An iPod! 😱
The only things I dropped constantly were my Nokias and Sony Ericssons. And yes, even those fell apart, it could be snapped back again and again like Legos. Ah...those good ol' days. 💔
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Breakability Test Pits iPhone 15 Pro Max Against Galaxy Z Fold5, Pixel Fold and More
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
The only things I dropped constantly were my Nokias and Sony Ericssons. And yes, even those fell apart, it could be snapped back again and again like Legos. Ah...those good ol' days. 💔
This type of test is showing the smartphone has become a frail piece of jewellery. Insure it or case it, most importantly, cancel your Yakuza membership since you need all fingers.
How about drop-testing phones in various cases?
Don't most people use a phone case of some kind?
There are ultra durable smartphones out there unfortunately they are all android devices. I wish Apple made a Military spec grade iPhone. Kyocera and Ulefone are big in ultra durable phones. These phones have a niche among outdoorsmen, bikers, contractors etc. Many of these phones are pretty ugly but at least they are durable enough to survive. I am sure if Apple wanted too they could make a visually appealing rugged phone. They can make an iPhone equivalent of Apple Watch Ultra.
Really not that hard to make phones more durable. Small things like a slight raised bezel around the screen edge and bumpers around edges can make a huge difference. Also the back does not need to made entirely of glass. Glass on the back only needs to be used above the capacitive charge area. Smaller glass area means less chance of breakage and is easier to reinforce with protective rubber gaskets.
Really not that hard to make phones more durable. Small things like a slight raised bezel around the screen edge and bumpers around edges can make a huge difference. Also the back does not need to made entirely of glass. Glass on the back only needs to be used above the capacitive charge area. Smaller glass area means less chance of breakage and is easier to reinforce with protective rubber gaskets.
Would in not be more appropriate to test the cases?![]()
Device insurance provider Allstate Protection Plans today shared the results of one of its annual device drop tests, and this time around, the company broke some of the most expensive smartphones on the market, including the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
The drop and dunk tests included the $1,200 iPhone 15 Pro Max, the $1,200 Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, the $1,799 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5, and the $1,799 Google Pixel Fold. These are the most expensive smartphone options from Apple, Google, and Samsung, and all of these phones are constructed from glass.
For these tests, Allstate dunked each smartphone in water for 30 minutes and then dropped them onto a sidewalk from six feet up using an apparatus to drop them from the same height and angle.
As all of these smartphones have decent water resistance ratings, they were working fine following the dunk test, but glass and concrete sidewalks don't mix well, so no smartphone fared well on the drop test.
In the front screen-down drop test, the iPhone 15 Pro Max shattered on the first drop and was unusable with shards of raised and loose glass. The same thing happened to the Galaxy S23.
The Z Fold5 and the Google Pixel Fold were able to withstand two screen-down drops with frame damage, screen dents, and scuffing, which Allstate attributes to the raised lip around the interior edge of each display. Screen down in this case refers to the "main" screen visible when the device is opened. When the two smartphones were dropped on their closed outer displays, they both shattered.
In back-down drop tests, the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra both shattered immediately. The iPhone 15 Pro Max remained functional, but two of the cameras were no longer working because of damage to the camera glass.
Allstate Protection Plans has been doing these tests for years now on each iPhone generation, and there hasn't been a lot of improvement despite Apple's glass upgrades. Apple is using a stronger back glass and a "Ceramic Shield" material for the front, but glass is glass and it continues to break.
Drop tests are variable and the results depend on the angle the smartphone happens to fall at, the material it hits, the speed of the drop, and more. While Allstate Protection Plans uses the same variables for its tests, there's always an element of unpredictability and these experiments don't reflect real-world results.
It should come as no surprise that it's best not to drop a smartphone made of glass onto concrete. Apple sells a range of iPhone cases for customers to choose from, plus it offers AppleCare+, covering two incidents of accidental damage each year for a $29 deductible. AppleCare+ is a good idea if you plan to go caseless.
Article Link: Breakability Test Pits iPhone 15 Pro Max Against Galaxy Z Fold5, Pixel Fold and More
I love all the snide comments at the absurdity of these tests…
I work at a university and I see a lot of people running from a-b and people drop phones. It’s called an accident. Yes, it’s usually not from 6 feet. But if I had a dollar for every cracked iPhone screen I’ve seen…
i also feel it’s worth testing because there was a time when when phones would survive such things better. Then there was a period when iphone screens would crack if you looked at them wrong, and dust and water proofing we have now were a thing of fantasies. Phones do in fact vary in their durability and these tests keep track of this (and help us keep the companies striving to do better)
I work at a university and I see a lot of people running from a-b and people drop phones. It’s called an accident. Yes, it’s usually not from 6 feet. But if I had a dollar for every cracked iPhone screen I’ve seen…
i also feel it’s worth testing because there was a time when when phones would survive such things better. Then there was a period when iphone screens would crack if you looked at them wrong, and dust and water proofing we have now were a thing of fantasies. Phones do in fact vary in their durability and these tests keep track of this (and help us keep the companies striving to do better)
My brain panics when I’m wearing my Apple Watch Ultra and it starts raining…probably won’t be going scuba diving any time soon!
Let’s hope apple doesn’t incorporate a fine woven rear housing into our iPhones.
Apples been radio silence on that disasters.
And in all honesty I would be happier with a durable polycarbonate rear. Glass is fancy and all. But it’s not necessary and wireless charging would work just fine. On top of lowering the cost of the repair even further and being able to make the rear from recycles plastic would help with their carbon footprint. And help lighten the device further.
So let me see if I understand this? The phones that dropped on the corner break and the folding ones that fell flat survived? This is not a scientific test, it's an advertisement.
I would never say I don’t want as durable phone as possible. I also am at least intelligent enough to know I’m walking around with a mini-super computer made of glass, titanium, and aluminum. To think I should expect it to survive some of the abuse these testers put these things through is ridiculous. A phone (the iPhone) made of glass front and rear that breaks when it hits the ground is a real shocker.
Modern smartphones are way more durable than they were even a handful of years ago. Don't be completely reckless with it and your phone will be fine.
I'm clumsy and I use a Spigen "Liquid Air" for all my iPhones
- 2021 13 Pro Max
- 2019 11 Pro Max
- 2017 8 Plus
- 2015 6s Plus
- 2015 Google Nexus 6P
- 2013 5s
- 2011 4s
- 2009 3Gs
I'll likely use it for my 2023 15 Pro Max.
Its cheap and have yet to experience any cracked screen or dent device from my being clumsy.
A front screen protector is your best friend. That & a decent iphone case that protects the sides & back.
I've been using smartphones of all sorts since the 3GS as well. The only one I've ever done physical damage to was my OnePlus One when I managed to drop it screen-down on a nail that was slightly protruding from a wooden deck. I didn't really even use phone cases until i got an iPhone 7 Plus, and that was more just to combat how slippery that phone was. Now I just have a super-cheap clear rubber case on my 13, mostly for grip and then just for the slightest of drop protection.
I put on the case so any dents or scratches that would lower resale value would be minimized or even eliminated.
My 2018 iPad Pro 11" suffered a crack screen in a rugged case when it fell screen glass first onto the top of a metal faucet head.
No screen protector would likely protect it. What it would do though is prevent glass splinters from flying in all directions onto a bathroom sink top.
I tried to get a quote for glass replacement and it cost the equivalent of a brand new cheapest iPad.
I'll likely replace it by 2027 for one with a replaceable battery.
I’m sure it happens, but Dropping an iPad isn’t as common as dropping an iphone. An iPad is usually on a desk or used on a couch or bed. An iphone is used all day everywhere. Plus the surface area on an ipad is a lot larger and easier to break if it fell onto a metal faucet(with or without a screen protector).
I was f_ing dumb to do that. Prior to that it got submerged in water.
Surprisingly it still works. Are any iPads as water resistant as iPhones?
4 more years to go and I hope Apple issues a redesign for it with thinner bezzels and no dynamic island or notch.
Last edited:
More of a marketing tactic than scientific. But you know, it’s very realistic I drop my phone from over my head 🙄
I think that is kind of the point of the tests. People do these tests on other phones too. Not all phones are made majority of glass. Also not all glass is equal in its durability. you’re calling this unfair, but it’s just information that someone can compare with a different phone they are considering. Nobody is saying don’t buy an iPhone because of this
I never said unfair, just unsurprising. People know how an iPhone is made. It’s glass front and back. Of course it will shatter. And how many people cross shop the iPhone with something else? Either you’re in iOS or Android. Some people own both. But very few cross shop devices like cars, appliances, etc.
That’s fair, there’s probably a lot more comparison among Android options than between Android and iPhone
Well, I mean, his tests are accurate because glass breaks and titanium dents, cracks, etc. I can’t argue against that. But what are we supposed to learn from this? All phones break from a fall - iPhone, Android, etc.
As far as I’m concerned, all ~$1000k devices are fragile and should be treated with care.
As far as I’m concerned, all ~$1000k devices are fragile and should be treated with care.