iPhone XS and XS Max Survive Liquid Dunk, but Shatter Immediately in Drop Test

[roncron]

Any one test is useless due to not being able to control for all the random variables that affect how much damage the phone suffers when dropped.

What's useful is looking at all the tests as a group. Suppose 6 organizations do drop-tests. If the phone is badly damaged in only one or two out of the six, or in 5 or 6 of the tests, then you can make some tentative judgments. Still not scientific, but way better than looking only at the results of one drop-test.

Then there's personal experience. If you've never shattered the glass on any previous iPhone, maybe you've been exceptionally lucky but more likely your choices (whether you use a case, how careful you are with the phone, whether you have thick shag carpet on the floor) have played a role and you're not likely to shatter your next phone.

 

[MacBebe]

My wife has an X, with a case on it. The fact is, if it bounces and hits something just right, no case is going to be able to protect the screen. That's why her screen has a crack in it, because it didn't survive a 4 foot fall out of a shopping cart while she was at Target.

I blame Apple though, I used to take my old Nokia and Samsung phones around naked, and they are nowhere near as brittle.

Did they have glass back? If not, then it is not a fair comparison.

 

[freezelighter]

Haven’t dropped my phone in 2 years

Haven't drop any iPhone since 2007.

Never used any case.

Visited mountains, glaciers, forests, deserts and swamps.

 

[James_C]

I am not saying the tests are not accurate, but I would rather see some independent tests, rather than by a company that makes money from selling phone insurance plans.

 

[cmaier]

I’m 6’3”, holding a phone at ear height for a call is easily 6’. Are you a midget?

It’s “little person” now.
[doublepost=1537796508][/doublepost]

Haven't drop any iPhone since 2007.

Never used any case.

Visited mountains, glaciers, forests, deserts and swamps.

How’s the cell reception in the mountains, glaciers, forests, deserts and swamps?

 

[SBG88]

Maybe my eyes are deceiving me but that looked more like a 'throw down' test than a drop test.

 

[adamski23]

This is one reason why I still prefer the aluminium chassis. Is wireless charging the only reason for switching to an all glass back? I wish apple kept the aluminium and made the apple logo glass to accommodate the charging coils.

 

[cmaier]

This is one reason why I still prefer the aluminium chassis. Is wireless charging the only reason for switching to an all glass back? I wish apple kept the aluminium and made the apple logo glass to accommodate the charging coils.

You can wish that, but the physics wouldn’t work.

 

[Gueeds]

A 6 ft drop is pretty unrealistic for most people in most circumstances. At most, it’s pocket or chest height drop which is well below 6ft.

Then again, this is a company that wants you to buy their insurance so the incentive is to mislead to push sales.

 

[PastaPrimav]

That is the biggest concern for me. I buy an $1099 phone and I am expected to paid $549 when the back glasses broke? I mean the TCO ( Total cost of ownership ) has literally double or more from the iPhone 7 Plus era two years ago. You can buy an $199 Apple Care+ which pushes the phone to $1298, and for $256GB that is $1448.

I often wonder, at what sort of salary range are Apple targeting for iPhone Xs?

Not you, obviously.

But seriously, an iPhone Xs can be had for as little as $49/mo, added to your wireless bill, interest free. That's like a $1.6 per day. Do you get more than a dollar's worth of value out of an iPhone everyday? Indisputably.

I especially enjoy the people who spend $3-4 per day on terrible lattes from Starbucks complaining about iPhone prices. That's rich.

 

[cmaier]

A 6 ft drop is pretty unrealistic for most people in most circumstances. At most, it’s pocket or chest height drop which is well below 6ft.

Then again, this is a company that wants you to buy their insurance so the incentive is to mislead to push sales.

Eh. They’re a good company, and they aren’t being misleading. They are explaining how they conduct the tests, and you are free to draw your own conclusions.

 

[PastaPrimav]

Oh yeah just what I was looking for...an insurance company's unbiased opinion on the need for insurance.
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Eh. They’re a good company, and they aren’t being misleading. They are explaining how they conduct the tests, and you are free to draw your own conclusions.

You must be joking. Their entire goal is to perform tests that conclude that you need their services.

 

[cmaier]

Oh yeah just what I was looking for...an insurance company's unbiased opinion on the need for insurance.
[doublepost=1537797471][/doublepost]
You must be joking. Their entire goal is to perform tests that conclude that you need their services.

What are you talking about? They’ve done the same tests for years. Some years the phones do fine. Others they don’t. It’s not like they are new to the scene with this.

 

[ksec]

I especially enjoy the people who spend $3-4 per day on terrible lattes from Starbucks complaining about iPhone prices. That's rich.

Because not everyone spends $3-4 a day on a coffee.

I think Apple should have its Apple Upgrade Programme worldwide. So that Phone bills is separated from your iPhone bill. May be in US people have gotten used to buying phone with their carrier. But this doesn't the rest of the world are the same.

 

[KGB7]

I think six feet is an odd height to use for testing a phone drop. Very few people hold their phones over their head before they drop them.

Not everyone is 5’ 2”.

 

[Baymowe335]

I never did and never needed it so far...
I saved so much money by NOT buying AppleCare, that i can easily pay the full price if any device should ever need repairing.

AppleCare is designed to make money. It's actually very expensive insurance. You're paying $200 to protect a $1,000 device and you'll still pay a deductible that will likely cover Apple's cost itself.

 

[James_C]

I was checking back to past drop tests done by Square Trade. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus - the drop test was done at 4 feet. Now they are doing tests at 6 feet. No agenda from an insurance company right?

 

[Baymowe335]

Not everyone is 5’ 2”.

I'm 6'4 and the likelihood of a 6 foot drop is zero unless I drop it from my nose. A ~4 ft drop is far more likely (from pull it out of your pocket, or dropp it from your waist where you normally hold a phone.

 

[curtvaughan]

As with fancy expensive cars and luxury yachts, you really can't afford the product if you can't afford maintenance and repair after the purchase. It is assumed by the dealers and manufacturers that folks who can afford the expensive products can afford and will accept high maintenance, repair, and insurance costs. Apple is now marketing luxury devices to well-healed people. Caveat emptor. They are becoming purveyors of niche products, and will continue to do that as long as the targeted customers continue to buy and own the costs. Not saying I'm happy with that, but it is what it is. When that business model no longer pays off, they'll either adapt to the changing demand or go out of business.

 

[now i see it]

Planned obsolescence

 

[neliason]

I think six feet is an odd height to use for testing a phone drop. Very few people hold their phones over their head before they drop them.

I’m 6’ 3”. If I took a selfie, something I try to never do, the camera would be at around six feet or even higher. But I would say that is a less common scenario. However if I’m standing and using the phone I’d say the phone would still likely be above five feet.
[doublepost=1537799239][/doublepost]

so is apple, a wrong drop from knee high can shatter your phone trust me.

True. My wife dropped her phone pulling it out of a bag on the floor. The floor itself was a faux wood, which is fairly soft. The screen shattered worse than any of her other drops, which were what I thought worse scenarios.

 

[Harley2140]

I think six feet is an odd height to use for testing a phone drop. Very few people hold their phones over their head before they drop them.

It’s a stupid height to test from. Besides on day one someone else was testing drop height and the phone survived with minimal scratches only. They dropped from 3,4,5 feet and not once did it shatter. This place is clearly trying to get people to buy insurance
[doublepost=1537799306][/doublepost]

It’s a stupid height to test from. Besides on day one someone else was testing drop height and the phone survived with minimal scratches only. They dropped from 3,4,5 feet and not once did it shatter. This place is clearly trying to get people to buy insurance

And that was on concrete
[doublepost=1537799429][/doublepost]

It’s a stupid height to test from. Besides on day one someone else was testing drop height and the phone survived with minimal scratches only. They dropped from 3,4,5 feet and not once did it shatter. This place is clearly trying to get people to buy insurance
[doublepost=1537799306][/doublepost]

And that was on concrete

CNET was the ones testing, you can find that video just by googling iPhone Xs

 

[kruegdude]

FWIW, AppleCare also gets you extended software and services support time with Apple.

 

[H2SO4]

I never did and never needed it so far...
I saved so much money by NOT buying AppleCare, that i can easily pay the full price if any device should ever need repairing.

Same. Gonna keep on going like that too.

 

[Harley2140]

I am not saying the tests are not accurate, but I would rather see some independent tests, rather than by a company that makes money from selling phone insurance plans.

View attachment 787929

CNET literally did tests From 3,4,5 feet and not once did the phone break. This reeks of insurance selling techniques, not saying the phone is unbreakable by any means but one test from 6 feet and they shatter it? Maybe, but I’d like to see the 10 foot ladder they climbed off of in a photo as well.
[doublepost=1537799781][/doublepost]https://www.cnet.com/google-amp/news/iphone-xs-drop-test-no-crack/
Weird three tests from three heights and not much more than a small scratch here and there, one is testing the phone and one is selling insurance.