Какое защитное стекло лучше для вашего Android-смартфона — AndroidInsider.ru

07.07.2019

Одним из обязательных компонентов наших смартфонов является стекло, которое закрывает дисплей и защищает его от ударов и царапин. Стекла бывают разные. Постараемся рассказать, отличаются ли они друг от друга, и насколько велика разница. Если разница есть, то какое стекло является самым безопасным?

Gorilla Glass

Стекло от компании Corning существует с 2007 года. В 2012 году появилось стекло Gorilla Glass второго поколения. Уже через год появилось третье поколение. Сегодня большинство флагманских смартфонов используют Gorilla Glass 6, представленное в 2018 году.

Процесс изготовления стекла от года к году не сильно меняется. Стекло становится прочнее благодаря нахождению в ванне с расплавленной солью под температурой 400 градусов по Цельсию. Ионы калия создают слой, который добавляет прочности стеклу.

Читайте также — как стекла Gorilla Glass изменили наш мир

Не меняется год от года и устойчивость к царапинам, а вот стойкость к ударам и падениям с каждым поколением Gorilla Glass растет. Согласно данным Corning, последнее поколение их стекла может выдержать до 15 падений с высоты одного метра.

Dragontrail

Другое популярное стекло изготавливает японский производитель Asahi. Его можно назвать вторым по популярности. Существуют Dragontrail, Dragontrail X и Dragontrail Pro. Последняя разновидность была выпущена в 2016 году. Нового стекла от Asahi пока не анонсировано.

Сапфировое стекло

Наименее доступными являются сапфировые стекла. Их изготавливают из искусственно выращенных кристаллов в бочке, которая подвергается воздействию 2200 градусов по Цельсию. Процесс занимает около 16-17 дней. Вот, почему сапфировые стекла такие дорогие. Сапфир имеет твердость 9 по шкале Мооса, в то время, как Gorilla Glass может выдерживать царапины от предметов с твердостью не выше 5 по шкале Мооса.

Читайте также — первый смартфон с Gorilla Glass 6

Какое стекло лучше

Разницы в устойчивости к царапинам между стеклами от Corning и Asahi практически нет. Сапфировое стекло можно поцарапать только алмазом, и здесь оно выигрывает.

Что касается гибкости и прочности, здесь ситуация обстоит иначе. Сапфировое стекло скорей рассыпется, чем согнется. Gorilla Glass является значительно более гибким. Это значит, что стекло способно выдержать более сильное давление. Corning заверяет, что сапфировое стекло не сможет выдержать над собой 73 килограмма, в то время как их решение держится под 195 килограммами. Стекла Dragontrail догоняют Corning и обходят сапфировые стекла.

И выходит, что приходится выбирать между большей устойчивостью к царапинам и большей терпимостью к ударам. Производители сегодня выбирают меньшую стоимость, и устанавливают стекла от Corning и Asahi. Сапфировые стекла используются не во всех продуктах, и вовсе не обязательно они используются для защиты экрана, но многие потребители не отказались бы иметь смартфон, экран которого не царапается. А вы согласны заплатить больше за стекло, которое не бьется? Расскажите в нашем Телеграм-чате.

Corning

Gorilla Glass 6 was announced in 2018, marking the latest version of the popular scratch-resistant glass for smartphones and tablets.

The technology has been protecting a wide variety of phones for years now, but it’s not the only solution on the market. Dragontrail Glass, Sapphire, and tempered glass are all popular options. So how do they all differ from one another? Which one is best? We’ve got a few answers.

How are they made?

Gorilla Glass

As the latest name suggests, Gorilla Glass has gone through many iterations. The first generation of the product launched in 2007, followed by Gorilla Glass 2 in 2012 and Gorilla Glass 3 in 2013. Many flagships released in 2018 feature Gorilla Glass 5, which first released in 2016. But major companies have made the switch to Gorilla Glass 6 in recent months too.

The basic process is the same for each generation, using an “ion-exchange process.” This is essentially a strengthening process where the glass is placed in a bath of molten salt measuring 400 degrees Celsius (752 degrees Fahrenheit), according to its manufacturer Corning. Potassium ions in the bath create a “layer of compressive stress” on the glass, basically giving it added strength.

Gorilla Glass 5 offers similar scratch resistance to Gorilla Glass 4, but is 1.8 times more durable in drop tests, the company’s representatives previously said. The glass is also designed to withstand drops from 1.6 meters, with the glass holding firm about 80 percent of the time, according to Corning’s internal tests. Meanwhile, Gorilla Glass 4 was twice as likely to survive a drop test compared to Gorilla Glass 3, but this was from a height of one meter.

As for the latest version of Corning’s product? Well, Gorilla Glass 6 is equivalent to Gorilla Glass 5 in scratch resistance but is designed to survive multiple drops from even greater heights. According to Corning’s press materials, it can survive, on average, 15 drops onto rough surfaces from a height of one meter and is up to “2x better” than Gorilla Glass 5.

Dragontrail Glass

Asahi Glass Co.

Made by Japanese giant Asahi Glass, Dragontrail is probably the second most popular brand with manufacturers.

The company uses a so-called float process to create its glass, sending liquid glass over a furnace of molten tin. Particles are then added for strengthening before the glass is quickly cooled and sent for cutting.

Dragontrail Glass comes in a few variants — Dragontrail, Dragontrail X, and Dragontrail Pro. 2016’s Dragontrail Pro is the latest product, delivering 30 percent better durability against corner drops thanks to a rounded glass edge. Asahi adds that it should also withstand more bending than standard Dragontrail.

Notably, Google’s new Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL smartphones use Dragontrail glass instead of the more popular Gorilla Glass.

Tempered glass

A screen protector made out of tempered glass.

The cheapest solution of the lot, tempered glass, is the material of choice for many third-party screen protectors.

According to Scientific American, tempered glass is first cut to size and then subjected to heating in a tempering oven. The glass is heated to just over 600 degrees Celsius (1,112 degrees Fahrenheit), followed by a blast of cold air for a few seconds.

The process makes the outer surface of the glass cooler than the inside, which creates compression on the outside and tension on the inside, giving us stronger glass.

Sapphire

HTC released a version of the U Ultra with Sapphire glass.

Sapphire is the most expensive option on this list, which means it’s mostly restricted to smaller bits like camera lenses and watch faces (including a few Apple Watch models).

According to a 2014 Pocketnow video, Sapphire screens are made by placing a Sapphire seed at the bottom of a barrel. This barrel then gets filled with condensed corundum and leftover uncrystallized Sapphire from previous batches. The barrel is then put inside a furnace, which heats the materials at up to 2,200 degrees Celsius.

The process takes from 16 to 17 days and results in a 115-kilogram hunk of Sapphire. From here, a block is cut out for a smartphone display, then polished and cut further.

Which one is better?

JerryRigEverything

Which is better depends on what you think is most important: scratch resistance, weight and thinness, affordability, impact resistance, or a delicate balance of several of these. We use the Mohs scale to measure the scratch resistance of minerals and other similar materials. A higher number on the scale means better scratch resistance, with talcum rated at one and diamond at 10. A material with a higher rating is also capable of scratching a material with a lower rating, such as a diamond-tipped pick scratching a quartz panel.

A third-party test by YouTube channel JerryRigEverything has shown that Gorilla Glass 5 can withstand being scratched with picks as hard as five on the Mohs scale, so it’s fair to say Gorilla Glass 5 (and probably Gorilla Glass 6, given its similarities to 5) is at least a five. A Corning representative previously told us that all glass falls between five and six on the scale.

Gorilla Glass and Dragontrail Glass seem to be similarly tough in the scratch resistance department

However, one industry source claims Gorilla Glass 4, Dragontrail Glass, and tempered glass all share a hardness of seven on the Mohs scale. Regardless, there doesn’t seem to a huge difference in the scratch-resistance department between Gorilla Glass 4 and Dragontrail Glass (we’ll get to Sapphire in a moment).

Speaking of tempered glass, one mobile chain store claims it’s yet to see a tempered glass protector emerge unscathed after a six or seven point pick scratching. Tempered glass protectors are usually more scratch-resistant than plastic, however, which has a hardness of between two and four on the scale.

Buy a stainless steel or ceramic version of the third-generation Apple Watch and you’ll get a Sapphire display. Apple

Sapphire measures nine on the Mohs scale, just behind diamond. So expect Sapphire-clad devices to fare better in your purse or occupied pocket.

Repair chain UBreakiFix conducted a scratch test on both a Sapphire screen protector and Gorilla Glass 5. The firm used a tungsten pick, which was rated nine on the Mohs scale. The Corning solution got scratched, but nothing happened to the Sapphire protector.

Editor’s Pick

Another way to measure these materials is the Vickers hardness test, which uses a diamond-tipped indenter to measure a material’s hardness (a higher figure is better). Gorilla Glass 5 has a Vickers hardness of between 601 and 638, according to Corning’s product sheet. Dragontrail manufacturer Asahi Glass claims its glass has a Vickers hardness of between 595 and 673.

There isn’t much difference between the two then, as there’s some significant overlap. A look at Sapphire’s hardness rating further illustrates this point. Sapphire boasts a Vickers hardness of over 2,000, with one study putting it at roughly 2,700. In other words, Sapphire is least likely to be scratched out of all these solutions.

What about bending or impact?

Scratches are just one major part of the toughness equation — drops are another major challenge. After all, many people buy cases because of accidental drops rather than everyday scratches.

According to the earlier UBreakIFix video, Gorilla Glass can bend more during a four-point bend test than Sapphire. Sapphire might be more scratch-resistant, but its ability to withstand a drop-induced bend or deformation isn’t as great as Gorilla Glass.

Sapphire might be more scratch-resistant but Gorilla Glass can bend more during a four-point bend test.

Corning

This result is echoed by Corning’s own “strength after abrasion damage” test, which tosses the glass sheets into a barrel filled with various items and tumbles them for 45 minutes. Afterward, the sheets are removed and subject to load testing. Corning claims the Sapphire sheet broke after a load of 161lbs (73kg) was placed on it, while its own solution withstood over 430lbs (195kg) of force. To be fair, it’s an in-house test of Corning’s making, but it’s still a revealing result.

Dragontrail manufacturer Asahi hasn’t published a four-point bend test video for its solution, merely showing off a three-point test video from 2011 with up to 60 kilograms (132 lbs) of force applied. It’s not the ideal comparison, given the differing test setups (and older glass in the case of Dragontrail).

The closest we get to an ideal comparison is a 2013 video by Corning, showing Gorilla Glass 2 and 3 faring better than an unnamed competitor’s product (presumably Dragontrail).

Editor’s Pick

Furthermore, unlike Gorilla Glass 5 and its 1.6-meter survivability rating, Asahi hasn’t disclosed any specific height ratings for Dragontrail Glass impact resistance. Instead, the company only says the edge of its latest Dragontrail Pro boasts 30 percent better durability over the previous generation. Corning has previously claimed Gorilla Glass 4 is up to twice as tough in drop tests than rival products (again, presumably Dragontrail).

Then there’s Gorilla Glass 6, which is meant to withstand multiple drops from greater heights. The company claims its new glass survives an average of 15 drops from one meter onto a rough surface. Meanwhile, “alternative aluminosilicate glasses” break on the first drop, according to Corning.

Conclusion

Corning

At this point, all major protective solutions are pretty tough on scratches. Dragontrail and Gorilla Glass seem to be evenly matched, while tempered glass doesn’t seem to be far behind at all. Sapphire has a runaway lead over all three solutions but costs significantly more.

In bending and impact tests things get much murkier. There doesn’t seem to be much in the way of like-for-like testing between Gorilla Glass and Dragontrail. Only one thing is for sure: Sapphire is comparatively horrible for flexing and dropping.

Corning’s 1.6-meter drop rating for Gorilla Glass 5 is a big improvement over Gorilla Glass 4’s drop rating. And Gorilla Glass 6 is only improving, as it targets greater heights and multiple drops. Asahi’s silence on drop tests suggests it’s lagging behind, though it seems to be making solid progress with folding displays.

What do you prefer in a display glass? Better scratch resistance or impact resistance?

Related

Features

Dragontrail, manufactured by Asahi Glass Co., is an alkali-aluminosilicate sheet glass engineered for a combination of thinness, lightness and damage-resistance, similar to Corning’s proprietary Gorilla Glass. The material’s primary properties are its strength, allowing thin glass without fragility; its high scratch resistance; and its hardness – with a Vickers hardness test rating of 595 to 673.^[1]

Cell phonesEdit

To date, some of the cell phone models that have incorporated Dragontrail protection are:

• Alcatel 7 (By Metro PCS)
• Alcatel Idol Alpha
• Alcatel Hero 2
• Alcatel One Touch Conquest
• Alcatel One Touch Idol 3
• Alcatel One Touch Idol 4 Pro
• Alcatel Tetra
• Alcatel TCL LX
• Allview P8 Energy mini
• Allview V2 Viper i
• Allview V1 Viper i4G
• Allview Viper E
• Allview W1i
• Allview W1s
• Allview X2 Soul Lite
• Allview X2 Soul Style
• Allview X2 Soul Style + Platinum
• BlackBerry DTEK 50/60
• BlackBerry Motion
• Bq Aquaris
• Cherry Mobile 4/S4/S4 Plus/G1^[2]
• Crosscall Trekker-S1
• Doro 8080^[3]
• Elephone P8000
• eSTAR X45
• Flipkart Billion Capture+
• Galaxy Nexus
• Getnord Onyx
• Gionee Marathon M5 lite
• Google Pixel 3a and 3a XL ^[4]
• Haier Esteem I70
• Highscreen Power Rage Evo
• i-mobile IQ 6
• InnJoo One
• InnJoo Two ^[5]
• Kruger&Matz DRIVE 3
• Lava Iris 504q
• Lava Pixel V1
• Lava Pixel V2
• Lava X8 ^[6]
• Lenovo K3 Note (Also known as Lenovo A7000 Turbo in India, Model Number: K50a40) ^[7]
• Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 12
• LYF WATER 5 ^[8]
• Meizu M2
• Meizu M2 note
• Oplus XonPhone 5
• Oukitel K10
• Philips Xenium I908
• Polytron Prime 7
• Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016)
• Samsung Galaxy M10, M20
• Samsung Galaxy On5, On7, On5 Pro, On7 Pro
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Active
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Acro S
• Sony Xperia X Performance
• Sony Xperia Z
• Sony Xperia Z1
• Sony Xperia Z2
• Sony Xperia Z3
• Sony Xperia Z5
• Sony Xperia Z5 Premium
• Stonex One
• TrekStor WinPhone 4.7 HD^[9]
• UMi Z
• Videocon Krypton3 V50JG^[10]
• WE T1
• Wileyfox Spark/Spark+/SparkX
• Xiaomi Redmi 1S/2/2 Prime ^[11]
• XOLO 8X-1000
• XOLO BLACK 1X
• XOLO Q1000
• XOLO Q1010i
• XOLO Win Q900s
• ZTE Avid Plus
• ZTE Obsidian

ReferencesEdit

1. ^«Dragontrail»(PDF). Asahi Glass Co. p. 2. Archived from the original(PDF) on 28 February 2013. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
2. ^«Android One G1». cherrymobile.com.ph. Retrieved 2016-07-13.
3. ^«Simply brilliant: Doro launches a high-quality smartphone for active seniors». corporate.doro.com. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
4. ^Bohn, Dieter (2019-05-07). «Google Pixel 3A review: a $399 phone with a great camera». The Verge. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
5. ^«InnJoo 2 (Two): Full Device Specification and Price in Nigeria». TechViews.com.ng. 2015-12-27. Retrieved 2016-02-18.
6. ^«Lava Iris X8 price, specifications, features». Lavamobiles.com. Retrieved 2016-02-18.
7. ^«Lenovo K3 Note — Full phone specifications». GSMArena.com. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
8. ^«LYF WATER 5 Smartphone: Features, Specs & Price of LYF WATER 5 Mobile Phone». www.mylyf.com. Retrieved 2016-05-11.
9. ^«Detail Mobile Kommunikation — TrekStor GmbH». Trekstor.de. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-02-18.
10. ^«Videocon Mobiles Krypton3 features». www.videoconmobiles.com. Archived from the original on 26 November 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
11. ^«xiaomi redmi 1s Smartphone: Features, Specs & Price of xiaomi redmi 1s». www.naijainformation.com. Retrieved 2016-06-04.

External linksEdit

• Official website
• Patent
• Kit Eaton (21 January 2011). «Dragontrail vs. Gori The Super Tough Glass Game Is On». Fast Company.
• Dragontrail Glass comparison with Gorilla Glass