Skip to main content

I want Gorilla Armor on every smartphone

Smartphone glass has gotten much better over the years, but Corning’s new Gorilla Armor feels like the first truly big upgrade we’ve seen in a while. I want it on everything.


This issue of 9to5Google Weekender is a part of 9to5Google’s rebooted newsletter that highlights the biggest Google stories with added commentary and other tidbits. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox early!


Corning Gorilla Armor was announced earlier this year alongside its debut on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The new option is not just another advancement of Gorilla Glass, but an entirely new type of glass using new materials to provide improved drop and scratch resistance, all while also boosting optical clarity via its antireflective design.

Gorilla Armor is not perfect, obviously. Glass is glass, and it still breaks and scratches. It took just a couple of days under the infamous Max Weinbach test for his Galaxy S24 Ultra to be damaged, but on my end, the glass held up better than any prior Galaxy I’ve used. Where I somehow managed to scratch up the Galaxy S22 Ultra and S23 Ultra within a matter of a couple of weeks, the Galaxy S24 Ultra never saw any damage while I was using it. And that’s probably thanks in large part that Gorilla Armor is actually more scratch-resistant, as tests show.

But, damage aside, the bigger upgrade in my book has been that antireflective property.

Gorilla Armor just makes a device so much more pleasant to use, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I moved back from the Galaxy S24 Ultra to other devices like Pixel 8 Pro, OnePlus 12, and Honor Magic 6 Pro. That antireflective coating is just wonderful, and something I want on every device.

Gorilla Armor’s antireflective finish (R) is its best quality

What does the future hold in store for Gorilla Armor? Honestly, it’s hard to know for certain.

In speaking with Corning at MWC briefly (where the picture at the top of this post was taken), I asked about Gorilla Armor and the reply I got didn’t really hint we’ll be seeing it more widely anytime soon. Which, frankly, makes sense. The next logical candidates for Armor to show up include the next Motorola Edge (which is likely to use Vicuts 2 given the context of Motorola’s MWC announcement), the front panel of the Galaxy Z Fold 6, and maybe the Pixel 9 series. Of those, I think the Pixel is the most likely given Google wasn’t shy about immediately jumping to Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the Pixel 8 series, but even then, that means we’re quite a ways out from the debut and, realistically, I’m not even sure it’ll happen given that Samsung didn’t even bring Armor to the S24 and S24+.

Have you used Gorilla Armor?


This Week’s Top Stories

March 2024 Pixel Feature Drop

After a previous Feature Drop at the end of January, Google has released the March 2024 Feature Drop for Pixel devices. Unlike the last one, this time around delivers Android 14 QPR2 to Pixel devices with plenty of fixes in tow. One notable new feature is Google’s first expansion of Circle to Search to Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, but not to the Pixel Fold, frustratingly.

Tidal gets a new, way better price

In the world of music streaming, Tidal dropped some big news this week as the service cut its price in half. Users can now subscribe to the service with its Hi-Fi audio for just $10.99/month, way down from the previous $20/month. It’s a big deal, especially as Spotify lags with its “HiFi” plan and YouTube Music also ignores the improved quality market.

More Top Stories


From the rest of 9to5

9to5Mac: Should you update to iOS 17.4? Here’s what’s new

Electrek: 2024 Honda Prologue electric SUV starts under $40,000 with full EV tax credit eligibility

9to5Toys: Le Creuset launches Alpine, its very first outdoor cookware collection

ConnectTheWatts: BowFlex buckles under pressure, files for bankruptcy

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Google — experts who break news about Google and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Google on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

Author

Avatar for Ben Schoon Ben Schoon

Ben is a Senior Editor for 9to5Google.

Find him on Twitter @NexusBen. Send tips to schoon@9to5g.com or encrypted to benschoon@protonmail.com.