IPhone XR Drop Test: How many falls did it take to break?

the iPhone XS proved that it can take a beating in our fall test, but is the cheaper iPhone XR as strong?

At first glance, the iPhone XR shares the same features as its high-end brother: an edge-to-edge display, a glass on each side and a metal bumper, but its construction is slightly different. For starters, its larger 6.1-inch screen has more breakable surface than the 5.8-inch iPhone XS screen. It is also enclosed in an aluminum frame instead of the stronger stainless steel that surrounds the glass of the XS and XS Max.

The glass itself is different too. The screen is covered with the same glass as the XS and XS Max which, according to Apple, is "the most durable glass ever seen on a smartphone", but the back is different. It's more resilient than last year's iPhone X – which broke at the first drop since hip height – but not as robust as that of the iPhone XS. And he has a single camera on the back with a slightly more pronounced hump.

To find out if and how this would affect the phone's durability, we took our brand-new bright yellow iPhone XR to the sidewalk for real (non-scientific) drop tests, just like its older siblings.

Drop 1: pocket height, screen down

I started with a pocket height drop, or about 0.9 meters, at which height a lot of accidents happen. The same file that broken iPhone X from last year.

I dropped the screen of the iPhone XR to test the toughest glass first. Unfortunately, he barely touched the screen because, by the time he landed, he had already returned and his back broke the fall. The right side hit first, then bounced off the camera side and rocked into the air for its final landing: screen side down.

From where I stood, it seemed like his back had survived without a scratch, but once I picked it up, I noticed that the sapphire crystal of the camera had a "C" shaped crack running from top to bottom with a white tip at the source. The aluminum frame also had visible scratches on the side that removed the gold layer exposing the silver underneath. The screen on the other hand did not look dirtier, with some spots on the edge of the screen scraping as I ran my fingers over it.

I took a few snapshots with the camera and noticed that most shots looked pretty good despite the crack. Where the crack became apparent when recording video if the light struck at right angles.

With the screen and the back glass still intact, I decided to continue our fall test.

Drop 2: Height of the pocket, raised screen

Because the screen did not hit the ground first during the last fall, I decided to lower it again to the same height of 0.9 meters. This time, hold it with both hands to better control the fall.

The upper part of the screen interrupted the fall, and then the right and bottom edges got closer, which allowed the phone to bounce and rotate 180 degrees until it fell back again on the screen, the upper right corner touching the floor first.

Depending on the strength put on the screen this fall, I was expecting some damage. But when I returned it, the screen was fine. There were some white lines on the edges of the glass, but most of the particles turned out to be cement particles and were rubbed just to the right. There were still some small bumps in the glass on the top of the screen, but nothing too noticeable.

Drop 3: eye level, free fall

To increase the stakes, I brought our iPhone XR to the eye level, or 1.5 meters. It's about the height at which it would fall from your hands if you take a picture, another common situation.

I started with the phone in landscape mode with the screen facing me, as if you naturally held your phone when you take a picture, and then let it fall.

The top rear corner of the frame above the camera interrupted the fall, then bounced off and hit the other edge of the frame. He took off again and landed in the back of the vehicle.

There was no visible damage on the screen, but scratches on the aluminum frame had multiplied, the worst were at the corner above the camera, where the phone had been hit first. The back always looked good, but a closer look revealed a small fracture in the lower left corner of the glass. Aside from the camera and the smashed frame, this phone was still in combat.

Drop 4: eye level, side of the screen down

During the last test, I decided to pass the front window through the ring and let it drop screen side at eye level (5 feet).

I knew it was serious by the time the phone hit the ground. He made a thud and even raised a light cloud of dust as he landed almost flat on his screen.

And of course, when I returned, I noticed a cluster of cobwebs coming from the earpiece to the outside. I could even feel the tiny bursts of glass that were starting to come off, I ran my fingers over the top of the phone.

The rear window was still intact, but that marked the end of our fall test.

The breakdown

It took four bad drops on a rough sidewalk to finally break the screen of our iPhone XR. Due to the nature of our tests, it is unclear whether the iPhone XS (which survived this fourth and last fall) is more durable than the XR. I suspect that even the iPhone XS would have cracked after this face-plant in the end. What is clear to me is that Apple has made the glass of its new phones stronger than its predecessors. IPhone XR and iPhone XS held longer than expected iPhones from last year 8 and X, and even some of its competitors.

Even if the iPhone XS has a slight advantage in terms of survival, the iPhone XR will cost you at least $ 250 less. It is also cheaper to repair. The replacement of the screen without AppleCare + will cost you $ 199 compared to the $ 279 of the iPhone XS and the $ 329 that it costs to repair the 6.5 inch screen of the XS Max. (You can find prices in the United Kingdom and prices in Australia here.)

On the other hand, replacing the camera will not be so simple. A cracked lens is classified in the "other damage" category, which is $ 399, which you will need to pay to fix it. That alone is reason enough to put a thick enough holster on your iPhone XR to protect the camera.