iPhone 8 Subjected to Durability and Speed Tests - MacRumors
Skip to Content

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

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max Feature

'Apple Upgrade' Program Reportedly Launching Next Week

Tuesday July 21, 2026 8:30 am PDT by
Apple and Klarna are partnering on a new "Apple Upgrade" leasing program set to launch in the U.S. on Tuesday, July 28, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The program will allow you to finance most iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models, with a 24-month term for iPhones and Apple Watches and a 36-month term for iPads and Macs. Customers will be able to pay off the device early during...
iPhone 18 Pro Deep Red Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Launching in Two Months With These 12 New Features

Tuesday July 21, 2026 6:22 am PDT by
It is now mid-July, and that means the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are now just two months away. The devices are expected to look similar to the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, but there will still be many year-over-year changes, with rumored features including a smaller Dynamic Island, 5G via satellite, and more. Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, ...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple

Apple to Overhaul Mac Lineup With 11 New Models

Wednesday July 22, 2026 8:13 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to refresh every Mac it sells over the next two years, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The plans come amid a Mac resurgence, with sales projected to climb for a third consecutive year, partly thanks to a growing following among users who lean on the machines for demanding, agent-based AI workloads. The wave of new Macs will begin this fall with a refreshed...

Top Rated Comments

Abazigal Avatar
115 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)
115 months ago
Had to turn down the sound when the metal on metal scratching began.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
115 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)
115 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
115 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)
filmantopia Avatar
115 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)