iPhone 8 Subjected to Durability and Speed Tests

With the iPhone 8 now available for purchase in many places around the world, it's popping up in a whole range of videos on YouTube that are looking at everything from speed to durability.

YouTuber JerryRigEverything aimed to test Apple's claim that the iPhone 8 is using the most durable glass ever included in a smartphone.


He did Mohs test to determine hardness, finding that it scratched at a level 6 out of 10, much like the iPhone 7. For comparison's sake, sapphire, the material used for the Apple Watch display in Stainless Steel and Edition models, is about a 9. The screen resisted scratches from coins, keys, and a razor blade.

In a bend test, the iPhone 8 held up well, faring better than the iPhone 7 last year. There was no separation between the body and the glass and no real distortion to the frame of the device.

YouTuber MadMatt did a speed test comparison between the iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone 7 Plus, displaying apps launching side by side along with a Geekbench benchmark. While apps launched at about the same rate on both devices, the iPhone 8 did much better on the Geekbench test, as we saw last week in leaked A11 scores.


Earlier today, popular YouTuber Marques Brownlee did an iPhone 8 unboxing video, which is worth watching if you'd like to see the new iPhone 8 and 8 Plus pulled right out of the box.


The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are already in the hands of many customers around the world. Deliveries will start in the United States in the morning, with customers on the east coast set to receive the first iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, Apple Watch Series 3, and Apple TV 4K models at around 8:00 a.m. local time.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
iOS 26

When Will Apple Release iOS 26.2?

Monday December 1, 2025 4:37 pm PST by
We're getting closer to the launch of the final major iOS update of the year, with Apple set to release iOS 26.2 in December. We've had three betas so far and are expecting a fourth beta or a release candidate this week, so a launch could follow as soon as next week. Past Launch Dates Apple's past iOS x.2 updates from the last few years have all happened right around the middle of the...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
ive and altman

Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred From Using 'io' Name

Friday December 5, 2025 6:22 am PST by
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports. iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:27 am PST by
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

iPhone 17 Pro Lost a Camera Feature Pro Models Have Had Since 2020

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...

Top Rated Comments

Abazigal Avatar
107 months ago
I guess there is some upside to Apple recycling the same form factor for the fourth year in a row. When you have so much time to keep adding iterative improvements to your product, it really gets as refined as it can be.

It may be a tired old design, but it’s one that works.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Munch Avatar
107 months ago
Had to turn down the sound when the metal on metal scratching began.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
allenvanhellen Avatar
107 months ago
Very disappointed with the camera lens not being true sapphire and scratching at a level 6, especially without a protective raised ring. If we have to endure a camera hump, it should at least protect the lens!
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
filmantopia Avatar
107 months ago
why would they mention strongest glass if its same as iphone 7?
Scratching isn't the only indicator of strength.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nozuka Avatar
107 months ago
As they say, there are lies, big lies and statistics. I would say that the test in geekbench responds well to A11 Bionic but anything else may not be as efficient. I would even go as far as to say that the CPU has been tailored for geekbench as you don't see that kind of difference in different tests.

You have to realize that Apple probably ensured that GeekBench would use all six cores at once but in reality only a couple of those cores will be used in actual real world usage. It will work like Big.Little. In android, usually four cores are always being used unlike iOS. The two high performance cores on the new iphones will do the grunt of the most stringent work while the low performance efficiency cores will be active for everything else. Think of the battery savings you need on your phones....you guys will never see all six cores running at once to get your so-called GeekBench scores (GeekBench app will be the only way you see it). Real World usage is the true defining factor.

Interestingly enough, there was a recent update to the GeekBench iOS app which could lend you to concluding that Apple and GeekBench may have worked hand in hand to ensure these results are taken at face value.
whatever helps you sleep at night.. ;)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
_Refurbished_ Avatar
107 months ago
People always do the speed test wrong.

Test the 7 on iOS 10.
Test the 8 on iOS 11.

Everyone has been using the 7 on iOS 10 for the past year. I want to know if it’s faster than last year’s phone, on the software we’ve been using....otherwise it’s a meaningless test in my opinion.

The true test arrives once iOS 11 is refined.... then you can make fair comparisons.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)