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A new drop test has affirmed the conclusion of earlier ones of how fragile the iPhone 15 Pro Max is. In a video shared by PhoneBuff on YouTube, the top-tier iPhone 15 model underwent a series of drop tests with the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. And — surprise, surprise — the Apple smartphone received more visible damage than its opponent.
The video follows the two individual tests performed by AppleTrack EIC Sam Kohl and the YouTube channel JerryRigEverything on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, respectively. In both tests, it was shown how easily the Pro models of the iPhone 15 series could quickly obtain cracks and scratches. In Kohl’s test, you could even see the iPhone 15 Pro losing its camera module and experiencing white screen damage at the end of the test.
PhoneBuff wanted to try it again but in a more systematic way. Unlike the first two tests, the channel used a controlled system by employing a machine that can drop the units at the exact same heights and positions. The experiment consisted of four parts: back drop, corner drop, face drop, and a fall on the metal surface.
Unfortunately, the iPhone 15 Pro Max instantly suffered major damage on its back glass, with the cracks spiderwebbing across the material’s surface. Galaxy S23 Ultra also experienced cracks, but compared to the 15 Pro Max, the damages were minimal and concentrated on two opposite corners of the phone.
On the other hand, while both phones performed well in the corner drop, the last two tests gave them cracked screens. The Galaxy S23 Ultra showed cracks on the sides of its screens, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max sustained damages spread across its display.
In the end, out of 40 points, the review gave the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 39 points while the iPhone 15 Pro Max received 37. It is no surprise, nonetheless. Despite managing to continuously work just fine, the iPhone left the scene with its back almost falling apart.
According to earlier reviews, the curved edge design and titanium could be contributing factors affecting the weak durability of the iPhone 15 Pro models, especially its back glass. Nonetheless, a more recent teardown video from Phone Repair Guru explained that it could be due to Apple’s internal design changes in the new lineup.
The review compared the iPhone 15 Pro to the iPhone 14, which were both opened from the back. This is where their difference can be instantly noticed: the iPhone 14’s back glass has a metal back plate while the iPhone 15 Pro’s no longer has it. Instead of putting it in the back glass of the iPhone 15 Pro, Apple has attached the metal plate directly to the back of the phone, explaining its lower shock resistance performance in the tests.
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