Drop Tester Tries to Crack Apple’s iPhone XS on Cement, Fails

Apple claims that the glass on the new iPhone XS and XS Max devices is the “most durable … ever in a smartphone.” But is it?

In a new drop test piece, CNET’s Vanessa Hand Orellana put that claim to the test by dropping a brand-new gold iPhone XS on the sidewalk outside of the publication’s San Francisco offices.

From pocket height (3 feet), the iPhone XS survived both a screen-up and a screen-down drop with some minor scuffs and scrapes. Importantly, the front and back glass survived both drops.

Next, Orellana subjected the device to two eye-level drops (5 feet). Again, aside from some minor scuffing on the metal parts of the iPhone, the new 2018 handset came out relatively unscathed.

Throughout all four drop tests, she pointed out that there were little pieces of cement debris that appeared like scratches — but these were wiped off easily.

While there a few grain-size dents on the top, the camera glass, front glass and black glass remained intact throughout all of the drop tests.

All in all, “everything else still looked pretty much the same as it did before this second 5-foot drop,” she said.

“I’ve done my fair share of drop tests in my time at CNET, and I’ve never come out of one without a broken phone,” Orellana said. “Until now. Try as I might, the iPhone XS wouldn’t crack.”

That’s a stark contrast to last year’s CNET drop testing of the iPhone X. The 2017 handset cracked on both sides after just two drops from hip height, the publication reported.

To be clear, drop tests aren’t exactly scientific. But they can give a good look at the relative durability of a device in real-world scenarios.

Previous drop tests have had more mixed results. When YouTube channel TechSmartt dropped the iPhone XS Max from 10 feet up, it shattered. (Although, it’s worth noting that the iPhone XS survived a drop from the same height).

Of course, any drop from a height above six feet isn’t likely in a day-to-day scenario. So rest assured that your iPhone XS is probably going to be okay after a minor tumble.