See the title talks about Corning glass, then here is not talking about cell phone glass cover, but cell phone glass substrate. Later we also talk specifically about the market situation of cell phone glass cover.
In 2017, I researched the cell phone industry chain market, and the purpose at that time was to find the direction of the application of various types of products for automation.
Cell phone glass substrate, cell phone glass cover is the main structural parts of the phone, and it was also very hot at that time. For example, 2.5D glass, cover, 3D glass cover, glass backplane and so on.
Cut to the chase and say:
First, the glass substrate was originally a must-have product for all LCD screens
The so-called cell phone glass substrate, you can understand the manufacturers of glass production.
Production of cell phone glass cover manufacturers, is the purchase of cell phone glass substrate, screen printing, hot bending, turning holes, cutting and other processes in the processing. （
Corning's monopoly on cell phone glass substrates does exist for some time. But that was between 2010 - 2014.
After 2010, Apple's Iphone4, iphone5 became the classic model of smartphones, which pushed smartphones to the highest peak.
At that time it happened to be the United States Corning glass, Asahi Glass (Japan) monopolized the entire market.
Second, the glass substrate and LCD LCD screen and after the oled screen
With the cell phone glass demand soaring in the same period, another domestic market - LCD LCD panel factory, in the BOE, Huaxing Optoelectronics in the lead, began to rapidly expand production. LCD is a LCD panel, he also needs glass substrate. Need glass substrate. (So if you are familiar with LCD panels, or familiar with BOE's more or less glass substrates have some understanding)
LCD panels and cell phone screens use glass substrates, in the beginning is **** with the product. Just in the continuous development of smart phones, there are curved surface, bending all kinds of processes.
1, LCD LCD screen, that is, many of the current home TV. Still LCD LCD screen.
This LCD is up and down two glass substrates, in the glass substrate to do large-scale integrated circuits, two layers of glass substrate filled with liquid crystal in the middle.
Each LCD is two glass substrates. And the glass substrate occupies 17% of the cost of the entire LCD panel. (Take the data released by Huaxing Optoelectronics as an example)
17 years of Huaxing Optoelectronics LCD panel cost split
2, OLED flexible screen came out, the double-layer glass substrate is no longer in use, the use of a single-layer glass substrate.
And then later into the folding screen is no longer applicable to the glass substrate, it is the application of polypropylene flexible plate (you can simply understand the plastic plate, is a simple understanding of ah, not that he is an ordinary plastic plate)
Third, before 2014, the glass substrate industry has entered the monopoly stage
p> Global glass substrate market segmentation in 2017. Corning monopolized the big head, especially in 2016, Corning's fifth generation glass: gorilla listing, it is a moment of wind. Japan's electric nitrate, asahi nitrate are also major players in this industry. This time the domestic market has begun to move.
Fourth, the domestic players into the glass substrate market
Domestic glass substrate input, in fact, with the domestic market LCD panel market demand shifted to domestic suppliers, and thus developed.
At the same time, the domestic market glass substrate, but also to catch up with the demand for cell phone glass cover, as well as cell phone glass backplane.
At this time, the glass substrate process development and the camp basically appeared a new change: three types of glass cover substrate, namely float soda-lime glass cover substrate, float high alumina glass cover substrate and flow overflow high alumina glass cover substrate basically ruled the market of this glass substrate.
These different types of glass actually correspond to different manufacturing processes and materials.
For example, Corning Gorilla uses the first type of fluid bed method.
Currently, the glass substrates built in China have gone up to 11-generation lines, such as the Huike glass substrate production line in Zhengzhou.
Fifth, since the domestic glass substrate manufacturers, and there are a lot, why the domestic substrate manufacturers did not enter the cell phone glass substrate market? Or let Corning, Asahi Glass several monopoly?
This is actually from the special characteristics of the cell phone glass.
At present, the domestic glass substrate, although built and put into production a lot. But the main supply is the LCD market. That is, applied to the TV.
Especially now that the cell phone screen Amoled, a single cell phone glass substrate usage has decreased. At this time, especially can be applied to the cell phone market hot bending process of glass substrate competition is more intense. In other words, you are cheap, others are not expensive, because everyone is grabbing the market.
Domestic market in the short term, in fact, has been domestic glass substrate manufacturers, just the amount is not big enough.
This brings us to the downstream glass cover market!
We all know that in 2016-2017, 3D glass bending, once very hot, but 3D glass bending, for the temperature control of the bending machine, as well as for the characteristics of the glass substrate material requirements are very high. It is not that the glass substrate must reach how good it can be. Rather, downstream such as Bourne Optical, Lance Technology, BYD Electronics, itself in the first generation for Samsung, Apple R & D 2.5D, 3D glass. Is the use of Corning, Asahi Glass and several other products, targeted to do the process. This process is very important. Change a material will have to readjust the equipment, reserve process. And also with the upstream glass substrate manufacturers feedback, adjust the characteristics of the product. (It takes a long time, and someone has to pay for your work)
In 2017, the top hot bending machine, in the production of 3D glass, the yield is only 70%, which is a very horrible waste. You can understand that 30% of the cost paid is garbage.
Imagine, in this state, which cell phone glass cover manufacturers, dare to block their own future, to switch to a new product.
At the same time, domestic glass manufacturers, more difficult to cut in this situation.
The first wave of Samsung, Apple determined the world. The next is the moment when domestic manufacturers jump!
Six, why domestic manufacturers millet, Huawei, oppo sales lead, or not willing to go to replace the material of the glass substrate? Why is it that domestic manufacturers are not willing to replace the glass substrate material?
Because the figure is cheap!
17 years, in doing research on production equipment for the cell phone market, we found that Apple is the most willing to let the downstream equipment on the investment equipment. As long as there is a new model up, Foxconn system, Flextronics system, and even BYD, Lance Technology, Lucent Precision and other manufacturers, will be crazy on the equipment. Test new equipment, on the new production line. Because Apple gives money ah!
So, you think the millet publicity Corning Gorilla, in fact, is someone else already in the foundry mature products, millet in the state of not investing a lot of equipment, pick up a ready-made cheap.
Some people will say, that's not right, Corning expensive ah, domestic cheap!
This is where you are wrong.
The cell phone market is a volume market, especially in the first few years of the cell phone market, is a life and death market. We laymen look at the joy, in fact, the death of players in the cell phone industry, today is witnessed ****. For example, Jinli!
And millet is the terminal, his downstream is the consumer. A proven component, no matter how expensive, is cheaper and faster than re-developing a component. Neither the loss of time, nor the waste of cost, nor worry about the emergence of consumer complaints.
Huawei is currently in the chip field is also going Apple's way, vigorously supporting downstream parts manufacturers. As for why Huawei did not invest in the cell phone glass substrate market. My personal opinion is that you can not fire on all fronts, after all, what all do unique industry chain, consume too much money. So Huawei is now focusing on investing in the chip market.
So explain, is not able to understand, Corning Gorilla why so famous, right?
The cell phone glass you are talking about should be the cell phone cover that protects the phone above the cell phone display. From the current point of view, I can tell you that most of the cell phone manufacturers use Corning's cell phone glass, but it is far from being a monopoly.
Why do most cell phone manufacturers use Corning glass?First, let's take a look at Corning.
Corning is located in New York State in the United States, mainly the production of special glass and ceramic materials company, its predecessor is the production of military glass products, such as helicopters with bullet-proof glass products above. It was in 2007 when Steve Jobs in order to use the screen glass is not easy to be scratched, found them, they began to produce the glass on the screen of the cell phone, it can be said that to a certain extent, Corning has promoted the development of the entire cell phone industry.
See it before the production of military products, already from the side reaction to the quality of their products how good it. At the beginning of their production of cell phone glass is only used in Apple, Samsung and other high-end cell phones, but with the development of time, more and more cell phone manufacturers have followed Apple's choice to start using Corning's cell phone glass, these manufacturers do not know whether to follow the trend of the idea or some other ideas, but can prove that the quality of Corning's glass.
To summarize, on the one hand, the quality of Corning glass is good, on the other hand, Apple is the first to use, Apple is the big brother of the phone inside, other manufacturers are holding "it is used, if I use, is not the same quality as Apple," such an idea, began to use Corning glass.
So there's no way to keep up with Corning Glass domestically?Domestically there was none a long time ago, but in recent years there have been similar manufacturers, I know of Changsha's Lance Technology and Guangdong's Bourne Optical.
Some of the cell phone glass covers used in Apple's phones are made by Lance Technology and Bourne Optical, but the main ones are made by Corning.
These two companies are currently one of the few domestic manufacturers of cell phone glass, especially Bourne Optical, has become one of the world's strongest producers of cell phone computer glass, and most of the domestic manufacturers are now using the glass of Bourne Optical.
Now Corning is not monopolizing the entire cell phone glass industry, because we have similar excellent enterprises, although the quality of the product is a little worse, but soon catch up with the use of Corning glass on the one hand may be because of the product is good, on the other hand, may be famous, can be used as a selling point.
I don't know from when, Corning's cell phone glass has become a publicity point of sale, probably the first millet with this as a publicity point of sale, and then followed by a large number of manufacturers to follow this as a publicity point of sale, although the people's stuff is good, but I do not think it is necessary to blow it, it is really very disgusting, can not publicize the other points of sale.
Currently, smartphone screens are protected by glass panels, and the production of cell phone panels is more famous companies have Bourne Optical, Lance Technology, etc. Bourne Optical provides more than 50% of the world's cell phone panel glass.
But for Bourne Optical and Lance Technology, they are just cell phone glass processors, and the glass substrates they use are still dependent on the glass producers, and there are a lot of glass producers around the world, but few of them are actually able to produce a screen that meets the requirements of the cell phone.
And in these companies that can provide cell phone glass substrate, Corning is the most famous one, between 2011 and 2015, Corning Gorilla Glass is very famous, when many cell phone manufacturers in the publicity of Corning glass as one of the selling points, although in recent years, cell phone manufacturers rarely publicize Corning glass, but most of the big brands used by the enterprise cell phone The glass is still predominantly Corning glass.
For example, Lance Technology is one of Apple's main cell phone panel providers, but the glass substrate used by Lance Technology is also purchased from Corning, which means that Corning is the upstream manufacturer of Lance Technology, and Bourne Optical is the same reason.
The main reason why Corning's glass is so popular with major cell phone manufacturers is that they make really good glass.
Corning is a glass manufacturer in the United States, and it turns out that they mainly provide glass for the military industry, and a lot of the glass used in U.S. weapons, such as the glass used in fighter jets, is provided by Corning, and some of the glass used in the spaceships, including Musk, is also provided by Corning.
Corning began to do cell phone glass from Apple's cell phone, iPhone just launched when Steve Jobs personally found Corning Glass, hoping that they can provide scratch-resistant, abrasion-resistant, drop-resistant cell phone glass, and finally Corning formally entered the cell phone glass business.
Relying on their technical accumulation and advantages in military glass, Corning soon developed a very advantageous Gorilla cell phone glass substrate, and this cell phone glass substrate has been upgraded many times, and has now become the world's top cell phone glass substrate.
The advantages of Corning Gorilla Glass are very wear-resistant, can prevent scratches, lighter and thinner than ordinary glass, and good hardness also has a certain degree of flexibility, can be resistant to impact, the use of Corning glass cell phone, from 1 meter 5 or so in the air dropped, basically intact.
It can be said that the current Corning cell phone glass is the world's best glass, better than some Japanese cell phone glass giants, such as Japan's Asahi Glass, Plate Nitro, Electric Nitro and other imports of raw materials after chemical strengthening of the glass, the value of the stress is about 450 ~ 700MPa, and chemical strengthening of the Corning glass stress value can reach more than 600MPa.
Because of the high quality, so many cell phones and other electronic products are currently using Corning glass substrate glass, according to statistics, there are more than 6 billion electronic terminals around the world use Corning glass, there are nearly 50 cell phone manufacturers and Corning has cooperation, is the most mainstream glass in the cell phone industry.
But the widespread use of Corning glass does not mean that she monopolized the cell phone glass industry, in fact, in addition to Corning, there are still a number of companies can provide cell phone glass substrate.
For example, Japan's Asahi Glass, electrical nitrate in the global cell phone glass substrate have a certain market share, the two accounted for about 20% of the market share.
In addition, Hong Kong, China's Koninklijke, as well as Shenzhen South Glass Group have the ability to produce glass substrates, but the quality of glass substrates produced by these companies with Corning, Asahi Nitrate these top companies can not be compared, so the real use of cell phones on the very few, most of them are used in a number of LCD panels, computers, or other touch screen rate of a relatively low rate of electronic products.
Of course, in addition to the South Slope group, Huawei has actually started its own research and development of cell phone glass substrate in the first few years, but also applied for a patent, this own research and development of the glass is called Air glass, Huawei Honor series of new cell phones used basically their own research and development of cell phone glass production.
Only at present, Huawei's cell phone glass is only used in its own cell phone, and its production is relatively small, so the market share is also very small.
Thank you for your question. Corning does have a monopoly on cell phone glass, but it's not his family that does it.
Advantages of Corning Gorilla Glass. One is that Corning glass is very wear-resistant and prevents scratches. Two, Corning Gorilla Glass is thinner and lighter than regular glass, and the body can make room for other hardware. Third, it has a certain degree of hardness, can resist impact, both flexibility, the screen formed a protection. In general, the use of Corning Gorilla Glass cell phone, either intact or broken state, generally does not appear full of scratches.
Applicability of Corning Gorilla Glass. According to statistics, there are currently more than 6 billion electronic terminals around the world using Corning glass, there are nearly 50 cell phone manufacturers have cooperation with Corning, is the most mainstream glass in the cell phone industry, basically the standard, forming a monopoly situation. The very famous domestic glass manufacturer is Fuyao glass, its technology is still not as good as Corning Gorilla Glass.
One manufacturer is catching up. Last year, Huawei's self-developed glass technology has been recognized by the world, Huawei in Europe and the United States submitted a patent application for Air Glass glass, the use of high-strength glass material, is to prevent the raw materials in the glass by the neck of foreign countries. It is claimed that Huawei Mate30 series may adopt this glass. Huawei has created another cell phone glass spare tire.
Now it's all Corning, just like fast charging has become standard, and people hardly advertise it much
From the initial Apple ads that appeared inside, to the later Android phones and then to the various tablet ads have appeared in the ads for Gorilla Glass. In fact, this Gorilla Glass refers to a glass introduced by Corning, which is specifically used for cell phones or tablet screens.
Corning itself is a U.S. company that produces bulletproof glass, originally used in helicopters. And really make him famous is this "Gorilla series", when Steve Jobs personally came to Corning, and struggled to make its production of scratch-resistant screen for Apple, opened the road to global domination of Gorilla. Corning glass has a high degree of durability and scratch resistance, can withstand strong extrusion and repeated touch, to meet the needs of high-volume users. Japan's Asahi Glass, Plate Nitrate, Central Nitrate and other imported raw materials after chemical strengthening of the glass, the stress value is about 450 ~ 700MPa, while the chemical strengthening of the Corning glass stress value of more than 600MPa. The so-called strengthened glass is ordinary glass in the hardness of the strengthened, pay attention to the hardness, the so-called hardness is the material local resistance to hard objects pressed into the surface of the ability, in other words, it is scratch-resistant, and not drop-proof. What needs to be reinforced to improve the drop protection is the strength.
You can't see any traces of the glass when you rub it with an ordinary knife or sand. This also determines the usual we use the phone rubbing even without film will not produce scratches.
Then there is the flexibility, Corning Gorilla Glass is considered to be both rigid and flexible, this piece of glass can be bent like plastic, while other glass will break once bent. The last is that this glass is very strong resistance to heat and cold, ordinary glass is cold after a sudden heat, or heat after a sudden cold easy to break, but Corning can accept to live in such a test.
Mobile phone glass monopolized by Corning? No domestic cell phone glass company can catch up
In fact, Corning glass can accomplish most of the cell phone manufacturers are willing to use, the key is because of the relatively high brand value of Corning Gorilla. Where are the characteristics of Corning Gorilla?
1. Corning's sixth-generation Gorilla Glass can be dropped from a height of 1.6 meters to a hard, rough surface and remain intact.
2. Corning Gorilla Glass VI is also twice as scratch-resistant as other aluminum-silica glass.
I think there are a few key factors that make Corning Gorilla Glass a favorite among most domestic users.
1. Look at Gorilla's better pre-publicity, because it was Apple that took the lead in using Corning Gorilla Glass, which could have led to the development of Corning Gorilla Glass to some extent!
2. Perhaps everyone now itself is relatively more prominent advantages, its slip resistance and drop resistance performance is also very obvious, this aspect is indeed for many manufacturers to choose the reason.
3. Of course, I think there is another most important aspect is because consumers for the old Corning Gorilla brand is more recognized, which may be for cell phone manufacturers, may promote everyone to choose.
So, in looking at the gorilla development stage, even if there are achievements in domestic glass, but because of the unique advantages of seeing the gorilla, the development is getting stronger and stronger. And domestic glass is not catching up, unless the reversal of some manufacturers for Corning Gorilla's brand recognition.
The first is that Corning Gorilla Glass is very strong, we use ordinary knives or sand to rub the glass almost can not see any trace. This also determines the usual we use the phone friction even without film will not produce scratches. Then there is the flexibility, Corning Gorilla Glass is considered to be both rigid and flexible, this piece of glass can be bent like plastic, while other glass will break once bent. The last is that this glass is very strong resistance to heat and cold, ordinary glass in the cold after a sudden heat, or heat after a sudden cold easy to break, but Corning can accept to live in this kind of examination. Corning is to use these three killer app quickly occupy the market.
Since Corning ate such a big piece of cake then other companies can not copy? Can't you make a harder glass? This is very difficult, unlike other cell phone glass. To have both hard, flexible, and resistant to heat and cold, other small factories to make some of the glass is very hard but not flexible, and some will be in the encounter of hot and cold when broken. For example, in the summer, people walk into the air-conditioned room from the outside, so the other glass may be broken and the Corning glass is intact.
Later, in order to better capture the market, Corning began to engage in promotions, so that those small factories have to compete with each other to quit, Corning has become the dominant cell phone glass deserved. The annual supply of glass can be calculated in tons, and other manufacturers can only be a sigh of relief. This is really a move to eat all the days ah, visible technology is the first element of wealth creation.
Yes, the current cell phone market glass materials are basically monopolized by Corning, but there are other cell phone glass manufacturers, because of the quality gap, so the market size is not large.
How much do you know about Corning Glass?
Corning glass, the English name Corning gorilla glass, also known as Gorilla Glass, is a kind of aluminum silicate glass, it is designed by the United States Corning a glass. Most of what we generally refer to as Corning glass is chemically strengthened Corning glass.
I. High stress value
The stress value of chemically strengthened Corning glass is above 600MPa, while its material glass is chemically strengthened, the stress value is 450~700MPa, and the Corning glass is still highly stable.
Second, the deep stress layer
After the chemical strengthening of the Corning glass stress layer phase is probably more than 40um, other materials after chemical strengthening of the glass, the stress layer is probably in the 8-12um, the gap is not generally large.
Three, high durability
Corning glass has a high durability and scratch resistance, can withstand strong extrusion and repeated touch, to meet the needs of high-volume users.
Dimensions
Thickness of 0.5mm-2.0mm, the original piece of 1250*900mm.
V. Usage
Due to the unique performance of Corning glass, it is mainly used in cell phone touch screen and portable flat panel displays, etc., display protection glass, optical machine glass, etc.
What about domestic cell phone glass manufacturers?First, Lance Technology
Lance Technology has won a number of high-quality, stable customer resources of internationally renowned brands, such as Apple, Samsung, Huawei, OPPO, vivo, Xiaomi, Motorola, Tesla, Amazon, and so on, by virtue of the years of deep plowing in the field of protective glass for consumer electronics products and the word of mouth.
On the evening of April 27, 2020, Lance Technology released its 2019 annual performance report. 2019, Lance Technology achieved operating income of 30.258 billion yuan, up 9.16% over the same period last year; net profit attributable to shareholders of listed companies of 2.469 billion yuan, up 287.56% over the same period last year; basic earnings per share of 0.62 yuan, up 287.50% over the same period last year. 287.50%. Lance The technology is progressing, the domestic cell phone glass is developing.
Second, Bourne Optical
The industrial park has reached 850,000 square meters of plant area, the combination of technology and production capacity, so that Bourne has become the world's largest producer of glass panels, the global market share of more than 60%. Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Lenovo, Sharp and other big international brands are its customers.
Xianyang Rainbow, Dongxu Optoelectronics