Corning Gorilla Glass director Scott Forester said in a statement:

"In early 2015, Corning launched Project Phire with the goal of engineering glass-based solutions with the scratch resistance approaching luxury cover materials, combined with the superior damage resistance of Gorilla Glass. Corning Gorilla Glass SR+ delivers a superior combination of properties that is not available in any other material today – it is in a class of its own."

Based on Corning's lab tests, SR+ is 70 percent more resistant to impacts than the luxury cover materials smartwatches and other wearables use today. Further, the company says it has better overall optical performance and outdoor readability that ultimately contribute to a longer battery life. Corning didn't list out which manufacturers plan to use SR+ for their wearables, but the variant is apparently expected to debut on devices that "leading global brands" will launch later this year. We'll just have to wait and see if it's truly as good as the glass-maker claims.