Apple
Apple LogoReuters

With the release of both the new Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus finally out of the way, all eyes are now fixed on what Apple plans for the future of its popular range of smartphones. And reports are claiming that a new sort of display glass may be on the cards.

If the recent reports on the matter are to be believed, upcoming smartphones, including the next edition of the iPhone, could release with a screen that's said to be as powerful as the Sapphire glass. It's the same one the company wanted to make use of in the iPhone 6.

The under-development Gorilla glass-like composite, currently dubbed Project Phire, was announced on Friday at a New York investor meeting by Corning executive James Clappin. Clappin stated that the company plans to start selling the material later this year, although only a few details were provided.

Speaking at the same investor meeting in New York City, Wendell P Weeks, Corning Incorporated's CEO and president, stated that the company is on the course of developing new scratch-resistance capabilities for cover glass.

"We told you last year that sapphire was great for scratch performance but didn't fare well when dropped," Clappin told the crowd at the event, as scripted via CNET. "So, we created a product that offers the same superior damage resistance and drop performance of Gorilla Glass 4 with scratch resistance that approaches sapphire."

"We have developed a new product that will provide sapphire-like scratch resistance while maintaining the legendary toughness and break resistance of Gorilla Glass. Since it was introduced in 2007, Corning Gorilla Glass has defined innovation in the cover glass market," he added.

Corning Incorporated has been in charge of producing the Gorilla Glass for all the iPhone models, followed by various other smartphone manufactures.

Not long ago, it was massively rumoured that Apple would integrate the Sapphire Glass into the iPhone 6. And in case you didn't know, the Sapphire Glass is considered twice as hard as ordinary glass and as hard as a diamond, apart from being scratch resistant.

Also, Corning, back in November, unveiled the Gorilla Glass 4, which offers about twice the toughness compared to its predecessor, the Gorilla Glass 3. Stay tuned for more updates!