With iPhone 15s having stepped into their distribution phase on September 22, Apple customers across borders have begun to get their hands on the iPhone 15 series. Despite the $ 1,000 price tag that demands that the phones be treated with care, reviewers have been testing the limits of the model with great cheer. Their analysis serves to answer our question, “Is iPhone 15 Pro durable?” The iPhone 15 drop tests and other modern testing traditions suggest otherwise.
(Image Credit: Apple)
Following the announcement of the titanium frame on the iPhone 15 Pro, many hoped that the iPhone 15 Pro durability tests would be passed with ease, providing updated resistance to external damage. However, that does not seem to be the case, with multiple YouTubers and X\Twitter users confirming that the iPhone 15 Pro max drop tests did result in significant damage to the frame and the rear glass.
Is iPhone 15 Pro Durable?
Many popular names in the field of tech have been able to review the iPhone 15 series and despite the extreme nature of the tests, their experimentations serve as very important calibrators of the online response to the new devices. YouTuber EverythingApplePro conducted a comprehensive iPhone 15 drop test for both the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the iPhone 15 Pro. Both phones saw considerable damage to the back glass, even from a waist-high drop onto concrete testing grounds. Further attempts of the iPhone 15 Pro Max drop test found this model to be slightly more resilient than its lower-end counterpart, with both phone screens taking the brunt of all the drops with minimal indications of degradation. While the sparks seen with action on the titanium confirm that Apple is not cutting costs on the quality of the material, it is unclear what benefits it offers to the device other than helping reduce the overall device weight. Other testers have also seen similar results, with the phone being pretty susceptible to damage to the back of the device.
Is iPhone 15 Pro more durable in comparison to the iPhone 14?
YouTuber AppleTrack flew to Australia for early access to the iPhone 15 and tested the device against its predecessor on the streets, to check the iPhone 15 drop test performance. While both phones held up for quite a while, the iPhone 15 Pro Max drop test saw much more disappointing results.
The titanium body did not show any significant resilience to damage, despite being one of the iPhone 15’s main upgrades. The rear glass showed the worst of the repeated falls, with spiderweb cracks not only on the body but on the camera lens as well. The iPhone 14 withstood repeated drops and still held strong all around.
The iPhone 14 had seen significant negative attention following its release, over how expensive it was to replace the back glass. Discussions on social media have led to the conclusion this new-found fragility might be due to Apple trying to make the back glass more affordable to replace, moving from the $500 price point to $200. With this in mind, the iPhone 15 Pro durability tests might continue to see disappointing results.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max Drop Test Is Not the Only Measure of Its Weak Design
Apple spent considerable effort on their marketing of the titanium edge with the glass back, moving away from the iPhone 14’s aluminum, glass-backed frame. Youtuber JerryRigEverything took apart the device and found a 1mm thick titanium frame, likely $30 worth of grade 5 material fused to aluminum. While still an impressive integration of technology, there is no evidence that it provides any significant improvements from the iPhone 14.
So apparently the iPhone 15 Pro has about 1mm of titanium rails bonded to the aluminum inner frame of the phone. With the estimate from @ZacksJerryRig being that each phone has roughly $30 worth of grade 5 titanium in it.
While this is a very impressive piece of hardware,… pic.twitter.com/M3qJJpM4Iq
— Jason W (@jmwilt21) September 24, 2023
Testing the scratch resistance on the titanium’s PVD coating, the YouTuber found it very vulnerable to scratching. The ceramic shield front glass performed the best against damage, with the evidence of distress on the screen only after a level 6 encounter. The most distressing results of the “Is iPhone 15 Pro durable” adventure were found when the blended aluminum titanium structure was put under the bend test, and it performed underwhelmingly. While concentrated pressure on the back glass resulted in the damage to body, people are now worried about how simple everyday motions such as sitting with the iPhone 15 in your back pocket will affect the device.
So my iPhone 15 Pro Max fell from my pocket while I was running. I had a TPU case on still the frame got scratched. Please get an armoured case or something. This thing bruises like a peach#iPhone15pro #iPhone15ProMax pic.twitter.com/VfixRMRP8I
— Nitin Raj (@MrPerfectTech) September 24, 2023
The iPhone 15’s performance specs have also been questioned, with reports of the phone overheating despite normal levels of use, however, the extent to which this should be a serious concern is still unclear. Is iPhone 15 Pro durable? Not exceptionally, with signs of wear and tear likely to set in very quickly with regular use, however, it does not make the device unfit for use.
While the disappointment with Apple’s new device begins to take off with the iPhone 15 Pro durability tests, it must be said that the rounded corners of the device do seem to provide some enhanced resistance to edge damage. The ceramic shield front glass appears to be its greatest physical strength so maybe all the new device needs is a really good phone case to protect the rest.