iPhone 16 Models Get 50% Tougher Ceramic Shield for Display

Tuesday September 10, 2024 3:33 pm PDT by Juli Clover

The iPhone 16, ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus, ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro, and ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro Max feature a new version of the Ceramic Shield, which is the glass and ceramic hybrid material that protects the iPhone's display.

iphone 16 display
Apple says that its latest-generation Ceramic Shield features its most advanced glass ceramic formulation. It's 50 percent "tougher" than the first-generation ceramic shield, and two times tougher than "glass found in any other smartphone." It's not clear how Apple is defining tougher, but Apple has typically focused more on drop protection than scratch protection when marketing the material.

Apple first started using the Ceramic Shield material in 2020 with the iPhone 12 models, and at the time, Apple said that it was developed in partnership with Corning. Corning makes the Gorilla Glass that Apple competitors like Samsung use, including the new "Gorilla Armor" that Samsung included for the Galaxy S24 Ultra, but the ceramic infused glass appears to be an Apple exclusive.

Once the ‌iPhone 16‌ models launch, we're sure to see a variety of drop and scratch tests that will provide more insight into the benefits of the second-generation Ceramic Shield. Pre-orders for the new devices start this Friday, and an official launch will follow on September 20.

Related Roundup: iPhone 16

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Apple Pulls Keynote, Pages and Numbers From App Store [Update: Back]

Thursday October 22, 2026 11:01 am PDT by Juli Clover

Apple has temporarily removed Keynote, Pages, and Numbers from the App Store, just after releasing an update that added iPhone Duo support and a new Intelligent Assistant. It is not clear if the apps were removed intentionally, or if it is a bug. Apple has not said when the apps will be reinstated, but if it was in error, they should return soon. Update: The Mac versions are back without...

• 68 comments

Here's What Apple's Apps Look Like on the iPhone Duo

Tuesday October 20, 2026 11:12 am PDT by Juli Clover

With just three days to go until the iPhone Duo is released, Apple is getting ready for the launch. Behind the scenes, the App Store now has screenshots of Apple's built-in apps running on the Duo. We've seen some apps in marketing materials, but images of the ones we haven't seen give us an idea of what it will be like using the iPhone Duo day to day. Many apps are shown in landscape...

• 116 comments

What 32,000 Folds Did to the iPhone Duo's Hinge

Wednesday October 21, 2026 1:05 pm PDT by Juli Clover

Apple hasn't shared iPhone Duo hinge tests or given a lifetime fold number like Samsung, but Joanna Stern used a custom device to subject her review unit to more than 32,000 folds over four nights. Over the course of the testing, Stern said she thought it might be feeling looser as the number of folds increased, but her final conclusion was that she couldn't feel much of a change. A...

• 80 comments