Back in late November, iPhone case maker Urban Armor Gear sent an iPhone into space using a weather balloon, and in early January, the site shared a video depicting the iPhone's journey to the stratosphere in an Urban Armor Gear case.


The iPhone soared 101,000 feet into the atmosphere, and was subjected to 70 mile per hour winds and temperatures that dropped to -79 degrees Fahrenheit. Though turned on at launch, the iPhone later shut off and froze due to the cold weather.

Urban Armor Gear hooked the iPhone up to a weather balloon rig that also included a GPS locator and two GoPro cameras for filming. Upon descent, the iPhone and the flight rig withstood 150 RPM rotation speeds, and at landing, the rig broke while the iPhone managed to remain unscathed.

"Our cases already meet military drop-test standards, but now we can officially say that they are space tested as well," said Steve Armstrong, co-founder of Urban Armor Gear. "The fact that the iPhone survived its space adventure and returned fully functioning showcases our commitment in providing our customers world-class, or in this case out of this world, protection for their premium devices."

The iPhone was protected by an Urban Armor composite case which promises military-grade protection, but it did not have a screen protector and still managed to come out undamaged. After landing, the iPhone powered back on and was fully functional, demonstrating the durability and solid construction of the device.

Top Rated Comments

5t3f4n Avatar
121 months ago
Can't believe they didn't use a Space Gray model.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Anonymous Freak Avatar
121 months ago
100,000 feet isn't space!!!

The international definition of "space" is 100 km (about 61 miles, 328,000 feet.) The US Air Force used to use 50 miles (264,000 feet.)

Also, I'm a bit surprised at how warm it is at 101 K feet up. I thought the temperature would be much closer to absolute zero than just -50. You can find that temperature at sea level near the poles.

Um, even in orbit around the dark (as in: unlit by the sun; separate from "back") side of the moon it doesn't get that close to absolute zero. The dark side of the moon (no atmosphere, no solar radiation for 14 days,) gets as cold as -243 F (-153 C.) Still well above absolute zero.

There are craters near the north pole of the moon that are permanently in shadow, so never receive any solar radiation. They can get as low as -413 F (-247 C,) colder even than Pluto. Still noticeably above absolute zero (which is -459 F, -273 C.)

So, especially right above the Earth's surface, where there is still measurable atmosphere (thin, yes, but it's thick enough for jet engines to work, and airfoils to provide lift and control, as evidenced by the fact that the SR-71 jet-powered spy plane could fly that high,) means it shouldn't be surprising that it isn't "near absolute zero."

In fact, it is often WARMER at 100,000 feet than at lower (but still high) altitudes. The standard model is that air temperature at 100,000 ft. is approximately 100 degrees (F) cooler than the sea level temperature directly underneath. But between 35,000 feet and 85,000 feet, it is often 130 degrees (F) cooler! So as you travel up, it gets colder and colder as you reach 35,000 feet, then stays about the same until you reach 85,000 feet, then starts to warm up as you get to 100,000 feet.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/weather/wstdatmo.htm
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JayLenochiniMac Avatar
121 months ago
Moot because they didn't include a control (another iPhone sans the case).
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
octothorpe8 Avatar
121 months ago
Wow, this case is strong enough to protect a phone from a slowed-down drop onto soft dirt! Great.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jayducharme Avatar
121 months ago
Wow, this case is strong enough to protect a phone from a slowed-down drop onto soft dirt! Great.

And actually, the drop consisted of only a few inches when it detached from the clamp after the rig hit the dirt. This really is a much better ad for GoPro.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
redscull Avatar
121 months ago
I feel like they lucked out it landing in a mud puddle instead of hitting that wooden fence.

Also, way to go GoPro. They kept recording even though the iPhone had to shut itself off. Their investors should take note; Apple doesn't have anything in their league regarding extreme conditions video capture.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 18 Siri Integrated Feature

iOS 18 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Friday April 12, 2024 11:11 am PDT by
iOS 18 is expected to be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. iOS 18 is rumored to include new generative AI features for Siri and many apps, and Apple plans to add RCS support to the Messages app for an improved texting experience between iPhones and Android devices. The update is also expected to introduce a more...
iOS NES Emulator Bimmy Feature

NES Emulator for iPhone and iPad Now Available on App Store [Removed]

Tuesday April 16, 2024 11:33 am PDT by
The first approved Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) emulator for the iPhone and iPad was made available on the App Store today following Apple's rule change. The emulator is called Bimmy, and it was developed by Tom Salvo. On the App Store, Bimmy is described as a tool for testing and playing public domain/"homebrew" games created for the NES, but the app allows you to load ROMs for any...
iGBA Feature

Apple Removes Game Boy Emulator iGBA From App Store Due to Spam and Copyright Violations

Sunday April 14, 2024 9:22 pm PDT by
Apple today said it removed Game Boy emulator iGBA from the App Store for violating the company's App Review Guidelines related to spam (section 4.3) and copyright (section 5.2), but it did not provide any specific details. iGBA was a copycat version of developer Riley Testut's open-source GBA4iOS app. The emulator rose to the top of the App Store charts following its release this weekend,...
Delta Feature

Delta Game Emulator Now Available From App Store on iPhone

Wednesday April 17, 2024 9:58 am PDT by
Game emulator apps have come and gone since Apple announced App Store support for them on April 5, but now popular game emulator Delta from developer Riley Testut is available for download. Testut is known as the developer behind GBA4iOS, an open-source emulator that was available for a brief time more than a decade ago. GBA4iOS led to Delta, an emulator that has been available outside of...
iGBA Feature

Game Boy Emulator for iPhone Now Available in App Store Following Rule Change [Removed]

Sunday April 14, 2024 8:06 am PDT by
A week after Apple updated its App Review Guidelines to permit retro game console emulators, a Game Boy emulator for the iPhone called iGBA has appeared in the App Store worldwide. The emulator is already one of the top free apps on the App Store charts. It was not entirely clear if Apple would allow emulators to work with all and any games, but iGBA is able to load any Game Boy ROMs that...
iPhone 15 Pro Action Button Translate

All iPhone 16 Models to Feature Action Button, But Usefulness Debated

Tuesday April 16, 2024 6:54 am PDT by
Last September, Apple's iPhone 15 Pro models debuted with a new customizable Action button, offering faster access to a handful of functions, as well as the ability to assign Shortcuts. Apple is poised to include the feature on all upcoming iPhone 16 models, so we asked iPhone 15 Pro users what their experience has been with the additional button so far. The Action button replaces the switch ...