorilla Armor is a ninth-generation Gorilla Glass family product introduced in 2024. Corning described it as improving drop and scratch performance while reducing reflection by as much as 75 percent compared with a typical glass surface. It first appeared on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Value-oriented mobile-device cover glass · 2024
Gorilla Glass 7i
Gorilla Glass 7i was designed for less expensive smartphones. Corning stated that it improves drop and scratch performance over competing lithium-aluminosilicate cover glasses and can survive specified drops from approximately one meter onto rough surfaces in laboratory testing.
Glass-ceramic mobile-device cover glass · 2025
Gorilla Armor 2
Gorilla Armor 2 is the first Gorilla Glass product identified as using a glass-ceramic material. Its design targets stronger drop performance while retaining scratch resistance. Corning reported laboratory survival of drops from up to 2.2 meters onto a surface simulating concrete, and the product first appeared on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Glass-ceramic mobile-device cover glass · 2025
Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2
Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 is a later glass-ceramic addition to the Gorilla Glass portfolio. It was introduced in 2025 and first used on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge.
Brand decisions
2015
Expand Gorilla Glass into automotive glazingStrategyBackground
The brand had become strongly associated with mobile-device displays, while automotive manufacturers sought lighter glazing and display materials.
Action taken
Ford announced Gorilla Glass for the windshield and rear window of the second-generation Ford GT, with later use in vehicles including the Ford F-150 and Jeep Wrangler.
Aftermath
The move broadened the brand beyond handheld electronics into automotive applications.
2005
Reorient chemically strengthened glass toward consumer electronicsStrategyBackground
Corning revisited earlier chemically strengthened-glass research as portable devices created demand for thin, lightweight and durable display covers.
Action taken
The company developed the material for consumer-electronics use, leading to its adoption in the original iPhone and subsequent branding as Gorilla Glass.
Aftermath
The decision created a major cover-glass product category and expanded the technology from specialized industrial applications into mass-market devices.
- AGC Inc. — AGC developed and marketed Dragontrail as a competing strengthened-glass product.
- SCHOTT AG — SCHOTT developed Xensation as another competing protective-glass product.
Recent events
Samsung signs on as first user of Corning’s new camera-lens glass[2]
Corning said Samsung had signed on as the first company to use the new Gorilla Glass camera-lens material.
Reported
Corning launches Gorilla Glass Victus[3]
Corning announced the launch of Gorilla Glass Victus, its latest glass technology, with improved drop and scratch resistance.
- Unconfirmed
Corning Gorilla Glass Victus launched[4]
Corning introduced Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, highlighting improvements in drop and scratch resistance.
Sources4 sources
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