As expected, the first videos testing the new iPhone’s durability have emerged.
YouTuber JerryRigEverything has posted a video testing Apple’s Ceramic Shield protection on its iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro handsets against cracks and shatters.
Apple has stated that the Ceramic Shield’s strength and durability release primarily to drops and shatters, not scratch resister. Earlier durability tests quickly showed why Apple focused on drop performance rather than scratch resistance.
Using the Mohs scales of hardness, the testing found that the iPhone 12 scratches began at a level 6, while deeper scratches began to surface at level 7.
The review also noted that the stainless steel frame on the iPhone 12 Pro is “surprisingly hard to scratch,” although it’s also a fingerprint magnet. A stainless steel razor blade had a hard time damaging the iPhone 12 Pro edges, though the paint still scratches off.
It was also noted that the glass back of the iPhone 12 Pro is largely similar to the iPhone 11 Pro, and functions as “sand paper to other objects since glass is a very hard material.” The sapphire covers over the iPhone 12 Pro camera sensors are susceptible to minor scratches at a level 6 and level 7.
The JerryRigEverything also subjected the iPhone 12 Pro to a fire test. A lighter was held to the 6.1-inch OLED display, and after 30 seconds of direct heat, the iPhone 12 Pro’s display was undamaged. This is different from other phones, where the display often permanently turns white as the heat damages the pixels. This could be a benefit of the Ceramic Shield.
Finally, the iPhone 12 Pro’s new flat-edged design performed exceptionally well to a bend test, the review citing it as a “non-flexing tank of a cell phone.”
Take a gander and let us know what you think in the comments.
Via 9to5Mac and JerryRigEverything