A final test, dropping the phone on its back, shattered the back glass, leaving loose shards that made the phone difficult to safely hold. That makes the iPhone X the most breakable iPhone the company has ever tested.
The biggest takeaway is that both the iPhone 14 Plus and 14 Pro Max were severely cracked or shattered after the first drop, where the iPhones 12 and 13 proved to be some of Apple's most durable phones and didn't have severe damage until the second or third drop.
If you hate screen protectors, the iPhone 13's screen is surprisingly scratch-resistant. But it's not invincible.
The iPhone 14 Pro uses a special type of protective glass Apple calls Ceramic Shield, which it says offers scratch resistance and four times the drop protection versus iPhone models without the special glass.
Ceramic Shield is Apple's latest screen technology that makes the iPhone 14's screen tougher and stronger than ever before. It is made with ceramic nano-crystals that resist damage that would crack or break lesser screen types.
The iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 are water, dust, and splash resistant with an IP68 rating for a maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes. The durability of the devices is also the same, with both featuring a Ceramic Shield front and aerospace-grade aluminum.
These results show the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro are extremely durable compared to a regular iPhone. They can withstand first and second drop tests from significant heights, with minimal damage, especially after one drop.
It is made of metal, glass, and plastic and has sensitive electronic components inside. iPhone or its battery can be damaged if dropped, burned, punctured, or crushed, or if it comes in contact with liquid.
It's very hard to break but can still be scratched, so a screen protector is worth considering for those that want to further guarantee the protection of their new iPhone 13.
If battery life is a key factor for you, opt for the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 series, and consider the iPhone 14 Plus, especially. Avoid the iPhone 12, iPhone 13 Mini, and iPhone SE.
Wondering why these devices are so fragile? In short, it is their design. While most mobile phones before the iPhone had plastic displays, Apple implemented a glass screen because of its scratch and wear resistance. However, using glass posed a new set of challenges — shattering.
Ceramic Shield was first introduced with the iPhone 12 models as Apple's answer to Android's Gorilla Glass Victus. The glass screen of the iPhone 12 and now the iPhone 13 are reinforced with embedded ceramic nanocrystals. The results? A super durable screen that is resistant to cracks, shattered glass and more.
iPhone 13 mini
The iPhone 13 mini is the most powerful compact phone Apple's ever made, thanks to that A15 Bionic chip that powers all the iPhone 13 models. That means you can get iPhone 13-comparable performance in a 5.4-inch phone that costs less than $600.
Unless there's some visible damage or malfunction there's no way to tell and probably even if you took it to Apple they couldn't tell any more than you can. The most delicate part is probably the glass back and front. Check those for damage and then decide if it makes a difference to you and consider replacement cost.
The iPhone 13 Pro Max uses ceramic shield glass, making it very resilient and sturdy. Your phone can probably get away scratch-free if you drop it from about 6 feet high. The emphasis here is on “probably”. Not every fall is the same, so there is still a chance for your phone to get damaged from any fall.
Apple states all four iPhone 13 models can be submerged and protected in water up to 6 meters deep for up to 30 minutes.
Tom's Guide testers found that a phone dropped from 100 feet (30 m) might survive the fall, while the same kind of phone might shatter from a 6-foot (1.8 m) drop. Why?
Like every Apple-designed case, it undergoes thousands of hours of testing throughout the design and manufacturing process. So not only does it look great, it's built to protect your iPhone from scratches and drops.
Do you already have the iPhone 13 in your shopping cart and just want to know if it's worth buying in 2023? If you are careful with your iPhone purchase and want to switch from an older model, absolutely! This is because there were only a few functional innovations in the iPhone 14 compared to the iPhone 13.
Is there a big difference between iPhone 13 and 14? The quick answer to this question is, no. There isn't a big difference to note here. The iPhone 14 and the prior year's model have a lot in common, coming in the same size, with the same display, the same processor and almost identical camera systems.
The iPhone 13 is still highly capable for everyday use, and iPhone 14 shares the vast majority of the iPhone 13's most versatile features, such as the A15 Bionic chip, OLED Super Retina XDR display, Ceramic Shield, Night mode, MagSafe, and IP68 water resistance, so it may be better to wait for a more substantial ...
Technically the iPhone 14 Pro Max "won" in this test, but it would still need a display repair given the damage. If there's anything to be learned from these tests, it's that glass is going to break, and no smartphone manufacturer has managed to develop unbreakable glass technology.