So just how tough is the iPhone 7?

SquareTrade, extended warranty service provider for consumer electronics, tested the durability and water resistance claims of the new Apple iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus against the Samsung new Galaxy Note 7.

Four tests were carried out:

• Water resistance test: Both the iPhone 7 and Note 7 survived being dunked in water, but both suffered from some muffled audio afterwards.
• Bend test: In SquareTrade’s bend test the iPhone 7 bent at 170 pounds of pressure, with the iPhone 7 Plus doing a little better, going to 180 pounds. This means that both matched the previous 6s generation for bend resistance. However, Samsung’s Note 7 not only bent, but also cracked and became unusable after hitting 180 pounds of pressure.
• Tumble test: After 30 seconds in SquareTrade’s TumbleBot, the iPhone 7 suffered scuffed corners and a cracked camera lens, with the 7 Plus only suffering a small crack. The Note 7 suffered the most damage with cracks on all four corners and across its glass back.
• Sidewalk drop test: This is where things get ugly. All three smartphones shattered on their first facedown drop. After the second drop, the iPhone 7 wouldn’t turn back on. The third drop for the 7 Plus resulted in major screen malfunctioning rendering it unusable. After three corner drops, the iPhone 7 screen cracked and split along its side, the 7 Plus had a shattered screen, and the Note 7 had a shattered back.

“The iPhone 7 generation is the first to compete with Samsung’s water resistant ratings in its latest smartphones,” said Steve Abernethy, executive chairman at SquareTrade.

“After putting them to the test, there’s no doubt the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus aren’t scared of going for a little swim. Still, when it comes to surviving a sidewalk drop, we saw no improvement. Broken screens are still the leading cause of smartphone damage-and both Apple and Samsung still have a lot of work to do.”

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