When will new CE products appear? Soon…

Corning has sent out samples of Willow glass to manufacturers this week. The remarkable glass can actually be processed on rolls – much like newspaper [see video below] – which is said to dramatically lower the cost of manufacturing.

Corning envisions a whole new class of CE devices that will take advantage of its ultra-thin design…and its ability to fully perform even in a curved configuration.The company put out a breathless press release which said that Willow “could revolutionize the shape and form of next-generation consumer electronics technologies.”

Because Willow can support thinner backplanes and color filters for both OLED and LCD displays, Corning says it is the perfect solution for high performance portable devices such as smartphones, tablets, and notebook computers. But then there’s the added capability of applying the ultra-thin Willow in a conformable (curved) or non-flat situation…giving Corning a high performance alternative to their arch-enemy – plastics.