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Other Ceramic Shield + Dual Ion-Exchange ≠ Scratch Resistant

symphony

symphony

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Aug 25, 2016
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The new iPhone has Ceramic Shield and dual ion-exchange process on the front glass.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but the dual ion-exchange on the front glass is a first for the iPhone? Apple says this process is used on the back glass, now in the front.

Isn’t ceramic really scratch resistant and tough against cracking?

Sooooooooooo does that mean it’s more scratch resistant?

Apple says it’s harder than most metals, so I wonder... I don’t wanna use a screen protector this year lol
 
melancholy said:
The new iPhone has Ceramic Shield and dual ion-exchange process on the front glass.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but the dual ion-exchange on the front glass is a first for the iPhone? Apple says this process is used on the back glass, now in the front.

Isn’t ceramic really scratch resistant and tough against cracking?

Sooooooooooo does that mean it’s more scratch resistant?

Apple says it’s harder than most metals, so I wonder... I don’t wanna use a screen protector this year lol
Click to expand...

I’m in you’re situation. Don’t want to use a screen protector this year either.
 
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bpeeps said:
Sorry to break it to you guys but glass can’t truly be both extremely drop resistant and scratch resistant. Those qualities are in opposition with each other due to the nature of glass itself.
Click to expand...
So you’re saying the new glass scratches more because it’s more drop resistant?
 
Hmm I just re-read Apple’s iPhone page and it does say that they also wanted to make glass tough AND SCRATCH RESISTANT, so they’re using a dual ion-exchange that they’ve used on the back glass.....

Didn’t they use dual ion-exchange on the front glass last year too???
 
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Will wait for Jerry. 11 series was more drop resistant, but more prone to micro scratches. Part of the reason I use a screen protector. Typically the more drop resistant, the more scratch-prone and vice versa. But this is some sort of hybrid material and not "pure glass" so we will just have to wait and see.
 
bpeeps said:
Sorry to break it to you guys but glass can’t truly be both extremely drop resistant and scratch resistant. Those qualities are in opposition with each other due to the nature of glass itself.
Click to expand...

It can if it's coated with the right substance.
 
bpeeps said:
Sorry to break it to you guys but glass can’t truly be both extremely drop resistant and scratch resistant. Those qualities are in opposition with each other due to the nature of glass itself.
Click to expand...
The back glass of the iPhone 11 Pro is coated with PVD to prevent it from scratching so, Apple should’ve done something like this on the front glass
 
melancholy said:
The back glass of the iPhone 11 Pro is coated with PVD to prevent it from scratching so, Apple should’ve done something like this on the front glass
Click to expand...
You mean the sides right? the PVD coating is on the stainless steel, not on the back glass itself.
 
melancholy said:
So you’re saying the new glass scratches more because it’s more drop resistant?
Click to expand...
At this point if we talk about high grade glass there are two options. Glass that is very durable and strong and doesn’t shatter quickly on impact. Or glass that’s highly scratch resistant but brittle. You can't have both as strength and hardness exist in opposition to each other. The stronger a material is, the less hard it is; the harder something is, the more prone to shattering. Apple, Corning, Samsung, etc all tend to air on the side of phones being more drop resistant than scratch resistant. Things like the iPhone's oleophobic coating will absolutely help in scratch resistance and so do advancements in the tempering of glass.

The tests for this hybrid glass should be interesting, but there's a reason Apple only mentioned the phone was more drop resistant than previous versions while saying nothing about scratch resistance
 
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Oh that's interesting, did not know that. Only though the stainless steel was coated with pvd and the back glass was soemthing else.
 
bpeeps said:
At this point if we talk about high grade glass there are two options. Glass that is very durable and strong and doesn’t shatter quickly on impact. Or glass that’s highly scratch resistant but brittle. You can't have both as strength and hardness exist in opposition to each other. The stronger a material is, the less hard it is; the harder something is, the more prone to shattering. Apple, Corning, Samsung, etc all tend to air on the side of phones being more drop resistant than scratch resistant. Note that Apple only mentioned the phone was more drop resistant than previous versions while saying nothing about scratch resistance. Things like the iPhone's oleophobic coating will absolutely help in scratch resistance and so do advancements in the tempering of glass.
Click to expand...
But coating can increase the scratch resistant, like the back glass of the iPhone 11 Pro that uses PVD coating.

Apple did say something about scratch resistance on the new iPhone 12. It says so on their website.
 
Shadowbech said:
I don't think so.
Click to expand...
Google it. There’s articles about it. Even Phil Schiller said so himself in the keynote.

at 1:09:48

“The back is a single piece of machine glass with an optical PVD coating”
 
My interest was piqued a few months ago when Corning went on a PR blitz to announce their new Gorilla Glass Victus, touting improvements for both scratches AND drops.

But Apple has such a close relationship with Corning (funding R&D and machinery) that they've gotten an entirely different material.

Gorilla Glass Victus is a strengthened alumino-silicate glass, while Corning's Ceramic Shield is a glass-ceramic.

According to the PR: "Corning's new material is the world's first transparent and color-free glass-ceramic"

Since this is so brand new and unique, I don't think we will know how it really performs until we get drop/scratch test reviews. There's nothing else like it out there.
 
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Joz at the keynote yesterday said that all the iPhone 12 Pros were engineered with an advanced PVD process. Yet they didn’t clarify which part of it.

He didn’t say it after saying the pro models had a surgical steel band and precision milled back glass. He saidit after introducing the finishes.

So does that mean even silver has PVD on the band as well as the back glass?! God I wish they added some scratch resistant coating in the front glass
 
bpeeps said:
Yes, I outlined that in the comment you just replied to. But coatings can only do so much.
Click to expand...
Hm, the back glass of my iPhone 11 Pro has no micro scratches even though that back glass has sat on so much more grit and dust.

It’s not about being scratch proof. The coating definitely helps.
 
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bpeeps said:
The tests for this hybrid glass should be interesting, but there's a reason Apple only mentioned the phone was more drop resistant than previous versions while saying nothing about scratch resistance
Click to expand...

This is incorrect, Apple does mention improving the scratch resistance for the iPhone 12
 
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