A short time after conducting a bend test and teardown of the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which yielded mixed results, a highly-anticipated showdown between the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has brought to light how these two phones compare in terms of durability. Renowned YouTuber PhoneBuff carried out a series of tests, including face drops, backdrop falls, and corner drops, to determine which phone stands up better, and the results are now available.
iPhone 15 Pro Max Vs. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
The initial trial involved dropping both phones onto a concrete surface from a waist-level height, with their backs facing the ground. Upon impact, the back glass of the iPhone 15 Pro Max shattered but did not chip off entirely, suffering more damage than the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which sustained minimal harm. Interestingly, the rest of the iPhone’s back glass remained intact.
Regarding construction, the Galaxy S23 Ultra utilizes an aluminum frame with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus on both the front and back for protection. In contrast, the iPhone 15 Pro Max employs a Ceramic Shield on the front and a titanium frame for strength and lightweight design.
Moving on to the second test, both phones were dropped on their corners. Although both phones experienced severe damage to one of their corners, the titanium frame of the iPhone 15 Pro Max remained undamaged, while the S23 Ultra’s aluminum frame showed more significant damage. At this stage, Apple clearly had the advantage. It’s worth noting that both phones remained functional throughout the tests, which is reassuring given the premium price tag of these models.
The third test involved dropping the phones with their screens facing down. Would the Victus 2 glass or the Ceramic Shield prove more resilient? As it turns out, both phones sustained screen damage, although the S23 Ultra suffered more damage due to its curved panel. The iPhone 15 Pro Max incurred slightly less damage even after the fall, thanks to its flat display. However, adding slightly thicker bezels to the corners could have prevented further damage.
In a final test, both phones were dropped with their displays facing down onto a steel surface from a greater height. The shattered back glass of the iPhone 15 Pro Max began to chip away and sustained more damage compared to previous tests. On the other hand, the Galaxy S23 Ultra maintained a relatively similar appearance to its condition after the last test, which is a positive outcome for its durability.
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