SquareTrade has been performing durability tests for a long time now and they’ve performed these tests on tons of iPhones. Now, SquareTrade has released its findings that show the iPhone 11 Pro might be the most durable iPhone ever. The same might not be said about the other two iPhones.
As Apple always does, they made some bold and boastful claims about its latest iPhone family. The company claims the phones will deliver superior durability and water resistance. So SquareTrade, an Allstate company, tested this newest batch of fruit phones to see if that was true. Check out the video below as well as some breakdowns, broken phone pictures, and a breakdown diagram.
Here’s a breakdown of the tests SquareTrade performed on these new iPhones:
- Tumble Tests: iPhone 11 Pro is the first smartphone to survive the SquareTrade tumble test with virtually no damage. The glass back panels of both the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro Max cracked during the test. Loose glass was visible on the iPhone 11 Pro Max.
- Bend Tests: iPhone 11 and 11 Pro bent at around 250lbs of pressure, a similar bending point to the iPhone X. However, neither iPhone 11 or 11 Pro cracked while bending, showing added durability. The larger iPhone 11 Pro Max cracked at 230lbs of pressure and was unusable.
- Dunk Test: iPhone 11 Pro survived 30 minutes in five feet of water with no damage. The iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro Max suffered audio distortion issues after the test, which continued after drying out.
- Face-Down Drop Tests: All three iPhone 11 models cracked on their first face-down sidewalk drop test. The iPhone 11 shattered, resulting in loose glass. The iPhone 11 Pro shattered and its screen malfunctioned. The iPhone 11 Pro Max shattered, its screen malfunctioned, and it became unusable.
- Back-Down Drop Tests: All three iPhone 11 models cracked on their first back-down sidewalk drop test. iPhone 11 shattered causing damage to its camera lenses. iPhone 11 Pro shattered resulting in severe damage around the camera lenses and loose glass to appear. iPhone 11 Pro Max cracked causing damage to the camera lens. The camera continued to function on all models.
- Repairability: SquareTrade’s Master Technician found that repair efforts for the Phone 11 are similar to iPhone 8. However, with additional battery connections, pull tabs and screws, iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max may require more time to repair than other iPhone models.
“After our robots dropped, dunked, tumbled and bent the devices, we found the new iPhone 11 Pro to be the most durable iPhone we’ve tested in generations,” said Jason Siciliano, vice president, and global creative director at SquareTrade. “It’s the first smartphone to survive our tumble test, which simulates the effects of multiple, random impacts experienced by a smartphone during long-term use. That’s a real achievement when it comes to durability. However, dropping any of the new iPhone 11 models on a sidewalk without a case, face-down or back-down can still cause serious damage, as we saw with our drop tests.”
Durability matters for consumers. While tech enthusiasts get excited about virtual reality and facial recognition, most people care more about simpler smartphone features. Nearly 90% of Americans say durability is important when deciding which smartphone to buy, according to a 2018 study by Morning Consult.
That’s where SquareTrade helps. The SquareTrade Breakability Score, introduced in 2013, gives consumers an unbiased view of smart devices’ durability and how they live up to the rigor of our everyday lives. It considers physical characteristics of devices, such as size, components and the materials that affect repairability, as well as how they perform in robotic tests. Consumers gain confidence knowing that their device can handle life’s everyday hardships.
SquareTrade
There are plenty of other durability tests out there to compare SquareTrade’s too. But at least this is a starting point for consumers to understand the limits and tolerances of these phones. It also might actually be useful information in helping some of you to make a decision on which model you actually want to buy. Thanks to SquareTrade for providing the data and hopefully someone found it useful.
What do you think of SquareTrade’s tests on the new iPhones? Do these tests sway your choice in which model of iPhone to get this year? Do you think smartphones should go back to being made of aluminum instead of glass? Will you be buying the new Apple phone or skipping it this year? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter, or Facebook. You can also comment on our MeWe page by joining the MeWe social network.
Last Updated on February 3, 2021.
