Corning & Apple
Corning supplies Ceramic Shield and Gorilla Glass used on the front and back of every iPhone, as well as the glass used in Apple Watch displays. Apple announced a $450M investment in Corning in 2017 as part of its Advanced Manufacturing Fund, and has continued to co-develop next-generation glass formulations with Corning's R&D team for each iPhone generation.
Why it matters: Drop and scratch resistance is one of the most practically important iPhone specifications for consumers. Apple has used Corning exclusivity windows on new glass formulations, such as the Ceramic Shield introduced with iPhone 12, to differentiate iPhone's durability claims from competitors. Corning engineers work directly with Apple to design glass to meet specific drop test and optical clarity requirements.