With every passing yr, Apple tries to make its pricey smartphones increasingly more proof against bodily injury. In lots of respects this mission has been a hit: definitely as we speak’s iPhones are way more water resistant than was the case a decade in the past. And the Ceramic Protect function launched with the iPhone 12 in 2020 means the glass of the display is tougher to interrupt, too.
One of many trumpeted upgrades for the most recent 16-series iPhones is the inclusion of a brand new model of Ceramic Protect, which Apple claims is “two instances harder than any smartphone glass.” That could be correct, however don’t assume it means you’ll be able to toss your iPhone 16 Professional on the ground and stroll away scot-free.
The insurance coverage agency Allstate Safety Plans frequently checks the drop- (and dunk-) resistance of varied gadgets, and yesterday revealed how the iPhone 16 acquired on within the newest spherical of simulated spills. The information isn’t completely constructive.
The corporate makes use of what it refers to as a “DropBot” to simulate falls from six ft (which is maybe on the excessive aspect if we’re imagining the telephone being dropped from a pocket or hand until you’re an enormous) to offers a basic (and constant) sense of how nicely every system stands as much as this type of influence. And the reply is that even the newest iPhones don’t stand as much as it very nicely.
“When dropped face down on a sidewalk from six ft, the 16 Professional Max shattered, and the show failed utterly, rendering the system unusable,” Allstate reviews. Dropping it on the again panel was much less catastrophic, however nonetheless inadvisable: whereas remaining totally purposeful, the telephone shattered and suffered important injury to the digital camera housing.
“So whereas the iPhone 16 will be the smartest smartphone up to now, one factor hasn’t modified,” the corporate concludes. “It’s nonetheless product of glass.”
This will likely sound dangerous… and positively isn’t reassuring to listen to. However as MacRumors factors out in its protection of the story, that is only a actually exhausting take a look at. The iPhone 16 Professional Max has glass on each back and front, and no glass-based smartphone has ever survived Allstate’s DropBot take a look at.