Following the disassembly of an iPhone XS, the first drop tests of the new Apple smartphones began to appear on the web. The authors of the YouTube TechSmartt channel tested the iPhone XS Max for strength and waterproofness. The Max version was of the greatest interest to them, since the regular XS is not much different from last year’s iPhone X, while larger devices are often more fragile.
During the presentation of iPhone XS and XS Max, Apple representatives said their latest products employ the most durable glass among all modern smartphones. The company probably does use improved materials, as the screen of last year’s iPhone X cracked when the presenter dropped it from the height of his head. The new models remained undamaged when dropped from the same height.
When the iPhone X was dropped from 3 meters, its front and rear panels broke completely. Possibly, the result was aggravated by the damage from the previous fall. With iPhone XS, a drop from the same height didn’t result in a single crack. As to iPhone XS Max, it was less lucky and its screen was shattered.
Another change in iPhone XS and its enlarged version XS Max is the improved water protection, from IP67 to IP68. According to the Apple website, the smartphones survive a 30-minute immersion in water to a depth of 2 meters. During the test, an iPhone XS Max was immersed into the river water to a depth of about 10 meters for half an hour. Once the testers got up the phone, it was turned out, and they weren’t able to turn it on. Interestingly, when they pressed the screen, water began to leak out from under the panel. The device likely could not withstand the pressure, because the other iPhone XS Max they tested remained in working condition after sitting in a bowl with clean water for a while.