Sapphire glass vs gorilla glass is a hot debate among tech lovers. I am sure you have also heard gossip about these two types. Some consider sapphire glass a superior option. However, many people favor gorilla glass due to its cost-effectiveness.
Can you tell me which one is better between these two? Why do most of our smartphones use gorilla glass instead of sapphire ones? There are so many questions about these two types. Confused? Don’t worry this guide is your savior. I will answer those questions and help you understand their pros and cons.
Overview of Sapphire and Gorilla Glass
Sapphire glass is premium, super expensive, and ideally scratch-resistant. On the other hand, the gorilla glass is an affordable option with slightly compromised scratch resistance. However, its ability to bear impact and shocks is excellent. Both are made through different processes and offer unique value.
Sapphire glass is a crystal-like synthetic substance made from Aluminum Oxide. It looks like ordinary glass, but it is unscratchable. It scores nine on the Mohs scale, which tests its hardness. Better hardness means that it is stronger and more resistant to blemishes.
On the opposite side, gorilla glass is considered the glass for the public. WHY? Because of its affordable pricing. Manufacturers use this glass when making budget-category mobile phones. It is produced by silicon dioxide, magnesium, and sodium. The sapphire crystal itself is very robust and known for its strength.
Using this simply makes glass premium. However, gorilla glass is strengthened through a chemical process (ion exchange). During this process, the glass is dipped in a molten salt bath. This salt bath contains a heavy and bigger-sized magnesium ion. However, the dipped glass is weak and consists of small sodium ions.
During dipping, the sodium ions go into the molten salt bath. The large magnesium ion comes into the glass, making it strong. But how do those bigger sizes make the glass strong? The size of magnesium is significant, but the glass has less space. So, these more prominent ions get stuffed into the surface of the glass, which has less space.
Such forced stuffing and the entry of magnesium ions compress the surface of the glass. As a result of this compression, the glass becomes strong and durable. It won’t be wrong to say that additional processes artificially strengthen gorilla glass.
Pros and Cons of Gorilla and Sapphire Glass
In the above section, I have given you a rundown of these two glass types. However, their differences give rise to some unique pros and cons. Understanding them is crucial for making wise decisions. So, let’s dive in and explore their actual value.
Advantages of Gorilla Glass
First, we will discuss the advantages of gorilla glass and how it is super helpful. It will help grasp the importance of gorilla glass in different devices, including smartphones.
1- Unscratchable and Unbreakable
Gorilla glass is reputable for many reasons. One of the most prominent features is that it is unbreakable. As you know, everyone doesn’t want cracks on their smartphone when it falls. This is where gorilla glass works magic by making mobile screens solid and resistant to breakage.
Are you using the latest smartphones? Your phone screen will probably have the latest version of Gorilla Glass. The newest version(v6) is so good that it can protect your mobile screen if it drops from a 2-meter height. If you accidentally drop your phone, you don’t need to worry. Thanks to the Gorilla Glass, just pick it up and use it confidently.
2- Lightweight & Thinness
Another advantage of gorilla glass is that it is lightweight and thin. So, using it on mobile screens does not add any particular weight. This allows the smartphone manufacturer to produce slim and lightweight smartphones. The latest version of gorilla glass is just 0.4mm, which is exceptionally thin.
3- Increase Touch Sensitivity
As I discussed above, Gorilla Glass is top-notch in terms of its thinness. This thinness automatically enhances a smartphone’s touch sensitivity. Confused about touch sensitivity? It indicates how easily and smoothly you can swipe or touch to approach any program on your phone. The fantastic touch sensitivity of Gorilla Glass is a plus for gaming smartphones.
4- Optical Clarity
You enjoy watching your phone when it has a neat and clear screen, right? This is where the optical clarity of this glass comes into play. Gorilla glass has decent optical clarity, which allows you to use mobiles comfortably. The gorilla glass passes through an anti-reflective test system. This test ensures that minimal reflection occurs while you are in sunlight.
Disadvantages of Gorilla Glass
Nothing is perfect in this world. Along with exciting pros, there are also cons. Let’s discuss some cons of gorilla glass.
1- Compromised Scratch Resistance
No doubt that gorilla glass offers slightly compromised scratch resistance. However, some materials, such as sand, can cause scratches on this material. However, routine usage is not going to cause any scratches. Even on falling, the chances of scratches are low.
2- Brittleness
Do you know what brittle means? This is the material’s property to break under stress. This break is instant and fast. This gorilla glass is also brittle. You might say: Corning company says that this glass is unbreakable. Yes, that’s true, but for heights. If glass falls from some height, it won’t break. But if you apply stress, it would break due to brittleness.
3- Little Elasticity & Hardness
One thing that Gorilla Company lacks is flexibility. They are more focused on making the glass thinner and thinner, causing it to lose its flexibility. If you bend this glass, it will break down immediately.
Gorilla glass is hard and strong. But, when you compare it with sapphire, it comes second in its hardness. On the Mohs scale, sapphire glass scores 9, and gorilla glass scores 6.8. This indicates that this glass is less scratch-resistant than the sapphire one. However, the gorilla glass is better than ordinary glass, which scores five on the Mohs scale.
Pros and Cons of Sapphire Glass
Got the good and bad of gorilla glass? Undoubtedly, this type of glass offers excellent features. Let’s explore the pros and cons of sapphire glass.
Advantages of Sapphire Glass
1- Extraordinary Scratch Resistance
You will be surprised that sapphire glass is nearly as strong as diamond. On the Mohs scale, it scores 9, whereas the diamond scores 10. This indicates their strength and hardness. Due to its hardness, sapphire glass is super scratch-resistant. Even lasers are used to cut this glass. No other material can cut it into sheets.
2- Resistance to Chemical Damage
Premium smartwatches mainly use sapphire glass. If you work in a lab, you don’t need to worry about your smartwatch. The sapphire glass is chemically inactive, so the glass will remain safe even if chemicals touch your watch. This makes sapphire glass superior to gorilla glass.
3- Transparency
The sapphire glass is super transparent and optically clear. Using it on the smartphone offers a better visual experience. You will see true colors without any distortion. Moreover, the ordinary gives the yellow shade over time. This affects the visual quality when you use the smartphone. However, this sapphire glass remains in good condition throughout its life.
Disadvantages of Sapphire Glass
Did the advantages of sapphire glass excite you? Well, your excitement may not last long, as I am going to discuss its downsides.
1- Very High Cost
The procedure of making sapphire glass is very complex. It requires expensive synthetic crystals. During manufacturing, specialized tools are needed to cut it into sheets. These tools can be diamond-made or specific lasers.
All these factors make the production process very costly. As a result, the sapphire glass is very expensive, which is a drawback. However, keep in mind that they offer premium performance. Manufacturers use this glass only on high-end devices. Their usage in any device makes it expensive.
2- Slightly Reduce Optical Clarity
Unlike gorilla glass, sapphire one offers less optical clarity. The formation procedure is complex and tricky, so making it 100% optically clear is difficult. The device uses sapphire glass and can struggle if used in sunlight. The chances are high that it will reflect more light, which makes it difficult to focus on the screen.
3- Limited Variety
The higher cost of something limits its variety. The same thing goes for this sapphire glass. As you know, there are six different versions of gorilla glass. Some of those are v1, v2, and v3 and go up to Victus gorilla glass. All of these glass versions vary in terms of pricing and quality.
It gives manufacturers the choice of cheap or expensive glass, depending on the mobile category. However, because of its complex manufacturing process, sapphire glass has a minimal variety. Moreover, the prices of sapphire glass are very high, decreasing its market demand.
4- Brittleness and Thickness
Brittleness is the property of a material that indicates its breaking under stress. Highly brittle materials are easily breakable and untrustworthy. Sapphire is more brittle than gorilla glass. Upon stress, it quickly breaks into small pieces.
On the flip side, gorilla glass is less brittle and robust. Manufacturers care a lot about the thickness of glass. They always aim to create slim devices. Why? Because the demand for slim and lightweight devices is high. Every manufacturer tries to make the slimmest device to get an edge on the opposition.
The sapphire glass is thick, and its usage in devices makes them bulky. The screen made with this glass seems prominent and looks separate from the device. On the other hand, the gorilla glass is thin, making the device slim. It creates a balance between the device and the screen.
5- Environmental Impact
The production of both gorilla and sapphire glass has some environmental impacts. However, sapphire glass has severe ecological consequences. Conversely, gorilla glass production is not very problematic for the environment.
As you know, sapphire glass is made with aluminum oxide. This material undergoes a purification process before its usage. This purification process takes a high amount of energy. Moreover, the overall production of sapphire glass produces waste. So, its production is not environmentally loveable.
Is it Possible to Blend Sapphire and Gorilla Glass?
This idea of blending these two glass types looks fascinating. One may think the sapphire glass is unscratchable. Contrarily, Gorilla Glass is an almost unbreakable gorilla. So, mixing them would make the glass even greater. However, the reality is different, as their combination is not possible.
A series of challenges can hinder this extraordinary combination. The first challenge is the composition of the raw materials of both types of glass. As you know, sapphire glass is formed by aluminum oxide crystals.
On the other hand, the gorilla glass is made with sand and other elements. It is almost impossible to mix them while maintaining their original properties. If you blend these two, their properties will fade. This means that this combination won’t have all the gorilla and Sapphire glass properties.
The second challenge is the difference in their thermal coefficient. The thermal coefficient is the rate at which any material expands and contracts. If we somehow mix these two types of glass, the difference in thermal expansion will immediately crack the glass. Their mixing is not practical.
Which is Better: Sapphire Glass or Gorilla Glass?
Both of these glass types offer unique values. Sapphire glass is ideally scratch-resistant but very expensive. On the other hand, gorilla glass is an inexpensive solution with excellent breaking resistance. If you want premium performance, sapphire glass is the best choice.
One thing that I don’t like about the sapphire glass is its high brittleness. It means under stress, this glass easily breaks. Remember, this breakage is when stress is applied. However, it remains safe when falling from some height. The gorilla glass has offered relatively brittleness and is counted as unbreakable.
One more aspect that you must consider is thickness. The sapphire glass is thick, and the gorilla glass is super thin. Manufacturers that aim to make smartphones slim prefer using the gorilla due to thinness. The primary differences between these two types lie in scratch and break resistance.
The sapphire is more scratch-resistant and rigid. The gorilla glass performs excellently when it comes to drop or break resistance. Their selection comes down to personal performances. If you ask my opinion, I will favor gorilla glass. The reason is that it is affordable and offers optimal resistance against scratch impacts.
Conclusion
Ultimately, none of these two glass types guarantees 100% perfection. However, they provide unique features. For example, sapphire glass is ideal for scratch resistance. The counterpart is inexpensive and suitable where thinness is required.
Both involve a unique manufacturing process. Sapphire glass has a more complex manufacturing procedure than gorilla glass. Both glasses have specific weaknesses and strengths. It is up to you to decide which is your priority: drop or scratch resistance.