Corning eyes flexible glass in products by 2013
The maker of glass used in many smartphones and televisions has rolled out a new flexible glass, which could come to market in as little as seven months.
Phones, tablets, and TVs with thinner, flexible screens may be available to consumers as soon as next year.
Corning, the maker of glass used in Apple and Samsung mobile devices, has rolled out its new glass today, according to Bloomberg BusinessWeek.
Corning sent out samples to phone, tablet, and television manufacturers and expects to see the glass in consumer electronics by next year. Unlike typical glass sheets, the new flexible glass is manufactured in a roll, like paper or cloth.
Corning hopes to see products with the flexible glass out in the next seven months, Corning Chief Financial Officer James Flaws told Bloomberg. He added the displays would be more comfortable than existing products.
Corning is a fixture in the mobile device business thanks to its Gorilla Glass display. Gorilla Glass allows for thinner, stronger touch screens that resist scratches and are harder to break. Many high-end mobile devices use it for their displays, and the company showed off a new version at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.
Samsung is also working on flexible AMOLED technology, which the company claims is unbreakable, for its screens.