Anti-Bacterial and Anti-Glare Screens Coming To Mobile Devices

Anti-Bacterial and Anti-Glare Screens Coming To Mobile Devices

Did you know, your mobile device has 10 times more bacteria than a toilet seat?

It shouldn’t really be all that much of a surprise, considering we take our mobile devices everywhere, from bathrooms, to the gym, to lunch, to work and everything in between, not to mention our phones are always so close to our hands and mouths! And of course, when you borrow your friend’s  phone to make a quick call they’re sharing more than just their phone with you. Jeffrey Cain, president of the American Academy of Family Physcians and chief of family medicine at the Children’s Hospital Colorado states that,

If that isn’t enough to make you feel just a little bit disgusted with your phone, check out this smartphone bacteria art project.

Corning antimicrobial glass demonstrationWhile you probably feel like dunking your phone in a tub of Dettol right about now, the good news is Corning, makers of the protective Gorilla Glass screen found on many smartphones today (including iPhones), is combating the spread of bacteria and viruses on screens with a little bit of good old fashioned technology.

The viruses and germ killing glass was introduced by Jeff Evenson, senior vice president and operations chief of staff at Corning last month at the MIT Technology Review’s  Mobile Summit. To demonstrate the technology, Evenson showed a comparison of two pieces of glass covered with E.coli bacteria: one standard glass and the other using the new anti-microbial technology. He displayed how the glass killed the microbes over time, with the standard glass showing no reduction and the antimicrobial glass containing a million times less bacteria than the standard glass in a two hour period.

While the technology was initially envisioned for the Healthcare Industry, Corning decided to expand its reach to consumers after the facts of the state of bacteria on mobile device screens were revealed.

Corning Anti Glare glass

Corning’s Anti-glare glass: the circle demonstrates the technology.

Corning didn’t stop there however, in addition to the anti-microbial display, the company is also combating low visibility of screens in bright sunlight. The anti-reflective technology will combat glare, making it easier to see content on your touchscreen on sunny days.

No details were provided regarding specific details about the technology or when it would be released, except that they would be rolling it out over the next two years.

If you can’t wait that long to disinfect your screen, you may want to check out our tips on how to keep your mobile device germ and fingerprint free!