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SquareTrade Says iPhone X is 'Most Breakable iPhone Ever' as Glass Shatters in Series of Drop Tests
Apple says the iPhone X has the most durable glass ever used in a smartphone, with a strengthening layer that is 50 percent deeper, but a series of drop tests show that glass and concrete still don't play well together.
SquareTrade, a company that provides extended warranties for electronic devices, conducted several breakability tests on the iPhone X, and found that its glass back and lack of a home button make it "the most breakable iPhone ever."
Not only did the iPhone X's glass shatter when dropped on its front and back from a height of six feet, but the display also malfunctioned. Keep in mind that pocket height for most people is about three feet.
SquareTrade is naturally using the opportunity to push its two-year smartphone protection plan, which was recently reduced to $129 plus a $99 deductible for most claims, in the United States.
The plan covers cracked screens, liquid damage, battery failure, Lightning connector failure, and speaker failure. It doesn't cover loss or theft.
SquareTrade customers now have an in-home repair option with a lower $25 deductible to fix cracked screens. The service is currently available in more than 700 cities across the United States, with new cities added monthly.
A few YouTube channels also tested the iPhone X in extreme conditions to determine how durable and water resistant the device is.
EverythingApplePro placed the iPhone X in a 20-foot tube of water for 35 minutes without any signs of liquid damage occurring. He also put the iPhone X into a running washing machine, and the device still remained functional.
JerryRigEverything scratched the iPhone X with a utility knife, including the cameras, stainless steel frame, and rear Apple logo. He also tried to bend the device, without much success, and burn the display with a lighter.
While breakability tests are generally unscientific, the videos reveal that even the most durable glass in a smartphone isn't shatterproof.
Apple recently confirmed it will charge out-of-warranty rates of $279 for iPhone X screen repairs, and $549 for any other damage to the device, unless it is a manufacturing defect covered by Apple's standard one-year limited warranty.
There's also AppleCare+, an optional, premium warranty plan that extends an iPhone's warranty coverage to two years from the original purchase date of the device, and adds up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage.
With AppleCare+ for iPhone X, the price of a repair would be the $199 upfront cost of the plan plus a $29 or $99 incidental fee.
If you shatter your iPhone X's screen once, for example, you would pay $279 out of warranty. With the upfront cost of AppleCare+ coupled with the screen repair incidental fee, you would pay $228.
If you shatter your iPhone X's back glass, having AppleCare+ is even more worthwhile. Apple's flat rate is $549 for this type of damage, while the upfront cost of AppleCare+ coupled with a $99 incidental fee totals $298.
All prices above are listed in U.S. dollars. AppleCare+ and Apple's out-of-warranty repair fees vary in other countries.
SquareTrade conducted breakability tests for the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus a few months ago with similar results. Both of the glass-bodied models shattered on all sides in every single drop test, including front and back drops at a distance of six feet, a 22-foot shot drop test, and a tumble test.
SquareTrade, a company that provides extended warranties for electronic devices, conducted several breakability tests on the iPhone X, and found that its glass back and lack of a home button make it "the most breakable iPhone ever."
Not only did the iPhone X's glass shatter when dropped on its front and back from a height of six feet, but the display also malfunctioned. Keep in mind that pocket height for most people is about three feet.
SquareTrade is naturally using the opportunity to push its two-year smartphone protection plan, which was recently reduced to $129 plus a $99 deductible for most claims, in the United States.
The plan covers cracked screens, liquid damage, battery failure, Lightning connector failure, and speaker failure. It doesn't cover loss or theft.
SquareTrade customers now have an in-home repair option with a lower $25 deductible to fix cracked screens. The service is currently available in more than 700 cities across the United States, with new cities added monthly.
A few YouTube channels also tested the iPhone X in extreme conditions to determine how durable and water resistant the device is.
EverythingApplePro placed the iPhone X in a 20-foot tube of water for 35 minutes without any signs of liquid damage occurring. He also put the iPhone X into a running washing machine, and the device still remained functional.
JerryRigEverything scratched the iPhone X with a utility knife, including the cameras, stainless steel frame, and rear Apple logo. He also tried to bend the device, without much success, and burn the display with a lighter.
While breakability tests are generally unscientific, the videos reveal that even the most durable glass in a smartphone isn't shatterproof.
Apple recently confirmed it will charge out-of-warranty rates of $279 for iPhone X screen repairs, and $549 for any other damage to the device, unless it is a manufacturing defect covered by Apple's standard one-year limited warranty.
There's also AppleCare+, an optional, premium warranty plan that extends an iPhone's warranty coverage to two years from the original purchase date of the device, and adds up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage.
With AppleCare+ for iPhone X, the price of a repair would be the $199 upfront cost of the plan plus a $29 or $99 incidental fee.
If you shatter your iPhone X's screen once, for example, you would pay $279 out of warranty. With the upfront cost of AppleCare+ coupled with the screen repair incidental fee, you would pay $228.
If you shatter your iPhone X's back glass, having AppleCare+ is even more worthwhile. Apple's flat rate is $549 for this type of damage, while the upfront cost of AppleCare+ coupled with a $99 incidental fee totals $298.
All prices above are listed in U.S. dollars. AppleCare+ and Apple's out-of-warranty repair fees vary in other countries.
SquareTrade conducted breakability tests for the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus a few months ago with similar results. Both of the glass-bodied models shattered on all sides in every single drop test, including front and back drops at a distance of six feet, a 22-foot shot drop test, and a tumble test.
Related Roundup: iPhone X
Tag: SquareTrade
[ 201 comments ]
Top Rated Comments
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23 months ago
Is it a surprise to anyone that an electronics warranty company wants you to think your new phone will break just by breathing on it?
Of course it isn't as durable being made of glass, but Squaretrade will always make you feel like it's less durable than it really is.
Of course it isn't as durable being made of glass, but Squaretrade will always make you feel like it's less durable than it really is.
23 months ago
This article is a biased hit piece, nobody drops their phone from 6 feet — not even Shaq! For the average user, a six foot drop means holding your phone ABOVE YOUR HEAD and dropping it! WTF!!!
For an encore they are going to drop the X out of an airplane?
For an encore they are going to drop the X out of an airplane?
23 months ago
Lmaooo these stories kill me!
“Glass on the iPhone X can break.”
“Face ID can be fooled by an identical twin... Sometimes.”
“The notch actually isn’t as horrible as we all once thought.”
“Smudges can occur on the front AND back of this iPhone.”
Give me a damn break. All this nitpicking is sickening.
“Glass on the iPhone X can break.”
“Face ID can be fooled by an identical twin... Sometimes.”
“The notch actually isn’t as horrible as we all once thought.”
“Smudges can occur on the front AND back of this iPhone.”
Give me a damn break. All this nitpicking is sickening.
23 months ago
Not surprising that a company that sells warranty products, gives a device a low rating. No doubt the X is going to be on the fragile side (kind of obvious with Glass being on both sides), anyone who had an iPhone 4 or 4s has experience with this phenomenon.
Most of the flagship phones struggle with edge drops or full face drops to the ground. Not saying they are more fragile, but I have seen quite a few of the Samsung Edge phones with cracked screens within my group at work. Where only one of them ever cracked a screen on their older devices (S6 and such).
Most of the flagship phones struggle with edge drops or full face drops to the ground. Not saying they are more fragile, but I have seen quite a few of the Samsung Edge phones with cracked screens within my group at work. Where only one of them ever cracked a screen on their older devices (S6 and such).
23 months ago
And this is contrary to people on Youtube actually showing the drops and not breaking; or taking quite a lot to break it.
The X seems a bit MORE shatter resistant than then 6/7/8 (which makes sense with its new stronger glass and using steel instead of aluminum which absorbs impact differently)
Shocker, a warranty company with no evidence shown other than cut footage wants to sell you their plans saying how fragile it is....
And who the hell drops their phone from 6 feet to begin with? Even if you were Shaq that's still at neck level; for most Id guess most drops are roughly 3 feet max (regular standing holding the phone, sitting in lap, or desk height)
The X seems a bit MORE shatter resistant than then 6/7/8 (which makes sense with its new stronger glass and using steel instead of aluminum which absorbs impact differently)
Shocker, a warranty company with no evidence shown other than cut footage wants to sell you their plans saying how fragile it is....
And who the hell drops their phone from 6 feet to begin with? Even if you were Shaq that's still at neck level; for most Id guess most drops are roughly 3 feet max (regular standing holding the phone, sitting in lap, or desk height)
23 months ago
Omg. It’s full of glass. Of course it will break. Is this actually news.
While I had the same reaction at first, I think it's more about how the glass is even more likely to shatter on the X opposed to any other iPhone, and how people who may not have gotten insurance because Apple claimed it was the hardest glass ever.
23 months ago
Some Options:
0. Don’t drop the $1K iPhone
1. Buy a case
2. Buy another phone
3. Don’t care and enjoy your iPhone X
4. Whine about it until the kingdom come (i.e. keep on reading other folks in this thread)
0. Don’t drop the $1K iPhone
1. Buy a case
2. Buy another phone
3. Don’t care and enjoy your iPhone X
4. Whine about it until the kingdom come (i.e. keep on reading other folks in this thread)
23 months ago
You know, I like the drop tests, and the totally realistic sledge hammer and knife tests, as you know, I'm stabbing an onion, as my iphone surreptitiously jumps out of my pocket, or I'm busy sledge hammering a nail into the floor, and my iPhone creeps up and presents itself in the path of the hammer.
But the most realistic test is when I'm blending with the lid off (c'mon, we all do that) and the iPhone jumps into it, while I'm blending.
Edit: I edited for grammar and spelling (jumsps, my precious ummm... to jumps...)
But the most realistic test is when I'm blending with the lid off (c'mon, we all do that) and the iPhone jumps into it, while I'm blending.
Edit: I edited for grammar and spelling (jumsps, my precious ummm... to jumps...)
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