Why Samsung Chose Gorilla Glass DX+ For Galaxy Watch Smartwatch

Samsung Electronics surprised its fans when it officially introduced its Galaxy Watch smartwatch alongside the Galaxy Note 9 phablet during its Unpacked event on Thursday. For one thing, the new wearable is the first device under the new branding of its smartwatch series. Plus, it is the first ever wearable to feature Corning’s Gorilla Glass DX+ technology.

Earlier speculations about Samsung ditching the Gear branding for Galaxy Watch turned out to be true when the South Korean tech giant introduced its all-new smartwatch yesterday. Back in May, SamMobile discovered that Samsung made a trademark application for the Galaxy Watch name. Samsung was mum at the time, but many sources took the filing as a clue to a possible rebranding.

Apart from the change in the series’ name, Samsung’s latest smartwatch is also making headlines for being the first wearable to come with the Gorilla Glass DX+, a new scratch-resistant and anti-reflective glass composite that serves as a protective layer for devices, Digitimes has learned.

According to Corning, the Gorilla Glass DX+ greatly improves optical clarity while still retaining excellent toughness. This is seen as the main reason why Samsung chose the material for its Galaxy Watch smartwatch. By doing so, its new wearable is capable of handling accidental drops quite well. It is also expected to resist scratches and maintain readability of the device’s display through time.

Speaking of display readability, the Gorilla Glass DX+ is said to enhance this by lowering the front surface reflection by 75 percent while at the same time increasing the display contrast ratio by 50 percent with the same display brightness level. By enhancing optical clarity, the battery life of the smartwatch is also improved.

“We are pleased that Samsung has designed Gorilla Glass DX+ into their latest device,” Corning’s division vice president for Marketing and Innovation Products Scott Forester said. “Gorilla Glass DX+ offers the unique combination of superior scratch resistance and excellent optics, making it an ideal cover material solution for today’s digital life.”

Corning actually announced two versions of the glass composite last month: the Gorilla Glass DX+ and the DX. Both offer the same optical clarity. The main point of differentiation between the two is that the DX provides the same excellent scratch resistance as Gorilla Glass, while the DX+ provides superior scratch resistance similar to that of alternative luxury cover materials, as pointed out by Patently Apple.