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.
iPad Mini Survives Dunk Test, Cracks in Drop Tests but Still Functions
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Finally. These videos probably pay for themselves. Getting hits/subscribers on YouTube gets you $$$ when you're a YouTube Partner.
I'd be making cash if I was able to get the first drop test video on YouTube, that's for sure.
Except they can reuse those results for thousands and thousands of similar claims, since you aren't the only person in the universe
Well no surprises here, of course these things are going to smash if you drop them on the ground they're made of glass. I am surprised it still worked after dunking it in water though. I guess its a case of this one did but don't try this at home kids.
so? i dont think the people in those videos are gonna break iPads on a daily basis either
they are in the business of repairing iPads, it seems only reasonable to break a few to promote your company
Still Not A Fair Test
Although the SquareTrade tests seemed a bit more fair, it still wasn't. All the tablets didn't land the same way even from their home-built drop test stand. If you freeze the video at the moment of impact (2nd drop test) you'll see the Nexus hit at an angle about 30 degrees from level and the iPad Mini was at about a 10 degree angle.
I think a fair test would be to suspend the tablets from a line and hit them in exactly the same location with a swinging (round) weight from a fixed height.
Although the SquareTrade tests seemed a bit more fair, it still wasn't. All the tablets didn't land the same way even from their home-built drop test stand. If you freeze the video at the moment of impact (2nd drop test) you'll see the Nexus hit at an angle about 30 degrees from level and the iPad Mini was at about a 10 degree angle.
I think a fair test would be to suspend the tablets from a line and hit them in exactly the same location with a swinging (round) weight from a fixed height.
1: These are not tests to see, simply, whether or not the glass will break. They are tests of durability. People should really give themselves more credit and not think that these video posters believe everyone who watches them are retarded to think this is the only goal of the test. How much the screen shatters while still retaining usability (not to mention all the innards) is the purpose. This information could easily sway your decision on either the device or the quality of case you choose to wrap around it. Yes, we all know **** breaks when you drop it... even my 3 year old knows this so why don't we move on and look at the larger scope of these tests.
2: That said, none of these tests are 100% conclusive... especially when done outside in a non-controlled environment. None of them that I've watched took into account the weight of the device, nor did they drop at precisely the same speed, angle, etc. Since all the devices are different (in shape, weight, and materials), I would venture to say that it would be damn near impossible to get conclusive results in a 5 minute test. There is also the huge factor that most of these tests are done back to back: dropping a device once might not produce any significant outward damage but could easily make the device FAR more susceptible to greater damage the second time. So if testing the devices resistance to compounding damage and multiple drops is your goal, this would be fairly acceptable but individual types of drops should be tested on fresh devices each time if your goal is to test a specific type of drop (which is the case in almost every test I've seen). For example... scratch tests: I would like to see a scratch test that determines the amount of scratching or time it takes for a screen to actually produce a scratch. Oleophobic coatings are exactly as the name implies... "coatings". These coatings wear off over time so a simple 2 minute scratch test only proves that if your screen comes into contact with something sharp for less than 2 minutes it will come out unscathed. In other words... so long as you never touch your screen with any form of material (including your dirty finger) longer than 2 minutes over the ENTIRE life of your device you'll be fine.
Great! That's awesome news!
Common sense I would think
2: That said, none of these tests are 100% conclusive... especially when done outside in a non-controlled environment. None of them that I've watched took into account the weight of the device, nor did they drop at precisely the same speed, angle, etc. Since all the devices are different (in shape, weight, and materials), I would venture to say that it would be damn near impossible to get conclusive results in a 5 minute test. There is also the huge factor that most of these tests are done back to back: dropping a device once might not produce any significant outward damage but could easily make the device FAR more susceptible to greater damage the second time. So if testing the devices resistance to compounding damage and multiple drops is your goal, this would be fairly acceptable but individual types of drops should be tested on fresh devices each time if your goal is to test a specific type of drop (which is the case in almost every test I've seen). For example... scratch tests: I would like to see a scratch test that determines the amount of scratching or time it takes for a screen to actually produce a scratch. Oleophobic coatings are exactly as the name implies... "coatings". These coatings wear off over time so a simple 2 minute scratch test only proves that if your screen comes into contact with something sharp for less than 2 minutes it will come out unscathed. In other words... so long as you never touch your screen with any form of material (including your dirty finger) longer than 2 minutes over the ENTIRE life of your device you'll be fine.
Great! That's awesome news!Common sense I would think
Some people don't have enough to do. If you drive a Lincoln into a concrete wall at 80, it will get mashed. If you kick a brick with your bare foot it will hurt. If you put your hand on a red hot stove you will get burned. Yeah, it's all rocket science.
Oh well. Molly Wood on "Always On" tries to destroy hardware on a weekly basis. Drop test from various heights, sliding a slate iphone5 across concrete to see if it scratches (guess what there?), baking it, freezing it, dunking it, setting a macbook air on top of a car and driving off as it falls off the back and hits the pavement (the case sprung open at the hinge from that, so of course next is the dunk test; surprise: it didn't survive that!). Not just apple; she abuses everything! One thing I learned from one of these: don't drop a Kindle Fire; it won't do well. Of course my simple advice is if you don't want to break your electronics, well, just don't damn drop it!
He could have at least tried to be a little scientific. For 3 different drops you need 3 of each of the devices, you already dropped them during the first round.
Men shouldn't wear sandals unless they are at the beach...
Oh, please, wise fashion guru... Tell me more. You seem like you lack confidence in your masculinity.