Before we had time to look back, our phones became glass. At first, only screens were made of glass, and now phone cases are also made of glass. Phones with aluminum or titanium bodies are rare. Glass cases are attractive and suitable for wireless charging, unlike metal cases.
Plastic cases are now considered obsolete due to their low appeal and negative impact on the environment. Over the past decades, billions of phones with plastic casings have been produced and thrown away, which were not always disposed of properly. The production and processing of glass is much more environmentally friendly.
Apple's first iPhone was equipped with Corning glass, known as Gorilla Glass. Over the years, Corning has developed new versions of the glass, increasing its resistance to scratches and impacts. The latest generations of iPhones, starting with the iPhone 12, use Ceramic Shield glass, which Apple claims is stronger than other glasses on the market.
Samsung uses Gorilla Armor glass in its latest flagship line, the Galaxy S24, while Xiaomi has switched on Xiaomi's own Shield Glass in this year's flagship. AGC's favorite Japanese Dragontrail Glass is used in the OnePlus 11R and OPPO Reno 11 5G models.
High-quality protective glass usually has a hardness of 5-6 on the Mohs scale. Sapphire glass, although hard, is too fragile and heavy for smartphones, but is ideal for protecting camera lenses.
Sapphire glass is widely used in premium smart watches. The best sapphire glass in the world is produced by the Monokrystal plant in Stavropol. This glass is installed on many premium devices such as smart watches, mechanical watches, smartphones and professional cameras.