WATCH: iPhone XS Max Beats Samsung Galaxy S10+ in New Drop Test

2 Min Read Published: Mar 29th, 2019

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If you drop an iPhone XS Max and a Samsung Galaxy S10+, which device is more likely to survive? A popular YouTuber set out to answer that question.

YouTube channel PhoneBuff recently pitted the latest-and-greatest flagships from both Apple and Samsung in a drop test. The YouTuber dropped both flagships in four separate and methodical drops. Here’s how it went down.

The first test was a flat-on-the-back drop. Both the iPhone’s and Galaxy’s rear glass shattered, but the S10+ saw more spider-webbing and overall worse damage.
The second test was a corner drop. Both devices survived that drop equally well, with only minor scratches and scuffs.
The third test was a facedown drop. Both devices had their front glass crack, but the S10+ sustained greater damage — including a broken fingerprint sensor.
The fourth test was 10 consecutive face drops. The iPhone XS Max actually fared worse here, surviving only 3 drops before its touchscreen went out. The S10+ took all 10 drops like a champ, as its touchscreen was still functional afterwards.

PhoneBuff, as it usually does, scored each device out of 40 points. Despite the S10+ pulling ahead in the consecutive drop test, it clocked in with an overall score of 34. The iPhone XS Max beat it out with an overall score of 36.

Back in 2018, Apple touted the iPhone XS and XS Max has having the “most durable smartphone glass in the world.” While we can be sure that the 2019 iPhone lineup uses Corning-produced smartphone glass, Apple has never revealed which version of Gorilla Glass it uses. It’s believed to be Gorilla Glass 6, however.

Samsung, on the other hand, has confirmed that its Galaxy S10+ flagship sports Corning Gorilla Glass 6, which is reportedly “up to two times better” than the previous version.

So both devices may use the same smartphone glass. Or the iPhone may use older, less durable glass. And yet, despite all that, the Apple handset actually fared slightly better in PhoneBuff’s drop testing.

Still, there’s no such thing as unbreakable screen glass. That’s why we recommend using a good-quality case and screen protector on your iPhone.