It drives me crazy that I have to take my sunnies off every time I want to use my phone outside. In an ideal world I would love to be able to check my emails, texts, play games and protect my eyes, but I can’t. I can’t do both because when I’m outside and have my sunnies on, the screen is completely black and I can’t see anything. However this might not be a problem for me when I buy my next smartphone.

Scientists at the Institute of Phototonic Sciences, in collaboration with Corning, a Gorilla Glass manufacturer, have finally come up with a screen that we could be using in the sun in a few years. The screen is essentially roughened glass and nano-size teeth in the glass to repel light and water.

Not to dismiss the hard work of the scientists and manufacturers, the idea of roughened glass seems relatively simple and the process to create it has been labelled as “inexpensive”, I’m wondering why this idea didn’t emerge sooner? Although to answer my own question, my best guess is that screen phones, as well as tablets/iPads have only been around for a very short time, therefore the problem of not being able to use a screen outside wasn’t anticipated.

Further research and testing is needed to find out whether this screen and the glass it is made out of, can withstand long-term touchscreen use. However I won’t be surprised if there will be heaps of ads of new iPhones and smartphones in the next few years, stressing to consumers to buy them because they’ll now be able to use them in the sun.