iPhone Glass Supplier Corning Faces EU Antitrust Probe

Apple supplier Corning is facing a European Commission-led antitrust probe over potential anticompetitive practices related to its dominant position in the smartphone cover glass market, specifically in relation to its Gorilla Glass technology.

iphone 16 display
The investigation centers on concerns that US-based Corning may have abused its market position by adopting exclusivity contracts to prevent rival glass makers from competing for business with mobile device manufacturers. The Commission is particularly focused on arrangements that allegedly required manufacturers to source "all or nearly all" of their specialized alkali-aluminosilicate glass from Corning.

"It is [a] very frustrating and costly experience to break a mobile phone screen. Therefore, strong competition in the production of the cover glass used to protect such devices is crucial to ensure low prices and high-quality glass," said EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager in a statement. "We are investigating if Corning, a major producer of this special glass, may have tried to exclude rival glass producers, thereby depriving consumers from cheaper and more break-resistant glass."

Corning's relationship with Apple has been particularly strong over the years, with Apple having invested $495 million in the company through its Advanced Manufacturing Fund between 2017 and 2021. This collaboration led to the development of Ceramic Shield, which Apple describes as its "most advanced glass ceramic formulation" in the iPhone 16 lineup, claiming that it is twice as tough as competitive smartphone glass.

The partnership has yielded exclusive benefits for Apple's devices. While competitors like Samsung use standard Gorilla Glass products, including the recent "Gorilla Armor" for the Galaxy S24 Ultra, Apple's Ceramic Shield technology remains exclusive to iPhone models since its introduction with the iPhone 12 in 2020. The glass is infused with nano-ceramic crystals at high temperatures while maintaining the transparency needed for the display, cameras, and Face ID sensors.

The Commission aims to determine whether Corning's practices have led to higher prices and reduced innovation, but it has not set a deadline for the investigation's completion. If Corning is found to have violated EU competition rules, it could face significant penalties. However, the company will have the opportunity to address the Commission's concerns by offering commitments that could bring the investigation to a close.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Soon With These New Features for Your iPhone

Tuesday March 25, 2025 6:45 am PDT by
Apple is expected to release iOS 18.4 to the general public as soon as next week, following more than a month of beta testing. Apple's website says some iOS 18.4 features will be released in "early April," so the update should be out as early as Tuesday, April 1. Apple this week seeded the iOS 18.4 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, barring the discovery of any...
ios 19 messages app

Here's What Apple's iOS 19 Messages App Might Look Like

Tuesday March 25, 2025 11:52 am PDT by
Leaker Jon Prosser today shared a mockup of what he says the Messages app will look like in iOS 19, demoing an interface with rounded, translucent bubble-shaped navigation buttons at the top and softer, rounder corners for the keyboard and word suggestions. Jon Prosser's Messages app mockup The return button, a button for going back to the Messages list, and the FaceTime button have a deeper...
iCloud General Feature Redux

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive a New Perk

Thursday March 20, 2025 12:01 am PDT by
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, Apple has a new perk for you, at no additional cost. The new perk is the ability to create invitations in the Apple Invites app for the iPhone, which launched in the App Store last month. In the Apple Invites app, iCloud+ subscribers can create invitations for any occasion, such as birthday parties, graduations, baby showers, and more. Anyone ...
airpods max 2024 colors

Don't Buy Into Apple's Hype About AirPods Max Gaining Lossless Audio

Monday March 24, 2025 4:24 pm PDT by
Apple today announced that AirPods Max with a USB-C port will be gaining support for lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio with a firmware update next month, alongside the release of iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS 15.4. For context, audio files are typically compressed to keep file sizes smaller. There are lossy compression standards like MP3 and AAC (Advanced Audio Codec), which...
macbook pro blue green

When Will Apple Release the M5 MacBook Pro?

Wednesday March 26, 2025 4:53 pm PDT by
Apple regularly refreshes the MacBook Pro models, and a new version that uses M5 series chips is in the works. Apple just finished refreshing most of the Mac lineup with M4 chips, and now it's time for the M5. Rumors suggest that we could see the first M5 MacBook Pro models this fall. Design There have been no rumors of a design update for the M5 MacBook Pro models that are coming this...
Apple Lumon Terminal Pro

Apple's Mac Site Features Fictional 'Lumon Terminal Pro'

Wednesday March 26, 2025 12:19 pm PDT by
Apple is going all out with promotions for the popular Severance Apple TV+ show today, and as of right now, you'll find a new "Lumon Terminal Pro" listed on Apple's Mac site. The Lumon Terminal Pro is designed to look similar to the machines that Severance employees like Mark S. and Helly R. use for macrodata refinement. The Terminal features a blue keyboard, a small display with wide...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock

Gurman: Jon Prosser's iOS 19 Mockups 'Aren't Representative' of Redesign

Tuesday March 25, 2025 4:47 pm PDT by
The iOS 19 mockup images that leaker Jon Prosser shared today are not representative of the actual iOS 19 design, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on social media. According to Gurman, the images that are "floating around" are based on "very old builds" or "vague descriptions," and are lacking key features. Gurman says that we can "expect more from Apple in June." Gurman made the same comment ...

Top Rated Comments

Hopefully Smarter Avatar
20 weeks ago
Stop selling smart devices in Europe
Score: 47 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cocky jeremy Avatar
20 weeks ago
"EU accuses company of smart business moves. More at 11!"
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Razorpit Avatar
20 weeks ago
Do these people not know that Apple invests money in to their suppliers to help fund research and product improvement? Why should they be forced to hand over their gains to competitors? ?

EU next month, probably, “Hey VW sorry you went all in with that EV stuff. Don’t worry though, we’re going to force Toyota to help design your new hybrids.”
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
icanhazmac Avatar
20 weeks ago

The investigation centers on concerns that US-based Corning
All you need to know is in bold above. The EU is at it again. ?
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
H3boy Avatar
20 weeks ago
What is the point of patents or innovation when the EU is just going to persecute you for using technology that you developed and market.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mojohanna32 Avatar
20 weeks ago
If Apple invested nearly half a billion in Corning, they have EVERY right to use the tech developed in conjunction with that investment exclusively.
Imagine this conversation. Apple: Hey Corning, heres $500m for you to develop a new glass for us!. Corning, thanks for the cash but *uc* your exclusivity.
THat's not how business works.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)