Apple's iPhone 16 may miss out on a new durable anti-reflective display technology made by Corning that Samsung has adopted on its latest Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Samsung's latest flagship smartphone features Corning's new Gorilla Glass Armor display panel that cuts reflections by 75 percent compared to a typical glass surface, and is resistant to micro scratches that build up over time on competing glass panels. Corning claims the panels also offer over 4x more scratch resistance than competitive aluminosilicate cover glasses.
In fact, Corning is also a longtime supplier of Apple, and Gorilla Glass is used in devices across Apple's product lineup. In 2021, Apple said it had invested a combined $495 million to support Corning's ongoing research and development into "state-of-the-art glass processes," which led to the creation of Ceramic Shield.
Introduced on iPhone 12 models in 2020, the ceramic-infused glass was marketed by Apple as increasing drop performance by 4x compared to the iPhone 11. When the iPhone 15 launched back in September, Apple described the latest iteration of its Ceramic Shield as "tougher than any smartphone glass."
Basically, "Ceramic Shield" is Apple's marketing name for what is essentially a bespoke version of Corning's Gorilla Glass. Given that Corning has now debuted its latest Gorilla Glass technology in Samsung's newest smartphone, it would therefore be logical to assume that the same tech will feature in this year's upcoming iPhone 16 series, albeit under a different name. But one rumor suggests it won't happen.
According to oft-reliable Chinese leaker Instant Digital, Apple is indeed adopting an outer glass for a future iPhone that features a "super-hard anti-reflective layer" that is "more scratch-resistant than you think." Both descriptions match attributes ascribed to Corning's latest Gorilla Glass Armor. However, the leaker claims the coating equipment involved has only recently been transferred to Apple's supply chain in China, meaning that it will not be ready in time for use in iPhone 16 production lines.
As a result, Instant Digital believes next year's iPhone 17 will be the first Apple smartphone to feature the anti-reflective display technology. In other words, iPhone 16 users may have to accept that owners of Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra will enjoy a superior display experience for at least another year.
