IPhone 12 Mini drop test: ceramic shield looks indestructible

the iPhone 12 Mini is a tough phone to break. We tested the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 before, but decided to start all over with the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 Mini to see if the smaller phone performed differently. Mostly, we wanted to see if we could break the screen. Spoiler: We didn’t, but we did manage to break other things in the process. Covered with Apple’s new ceramic protective glass, the iPhone 12 Mini’s display turned out to be virtually indestructible in our drop test. He also appears to be even better at dealing with repeated falls than his bigger brother.

Although it looks exactly like ordinary glass to the naked eye, the ceramic shield on the iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max is not an ordinary glass. It’s glass infused with ceramic crystals and, according to Apple, is the strongest glass ever in a smartphone. Because our testing methods aren’t scientific, we can’t say for sure if this statement is true, but our experience with the iPhone 12 suggests that it has the toughest screen of any phone we have. never tested. Our iPhone 12’s 6.1-inch display was left virtually unscathed after falling on concrete seven times at varying heights. The back of the phone, however, is made from the glass from the previous generation and we managed to break it on the second drop.

The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini share the same glass and aluminum frame made by Corning (iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max are stainless steel), so we weren’t expecting much different results, but we wanted to know if a smaller, lighter phone would affect the results.

Corning says that in general, larger devices may be more prone to bending than smaller ones, and heavier phones may see higher energy on impact, but they don’t necessarily predict performance during impact. a fall event because design can also play an important role. part.

Chris Parker, CNET’s senior video producer, dropped a red iPhone 12 Mini product on the sidewalk for our test.

Read more: Here are CNET’s reviews of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Mini, and iPhone 12 Pro Max.

Drop 1: 3 feet, screen side down

This is roughly the distance from your pocket to the ground and one of the most common heights you could drop your phone from. If the ground is uneven, such as in the case of a sidewalk, this fall can be fatal to your phone screen.

The iPhone 12 Mini hit the ground slightly at an angle and bounced before settling down, even though Chris dropped it screen side down. After wiping off some dust from the sidewalk, the screen was like new. The metal frame, however, was not as good-looking. It had a large scratch on the upper right corner where it landed that erased the red paint, exposing the metal on the bottom. The lower part of the frame suffered the same visible damage and also had a few small dents. The contrast between the phone’s bright red and the aluminum made the frame damage more noticeable than what we experienced on our mint green iPhone 12. This is a trend that we continued to observe throughout our drop test.

Drop 2: 3 feet, back side down

Chris repeated the same fall, but this time with the back of the phone facing the ground. It was the drop that cracked the back of the iPhone 12 in our previous drop test, but the Mini fared better.

The phone struck again at a bit of an angle, but this time the side of the phone hit the ground first, then swiveled to the opposite side causing it to bounce in the air, and then flip. collapsed again with the back. face down.

The damage to the aluminum frame was significantly worse and the upper right corner of the phone above the camera had dents. But the back of the phone (and the screen itself) still seemed in perfect condition.

Drop 3: 6 feet, 6 inches, screen side down

While you’re less likely to drop your phone from that height, it’s still possible to take a photo (or even a selfie for taller people) from that height.

Again, the Mini landed screen side down, but it didn’t land completely flat. The top of the phone struck first, causing it to fly again and flip 360 degrees before landing screen-side down on the curb again.

The screen survived once more, but the frame around it had more dents. One of the bumps in the aluminum frame almost seemed to penetrate the glass where the two met, and I was concerned that this would compromise the screen in the future.

Drop 4: 6 feet, 6 inches, back side down

Next, we replicated the drop with the back of the phone facing down.

This time, the back of the phone landed almost flat on the ground, but the impact caused it to bounce and turn, landing with the screen facing down instead.

The rear window was still intact, but both camera lenses were damaged. The ultra-wide camera had a visible crack on the side, while the main rear camera frame and lens below had a few small dents. The crack was not visible through the viewfinder when we opened the camera app, but could potentially cause lens flare and continue to break over time.

Drop 5 and 6: 9 feet, screen side down

With the iPhone 12 Mini’s front and back windows still intact, we decided to raise the stakes and take the phone to nine feet. Chris had to drop them off a stepladder, and knocking them flat as intended was getting harder.

The first drop was a wash because the screen was barely in contact with the ground. The phone landed on the top of the metal frame and bounced around a bit, so we tried again.

The second time around, it landed with the screen facing the ground, flipped into the air, and eventually ended up facing the screen up. The metal frame looked like a war zone at this point, but the screen was just fine.

The bump on the upper right side of the frame continued to grow, but the ceramic shield once again survived.

Drop 7: 9 feet, back side down

We repeated this fall with the back of the phone facing the ground, but from that fall it did not stay in place after the initial impact and did many flips in the air before landing with the back facing the ground.

This drop ultimately damaged the back of the phone. He had three hairline fractures starting in the lower right corner: two small and a longer one that extended upward along the frame almost to the upper right corner.

Let’s break it down

Based on our iPhone 12 and now iPhone 12 Mini drop tests, the ceramic shield is the strongest part of these phones.The lens and back of the iPhone 12 Mini fit are cracked in our drop tests, but the sidewalk did not fit. for the screen, covered with the ceramic shield, surviving consecutive drops from extreme heights.

That said, you might still want to put at least one slim case on the phone to protect the camera and keep the frame looking like new. At least, that’s what Apple suggested when we shared the results.

“IPhone 12 models have undergone rigorous real-world testing and are designed to be durable, but not indestructible. If anyone is worried about dropping their iPhone and damaging it, we suggest that you use one of the many beautiful cases available to protect the iPhone. . ”