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[Merged] iPhone 4 Glass Body, Durability, and Drop Test Results

UK-MacAddict said:
Surely they must have drop tested the phone before deciding to go ahead with a glass phone...........hope they did lol :p

Dont want to drop this and have cracked back and front.
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Again, it all depends on the mass and from how far you drop it from.

Using simples such as F=ma produces limited force, but acceleration is constant.
 
I am abusing my 3G for 2 years, there are lots of tiny scratches on the back (plastic) side, but glass side still looks like new. If glass is at least the same quality as one on 3G, then I would not worry about it.
 
This stuff sounds strong but I think I'll wait for what they put in the iPhone 5. Rumor has it the "glass" will really be transparent aluminum. :D
 
Although I'd expect it to be more scratch resistant than previous models, you definitely do not want to drop the new iPhone, as it will be prone to shattering as before. Furthermore, the fact the Retina display is glued to the glass is particularly concerning!

It has been drop tested by someone. This is what happened:

photo4copy.jpg


Source
 
I'm getting a shiny white iPhone 4 :D Then I'll wrap it up in an Apple bumper case for drop protection and then slip it into a pouch to protect it from scratches :)

Lets just hope they dont have the problem of the case going pink as with early white 3GS models lol
 
vizkiz said:
It says on Apple's iPhone website that the new glass is the same glass used on the windshields of helicopters and high-speed trains.
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Not quite. It says it's the same "type" of glass. Meaning some kind of alumino-silicate mixture, which is scratch and heat resistant.

The actual glass used in a high speed train is much thicker, because it has to withstand impact with birds and such. Likewise, the actual glass used in a helicopter would most likely be laminated with plastic... and in fact usually are all plastic. Not sure what helicopter ever used this type, although the X-15 had side windows made of it back in the early 1960s.

It's like saying something has the same "type" of memory used in a satellite, except that the latter is specially made and undergoes far more testing.

Just hyped up marketing, similar to the so-called "retina" display. It's fun to read, if not always accurate.
 
It was a informative test. Now whether or not 9to5mac claims as far as the parts are not what apple intended I am not sure about that. The iPhone 4 parts we have and I am sure the iPhone 4 parts that was used in this test where genuine parts. I have thought about the claim of it being unbreakable or stronger. The glass does bend more than the 3g and 3gs but how often does your phone bend when dropped. I think the glass will still break but not as often as it did before before. That being said I should have some of the backs in today as I am not sure if in ifixyouri test had a back on it but I will try and see how durable the backs are. Its glass and with enough force from impact or a couple of drops it will break. I have dropped my 3gs alot and with the help of a case and screen protector it has not broke yet. I think anything including the new iphone will break with the right drop.
 
Apollo 13 said:
are u guys slow? It just broke on the 3rd try it doesn't mean it won't break on the first try. The glass isn't as strong as Jobs is making it out to be. You better be looking for a nice case to protect all that glass.
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You'd be pretty stupid not to. The thing is 24% thinner than the last iPhone. With a case it will probably still be thinner than any previous iPhone without a case. That is a huge improvement for me.
 
Guess I will be going with the AT&T insurance then because the Squaretrade seems to not cover alot of things which could happen.
 
Yeah, also remember this phone may have not been assembled correctly and did not have the internal parts which help form part of the stability of the device. With no internal parts the glass has a higher potential to flex beyond it's capabilities. Glass is not made to flex.
 
DEE9299 said:
It was a informative test. Now whether or not 9to5mac claims as far as the parts are not what apple intended I am not sure about that. The iPhone 4 parts we have and I am sure the iPhone 4 parts that was used in this test where genuine parts. I have thought about the claim of it being unbreakable or stronger. The glass does bend more than the 3g and 3gs but how often does your phone bend when dropped. I think the glass will still break but not as often as it did before before. That being said I should have some of the backs in today as I am not sure if in ifixyouri test had a back on it but I will try and see how durable the backs are. Its glass and with enough force from impact or a couple of drops it will break. I have dropped my 3gs alot and with the help of a case and screen protector it has not broke yet. I think anything including the new iphone will break with the right drop.
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Could you also report if any damage is done to the steel band? And maybe do another scratch test with little rocks, quartz, and sand. I think those may scratch the screen. Thanks
 
First Broke iPhone 4 Shows New Glass Isn't That Resistant!!

500x_ultradurable.jpg

The iPhone is made of aluminosilicate glass. Apple says it's "chemically strengthened to be 20 times stiffer and 30 times harder than plastic" and it's "ultradurable and more scratch resistant than ever." Well, not enough to survive a 3.5-foot drop.


500x_iphone-shattered2.jpg


That's what the people at iFixyouri did: Test Apple's claims by dropping the iPhone 4 from 3.5 feet, just like any consumer could do. 3.5 feet is the typical distance from the floor when you are using the iPhone touchscreen, while standing up. They say their iPhone—which they claim is real, but without any internal components—survived the first two shocks.

On the third one, however, the display was completely shattered after a loud pop.


500x_iphone-shattered1.jpg

Knowing this—and knowing that Apple makes thousands of drop tests themselves—it's not surprising that the Cupertino company is releasing a protective case of their own. And it's even less surprising that they are calling it "bumper". That's precisely what this iPhone is going to need, a bouncy way to bump off drops unscathed. After all, this time the glass is not only on the display, but also on its back.

500x_bumper.jpg


Gizmodo
 
I would need to see a video. I can see it cracking from a drop from 3.5 feet, but to shatter and spider to that extent makes me a little skeptical. It almost looks stepped on to spider over the whole face including all the way down to the botton.
 
Heres a solution: don't drop your phone. I have yet to drop any iPhone since the first gen. It's not hard to hold on to your phone butter fingers.
 
JRod993 said:
Knowing this—and knowing that Apple makes thousands of drop tests themselves—it's not surprising that the Cupertino company is releasing a protective case of their own. And it's even less surprising that they are calling it "bumper". That's precisely what this iPhone is going to need, a bouncy way to bump off drops unscathed. After all, this time the glass is not only on the display, but also on its back.
Click to expand...

I thought it only shattered when it landed face down, in which case a "bumper" may not do any good?

Edit: From the iFixyouri article, "Land it flat on the ground, and it will smash."
 
Well, I can see now where the major complaints are going to come from...the screen. It may look beautiful, but it can crack easily. If Apple is coming out with a case, then that should tell people A LOT, that the new iPhone will need a case. I'm usually against screen protectors, but I think I may have to get one of those and a case. I guess something had to be cheap about the new iPhone. Lol.
 
Hovey said:
Yeah, also remember this phone may have not been assembled correctly and did not have the internal parts which help form part of the stability of the device. With no internal parts the glass has a higher potential to flex beyond it's capabilities. Glass is not made to flex.
Click to expand...

this. All this test shows is that an incomplete iPhone can be cracked when dropped repeatedly. Not too surprising.

The guts of the device sandwiched between those plates of glass will significantly change the rigidity of the device and its resistance to drops.
 
@OtterBox just posted on their Twitter that they will have the Impact, Commuter, and Defender cases for the new iPhone.

That was in reply to other surfacing images of the iPhone 4 with the cracked screen found on GIZMODO. I'll be waiting to pick up an OtterBox product for sure.
 
As in the other post about this subject. The phone may not have been assembled correctly and the internal parts are missing. The internal parts, either by design or not, would stiffen the glass and support it. With the parts missing it is possible that it allows the glass to flex too much.
 
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