Durability tests: Samsung phones survive water, not falls

[piemadd]

Quote

You can dunk Samsung's new smartphones in water, but don't drop them on a sidewalk, a new study finds.

SquareTrade, a company that offers extended-protection plans for gadgets, said the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge still functioned after being submerged in water for 30 minutes. Audio was "permanently muffled and distorted" after the dunking, but the Samsung phones still outlasted Apple's iPhones in SquareTrade's water tests

My mom is planning on getting the s7. I really have to warn her. She drops her phone all of the time, but she can probably get an Otterbox.

Quote

The study, released Monday, also found that Samsung's new phones are more prone to breaking than the iPhone 6S, which survived 30 seconds in a tumbling test chamber, similar to a dryer without heat. The test is meant to mimic repeated drops phones often face. Both Samsung models had minor cracks on the screens and significant damage to their backs. The iPhone 6S Plus, a larger version of the 6S, did worse. Its screen completely shattered in SquareTrade's tests.

The screens of all four phones cracked when dropped face down on a sidewalk. The Samsung phones also cracked when dropped on their corners, while the iPhones had only cosmetic damage, according to SquareTrade.

Same here. Durability is key. Get an Otterbox, Lifeproof or similar.

 

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/durability-tests-samsung-phones-survive-water-not-falls/2016/03/14/4a8d76ee-e9c4-11e5-a9ce-681055c7a05f_story.html

[Tagiau]

Still surprised people don't have a death grip on their phone like I do.

[Kobathor]

Interesting. Seems Apple's really done good with the iPhone 6's screen material!

 

But really, in both cases, getting a phone case is a good idea. Saves your screen 9/10 times if you get a decent one. My phone has a cheap bendable plastic case, and it's survived falls from ~8ft before (on accident) and suffered 0 damage.

[ShadowCaptain]

3 minutes ago, Implosivetech said:

Same here. Durability is key. Get an Otterbox, Lifeproof or similar.

eww

[piemadd]

Just now, ShadowCaptain said:

eww

Wuuuuuuut?

[ShadowCaptain]

1 minute ago, Implosivetech said:

Wuuuuuuut?

using an otterbox etc

I bought a lifeproof case for when I went snowboarding, and since I got back its sat in a box and wont be going back on until i do extreme sports

[TheRandomness]

2 minutes ago, Tagiau said:

Still surprised people don't have a death grip on their phone like I do.

Every time I walk over a drain holding my phone I nearly crush it.

[reddemonoverlord]

1 minute ago, Implosivetech said:

Wuuuuuuut?

guess he prefers aesthetics over protection.

[piemadd]

Just now, Kobathor said:

Interesting. Seems Apple's really done good with the iPhone 6's screen material!

 

But really, in both cases, getting a phone case is a good idea. Saves your screen 9/10 times if you get a decent one. My phone has a cheap bendable plastic case, and it's survived falls from ~8ft before (on accident) and suffered 0 damage.

I had a $5 us case that I could throw on the ground from ~9 ft.

[colinreay]

I've dropped my iphone with a slim case on too many times to count, and never have seen a scratch. Whoever the OEM is, Corning, or whoever else, did a bang up job.

[Howlingwolf101]

9 minutes ago, Tagiau said:

Still surprised people don't have a death grip on their phone like I do.

Same, I have a $10 case on it but I've never actually dropped any of my phones. Don't know how people can drop their phones so often.

[-iSynthesis]

I don't understand how people crack their screens anyways. I know people who broke like 5 screens already. Since my ipod touch i have not gotten any damage on my screens, and even that one is miniature, below the power button theres about 1mm² broken out

[ShadowCaptain]

8 minutes ago, reddemonoverlord said:

guess he prefers aesthetics over protection.

Yup, I didn't spend all that money on a beautiful piece of metal and glass to wrap it in $20 of rubber and plastic 

If I am taking it to a sports event, I will happily slap it into a case, like I do when airsofting, or diving, or snowboarding - otherwise my phone is 100% naked

I wish they could just make them more durable to start with, but I understand the limitations in design for this to happen

[reddemonoverlord]

Just now, ShadowCaptain said:

Yup, I didn't spend all that money on a beautiful piece of metal and glass to wrap it in $20 of rubber and plastic 

If I am taking it to a sports event, I will happily slap it into a case, like I do when airsofting, or diving, or snowboarding - otherwise my phone is 100% naked

I wish they could just make them more durable to start with, but I understand the limitations in design for this to happen

yeah, i dont disagree with you, at home it stays out of the case, when i go out it stays on, 700 dollars is too much to risk breaking, on the flip side though, that beutiful metal and glass gets messed up with out that "20 * " dollar case.

* Otterbox's are 100 or so around here.. T_T 

[Techicolors]

at least this kind of testing is more realistic than forcibly bending a phone, or bending a phone using machinery, or smacking a phone multiple times with a heavy-duty hammer

[ShadowCaptain]

2 minutes ago, reddemonoverlord said:

yeah, i dont disagree with you, at home it stays out of the case, when i go out it stays on, 700 dollars is too much to risk breaking, on the flip side though, that beutiful metal and glass gets messed up with out that "20 * " dollar case.

* Otterbox's are 100 or so around here.. T_T 

Well my lifeproof was £30 off amazon, otterboxes are way too extreme, but I was just talking about cases in general

why people put $5 cases on their $700 phone baffles me, at least get a nice wood or metal or leather or something sheesh

 

[reddemonoverlord]

Just now, ShadowCaptain said:

Well my lifeproof was £30 off amazon, otterboxes are way too extreme, but I was just talking about cases in general

why people put $5 cases on their $700 phone baffles me, at least get a nice wood or metal or leather or something sheesh

 

#dbrand and gorilla glass

[mattebad]

I don't understand how the samsung is worse off. In the post, it says that the Samsung only had minor cracks and back damage in the tumble test, then goes on to say the iphone does worse. Then goes on to say that all the phones screens cracked when dropped on the sidewalk and only cosmetic damage to the iphone when dropped on it's corner. So I don't get how they came to the conclusion that the samsung did worse. Also, it doesn't say anywhere what models of Samsung phones were used in the drop tests or corner drop tests, it only mentions the models in the tumble test. So I'm at a loss as to how this is a reputable study with such basic information missing. Even if this is correct, how could it survive a tumble test but not survive a corner drop test? Something sounds off here

Is there another source for this with a video or extra details?

[ShadowCaptain]

2 hours ago, reddemonoverlord said:

#dbrand and gorilla glass

skins are...okay

[GeekJump]

3 hours ago, Tagiau said:

Still surprised people don't have a death grip on their phone like I do.

I have a Vadar level death grip but it loosens as the phone ages. By year 2 my hand is like a limp noodle and the phone just flies away....thankfully I'm paranoid and use cases.

 

I get the nake phone argument but I'm more afraid of the minor stuff (scratches, nicks, etc.). Even if you never drop your phone, no case = scratches. My case (supcase) actually compliments my phone - that 6p and it's ugly camera bump is hidden with the case on.

--

Also, the s7 has a glass back...no shit it's ganna crack after some tumbles >_>

[Dabombinable]

Use stronger glass>make it thinner to reduce the thickness of the phone>glass isn't actually stronger.

[Arty]

Nexus 5x, strong as fuck, dropped mine a lot.

[BuckGup]

I don't think people know but the 6s has a rubber gasket between the screen and the case making it virtually water resistant. Look 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m2y3lPWSCg

[Doobeedoo]

It's so ugly to have anything on new phone. I mean, I have original Sony Xperia Z and that phone is rigid, it fell multiple times on all kind of rough terrain, from running, jumping and on hit on all sides. Even was slid once. Never had any case on it, just out of the box and when phone cleaned, it looks quite great, just micro scratches and small little to notice border damage. To even notice any you'd have to look for it. Screen on and it looks new.

[beebskadoo]

Here's a tip, don't buy a lifeproof case or an otterbox, just be more careful with your phone

I have never broken a phone before, never shattered a screen or dropped one for that matter. I just don't understand how people can drop their phone.