Latest news with #GorillaGlass
Engadget
18 hours ago
- Business
- Engadget
Corning avoids EU antitrust fine by ending exclusive deals with phone manufacturers
Corning, the US-based glass manufacturer behind Gorilla Glass, has vowed to end its exclusive deals and other practices that the European Commission deemed to be anti-competitive in order to avoid getting fined. If you'll recall, the commission announced that it was investigating Corning last year, accusing it of squashing competition with its exclusive supply agreements, thereby driving up prices and stifling innovation. Now, the commission has accepted the commitments Corning offered and made them legally binding under the EU's rules. When the commission announced its investigation, it said Corning required mobile phone manufacturers to source all or nearly all of their Alkali-AS glass (marketed as Gorilla Glass) needs from the company, even ganting them rebates. Under its agreement with the commission, Corning has to "waive all exclusive dealing clauses in all its current agreements" with phone manufacturers and companies that process raw glass. Corning also won't be allowed to enter exclusive deals in the future. In addition, Corning can't require manufacturers or any of their suppliers to purchase any quantity of Alkali-AS Glass from it in the European Economic Area. Worldwide, Corning can't require manufacturers and their suppliers to purchase more than 50 percent of their needs from the company. Corning's commitment will remain in force for nine years, and a trustee will monitor the company's movements to ensure its compliance. As Reuters has noted, EU fines could cost companies as much as 10 percent of their revenue, but Corning didn't have to pay anything. "The European Commission's investigation has been settled with no fine, no finding of wrongdoing by Corning, and no material impact to the company's Gorilla Glass business or the company at large," the Gorilla Glass-maker told Bloomberg in a statement.
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Corning staves off antitrust fine as EU regulators accept concessions to mobile phone makers
By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS: EU antitrust regulators on Friday accepted glass maker Corning 's offer to waive exclusive deals with mobile phone makers and glass processing companies and scrap purchasing clauses to end an eight-month long investigation and stave off a possible fine. The U.S. company, which sells a break resistant glass used as a cover for mobile phones, tablets and smart watches under the Gorilla Glass brand, counts Samsung , Sony , Google, HP, Dell and Nokia as its customers. Apple is reportedly a customer too. Corning submitted concessions to the European Commission in November last year. Corning has now agreed "to waive all exclusive dealing clauses in all its current agreements with OEMs (original equipement makers) and finishers", the EU antitrust enforcer said in a statement. It will also not require OEMs to purchase, or cause their supply chain to purchase, more than 50% of their demand from the company. The offer is valid for 9 years. EU antitrust violations can cause companies as much as 10% of their turnover.
The Star
2 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Corning staves off antitrust fine as EU regulators accept concessions to mobile phone makers
BRUSSELS (Reuters) -EU antitrust regulators on Friday accepted glass maker Corning's offer to waive exclusive deals with mobile phone makers and glass processing companies and scrap purchasing clauses to end an eight-month long investigation and stave off a possible fine. The U.S. company, which sells a break resistant glass used as a cover for mobile phones, tablets and smart watches under the Gorilla Glass brand, counts Samsung, Sony, Google, HP, Dell and Nokia as its customers. Apple is reportedly a customer too. Corning submitted concessions to the European Commission in November last year. Corning has now agreed "to waive all exclusive dealing clauses in all its current agreements with OEMs (original equipement makers) and finishers", the EU antitrust enforcer said in a statement. It will also not require OEMs to purchase, or cause their supply chain to purchase, more than 50% of their demand from the company. The offer is valid for 9 years. EU antitrust violations can cause companies as much as 10% of their turnover. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee)
The Verge
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Verge
The ModRetro Chromatic Game Boy is now permanently back in stock
After selling out all of its limited stock of First Edition handhelds last year, ModRetro has announced that its Chromatic Game Boy is now permanently back in stock. The company is also introducing a new white-and-purple cloud color option, new game cartridges, and a collection of accessories that includes a rechargeable battery. The Chromatic is now once again available for purchase through ModRetro's online store in seven different colors: cloud, midnight, wave, inferno, bubblegum, volt, and leaf. Functionality is exactly the same as the First Edition versions of the Chromatic, and the handheld is still made with a durable magnesium alloy case and a pixel-perfect IPS screen that's color-matched to the original Game Boy's and Game Boy Color's displays. Pricing now starts at $199.99 and includes a modernized copy of Tetris that adds new gameplay features, but that's for a version of the Chromatic featuring a screen protected by Gorilla Glass. The original First Edition version of the Chromatic featured more durable sapphire glass, and if you want that same level of screen protection it will now cost you $299.99. The Chromatic can still be powered by three AA batteries that, based on our testing, provide around seven or eight hours of gameplay with the handheld's screen brightness reduced to 50 percent. If you don't want to provide your own rechargeable AAs, ModRetro is also introducing a $29.99 rechargeable battery pack offering up to 16 hours of gameplay. Other new accessories include a $14.99 link cable for connecting two Chromatic handhelds for multiplayer, and a $14.99 Mod Kit letting you customize your Chromatic with swappable parts. ModRetro is also expanding its games collection today with five new cartridges featuring titles like Sabrina: The Animated Series – Zapped!, Wicked Plague, and a puzzle platformer called Gravitorque where you manipulate gravity instead of jumping (you can try it in your browser here). When the Chromatic originally debuted, the handheld's creator, Palmer Luckey, told The Verge's Sean Hollister that quantities would be limited and he wasn't sure if he'd make more than what was needed to fulfill preorders. Today's announcement is welcome news both for those who missed out on getting a Chromatic during its initial run last year and those who did get one, because this will help grow the Chromatic community and potentially encourage other companies to make new games and accessories for the handheld. What hasn't changed is that the Chromatic is still tied to a controversial figure. Although the Chromatic reflects Luckey's past as a Game Boy modder before he created the Oculus Rift VR headset, he was an early Donald Trump supporter, and after selling Oculus to Facebook he was fired following controversial political donations. Luckey went on to found Anduril, a defense contractor that makes military tech, including lethal weaponized drones. The Chromatic may be one of the best ways to play classic Game Boy and Game Boy Color games, but if you feel that your enjoyment of retro gaming could be hampered by the handheld's associations, the Analogue Pocket offers comparable performance and cartridge support without any controversy.
Phone Arena
09-07-2025
- Phone Arena
Galaxy Fold 7: Samsung finally nailed it! (hands-on)
The Galaxy Fold 7 is here! That alone is good news, but what makes it great is that Samsung's latest foldable has become considerably thinner, lighter, and sleeker! I'm very happy that I already got some time with the new phone, and I can confidently say that this is the Galaxy Fold that foldable fans have been waiting to see from Samsung. Perhaps even more importantly, it's the Fold that finally closes the gap between Samsung and its fast-evolving foldable rivals from China. One of the most dramatic and welcome changes to the Samsung Galaxy Fold 7 is in its physical footprint. When closed, the Fold 7 measures just 8.9mm thick, matching the Oppo Find N5, and only slightly edged out by the Honor Magic V5, which comes in at 8.8mm. Unfold it, and the Fold 7 becomes an astonishingly thin 4.2mm device. It's really nice. That's a massive drop from the Fold 6's chunky 12.1mm thickness when closed. But the Galaxy Fold 7 is not just slimmer – it's lighter too! At just 215 grams, the Fold 7 becomes the lightest book-style foldable ever released. That's a 10% reduction in weight compared to its predecessor, and it definitely makes a noticeable difference in the hand. And while I can't prove this personally, Samsung hasn't just put the Fold 7 on a diet – it also claims the device has actually gotten stronger and more durable. There's a brand-new Armor FlexHinge with a multi-rail design for improved strength and smoother folding. The back of the phone is now protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2, the front by even tougher Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2, and the frame is made from Samsung's strongest Armor Aluminum yet. While this design is not dust-resistant yet, it should make it harder for careless users to accidentally crack, scratch or break the Fold 7 . The Fold series has long been criticized for its narrow and awkward cover display, and rightfully so, but the Galaxy Fold 7 finally addresses that kink. The outer screen now has a much more practical 21:9 aspect ratio, and at 6.5 inches, it actually feels like a regular phone when closed. It's perfectly usable for typing, navigation, and day-to-day tasks – something that couldn't always be said of previous Folds. My initial impressions are that it really feels that good. With its reduced thickness and wider stature, the Fold 7 is now absolutely in line with those forward-looking foldables we've seen out of companies like Oppo, Vivo, Huawei and Honor. I can't wait to use the Fold 7 more so I can give you a fuller picture of what it's like in day-to-day use. Unfold the Samsung Galaxy Fold 7 and you're greeted by a large, 8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, now supported by a new grade 4 titanium lattice beneath the panel. I'm still not sure what the titanium lattice is, but it definitely sounds cool. That said, the ultra-thin glass has, somewhat ironically, become 50% thicker this year, which is not only going to make the flexible display more resistant to damage, but also lead to a reduction of the crease. From what I've seen during my hands-on session, the crease is definitely less prominent on the Fold 7 – easily among the best I've seen on a foldable to date. I'd say it's right up there with Oppo's best efforts, but don't quote me on that yet. I'll need more time with the device before giving a final verdict. For the first time, Samsung is giving the Fold series the same flagship camera sensor as the S Ultra series. The Galaxy Fold 7 features the 200MP main sensor from the Galaxy S25 Ultra, complete with 2X lossless crop zoom! This is a major leap from the Fold 6, and I expect significantly sharper, more detailed photos in pretty much all conditions. The rest of the camera setup includes a 10MP 3x telephoto, a 12MP ultra-wide, and dual 10MP selfie cameras – one on the cover screen, and one under the main screen. The under-display camera also gets a wider field of view this year, growing from 85° to 100°, with the idea to let you fit more people in the frame. I haven't had time to test the full camera suite just yet (it's a lot of cameras!), but stay tuned for our full review where we'll put all of these through the PhoneArena Camera Test. As expected, AI is everywhere on the Galaxy Fold 7 . Samsung has been an early adopter of AI tech in its phones, and this trend doesn't change with the Fold 7 . There's the new ProVisual Engine, which helps reduce noise and motion blur when capturing moving objects – great for kids, pets, or city shots in motion. Generative Edit now includes Erase Suggestions, proactively identifying distractions and helping you clean up images with just a tap. From my early look, it works really, really well. Then there's Audio Eraser, which can intelligently strip out background noise, including wind, crowd noise or chatter, not just from video recordings, but also from voice memos and even call transcripts. And yes, Gemini Live is built in and tightly integrated. You can summon it with the power button, ask questions about what's on screen – even in a game – and choose how results appear: in a convenient pop-up or in side-by-side view. It's a versatile, multi-modal experience, and it works seamlessly across both the cover and main display. I can't wait to put all these AI features through their paces for my full review! The Galaxy Fold 7 feels like the foldable Samsung fans have been waiting for. It's not just thinner and lighter – it's more refined in pretty much every way. The new screen ratio makes it more usable when closed, the crease is less annoying, and the design finally feels modern and competitive with what we've seen from Oppo, Honor, Vivo and Huawei. If there's one area of concern, it's the battery. The Fold 7 still uses the same 4,400mAh cell as before, and that might end up being a limiting factor, especially for heavier users. I'm also not sure what type of impact the new Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy will have on power consumption. In other words, it would've been nice to see silicon-carbon battery tech here, but here's what – let's hold final judgment until we've tested it properly on the PhoneArena Battery Test. Sadly, the Galaxy Fold 7 is also getting more expensive. It now starts at $2,000 for the base model with 256GB storage and 12GB RAM. The 512GB version comes in at $2120, and the top-tier 1TB variant jumps to $2420 but finally brings 16GB of RAM to the table. Pre-orders are open now, and Samsung is expected to start shipping units on July 25. The silver lining here is that Samsung also tends to offer strong pre-order deals and trade-in values, so be sure to check your options before hitting that buy button. What do you think about the Galaxy Fold 7 ? Is Samsung finally catching up, or even pulling ahead in the foldables game? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase This offer is not available in your area.
