The promise of a virtually indestructible smartphone display came and went without much fanfare. Apple's struggle to build sapphire glass at scale is well documented and although Motorola more or less delivered on handsets like the flagship Moto Z2 Force, its plastic-like ShatterShield technology never really took off.
The industry eventually shifted its attention to the next big thing although one company isn't yet ready to give up the fight.
Akhan Semiconductor has been working on a solution for several years now. Its flagship product, called Mirage Diamond Glass, is made from lab-grown diamonds and can even be applied over existing strengthened glass, like Gorilla Glass. Akham said a year ago that its diamond coating could make material like Gorilla Glass or regular glass six times stronger and 10 times harder than they would be otherwise.
The company's CEO, Adam Khan, tells CNET its cover glass is being actively tested with device makers to iron out any kinks and develop the best application methods. Assuming there aren't any major hiccups, we can expect Mirage Diamond Glass to debut on a mobile device sometime in 2019.
For now, they're taking things slow but if momentum picks up, the company could expand its reach into fitness bands and other wearables.