Apple’s new iPhones marked their official retail launch on Friday. Though many are still awaiting delivery, some have already gotten their hands on the new iPhones. One YouTuber even posted a video showing an iPhone X vs iPhone XS and XS Max drop test.
Not many surprises in the iPhone X vs iPhone XS and XS Max drop test
Described as the “ultimate drop test,” the video showing the iPhone X vs iPhone XS and XS Max drop test was posted on the YouTube channel TechSmartt. Like other drop tests, this one also included three types of drops: a head-height drop, a pocket drop and a 10-foot drop.
In the head-height drop, a scenario is simulated to determine the potential damage to the phone when it is dropped while held up close against the ear. In this particular test, the new iPhones did better than the iPhone X. The iPhone X’s front-facing display sustained a minor but noticeable crack. However, the new iPhones sustained no similar crack.
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Second, the pocket drop test tries to simulate the damage to an iPhone when it drops from your jacket or pants pocket. All three iPhone models survived the pocket drop. The results are not surprising, considering the iPhone’s premium stainless steel and glass construction.
The 10-foot drop is meant to simulate the damage if the phone drops from 10 feet in the air. This particular test gave some interesting results. In the test, the iPhone X and the iPhone XS Max sustained significant shattering when dropped from 10 feet in the air. However, the iPhone XS, which is made of the same materials as the XS Max, survived the fall and remained intact.
Beer bath for the new iPhones
After the iPhone X vs iPhone XS and XS Max drop test video, TechSmartt also posted a video testing Apple’s claim that the new iPhones are fully water resistant. The iPhone XS Max safely survived a 30-minute dip in a bowl of fresh water. When another iPhone XS Max was tested by putting it in for an hour at 10 meters (33 feet), it became unusable.
Warranty company SquareTrade carried out its own tests separately on the new iPhones to check the durability of the glass and IP68 water resistance. According to Apple, the iPhone XS and XS Max feature the “most durable glass ever in a smartphone” and come with improved IP68 water resistance. The IP68 rating implies that a phone can withstand being submerged in water two meters deep for about 30 minutes.
However, to test the water resistance, SquareTrade used beer instead of water. Using beer is not all that surprising, as Apple claimed during the keynote that the new iPhones are beer-resistant. For the test, SquareTrade used a 5-foot, 30-minute dunk test in a tank with 138 cans of beer. Both new iPhones performed well and were operational even after the beer bath.
All-glass design is not that strong
SquareTrade found that the new iPhones survived the water test, but the durability of the glass is not what Apple claimed. The iPhone XS shattered when dropped from a six-foot height onto a hard surface. The drop resulted in broken and loose glass on the back. Like the iPhone X, the iPhone XS and XS Max feature glass on the back and front to enable wireless charging.
Also like the iPhone XS, the back glass on the iPhone XS Max shattered after it was dropped from a six-foot height. In the side-drop test, neither device sustained any damage thanks to their stainless steel frames. However, both sustained damage when dropped face down.
In the face-down test, the iPhone XS display was shattered and malfunctioned. The iPhone XS Max fared better with hairline cracks and loose glass, and the display was working fine. In a 60-second tumble test, both new iPhones sustained scratches, hairline cracks and loose glass. In the pressure-based bend test, the iPhone XS sustained a crack at 250 pounds, and the screen blacked out.
Overall, SquareTrade applauded the iPhone XS Max, saying it is much stronger than the iPhone X. However, as far as the all-glass design, the company said that like the iPhone X, the iPhone XS and XS Max are “susceptible to cracking, particularly from drops, the most common cause of damage.”