Today the folks from Corning have confirmed their new and improved Gorilla Glass 2 was used on the popular Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone. This new generation of strengthened, hardened glass was revealed at CES and we were told it would make its way onto devices later this year. Whether the Galaxy S III is the first device to feature it is unknown, but at least we know the phones screen should be one of the most durable of any smartphone available.

In case you don’t remember, the Galaxy Nexus did not feature Gorilla Glass and many were worried it wouldn’t hold up – but mine is just fine. I’m glad to hear that one of the biggest device launches of the summer (or the year) and Samsung’s new flagship smartphone indeed comes with Gorilla Glass 2. Here’s what Corning had to say:

We are pleased to offer our customers the thin elegance and refined style of the GALAXY S III using Corning Gorilla Glass 2. New Corning Gorilla Glass 2 is an ideal solution for Samsung’s high-quality smartphones, enabling a superior touch experience and a lightweight and slim design, with the damage and scratch resistance consumers have come to expect.

Corning’s second generation glass is a great improvement over their original product. Offering a stronger, more durable glass that also manages to be 20% thinner. What does this mean for smartphone users? Phones can be thinner and lighter, screens will be brighter and have better viewing angles, and touch response will be better, faster, and more accurate than ever. It’s the little things folks!

[via SammyHub] – Thanks Jon