Early iPhone 12 Tests Show Ceramic Shield is Stronger and More Scratch Resistant Than iPhone 11 Glass - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Early iPhone 12 Tests Show Ceramic Shield is Stronger and More Scratch Resistant Than iPhone 11 Glass

by

Apple's new iPhone 12 models are protected by a Ceramic Shield cover glass that has nano-ceramic crystals infused right into the glass to improve durability. According to Apple, Ceramic Shield offers four times better drop protection than the glass used for the iPhone 11 models.

YouTube channel MobileReviewsEh conducted some tests on the iPhone 12 using a force meter to compare its performance to the iPhone 11.


With a force meter that measures in newtons, the iPhone 11 was able to withstand 352 newtons of force, while the iPhone 12 was able to withstand 442 newtons of force. The Ceramic Shield of the iPhone 12 significantly outperformed the iPhone 11's cover glass.

In a separate scratch test, the iPhone 12 was able to withstand scratching from keys, coins, rocks, and a box cutter, receiving no scratches on the display.

With a Mohs hardness test, the 6 and 7 points were able to leave scratches on the iPhone 11, while the iPhone 12 stood up to the 6 point and saw some faint scratches with the 7 point. The 8 point left significant scratches on both. For reference, the 8 point is also able to scratch the sapphire lens of the iPhone.

The edges weren't particularly durable, and the back glass of the iPhone 12 appeared to scratch as easily as the back glass of the iPhone 11. From MobileReviewsEh:

This Ceramic Shield is definitely tougher on the iPhone 12s. Quite a bit, over 100 newtons. It took a lot of effort to break this screen. The remainder of the iPhone in terms of scratch protection is similar to the iPhone 11. Screen is a little more scratch resistant.

Now that iPhone 12 and 12 Pro models are out in the wild, we should be seeing additional drop and durability tests in the coming days that will give us a better idea of how the Ceramic Shield compares to the glass of earlier iPhones.

Keep in mind that these kinds of force tests and drop tests are not always going to see the same results, and can vary based on where a force meter is applied or the angle that an iPhone happens to fall at, so it's always best to use caution with with devices made of glass, Ceramic Shield or no Ceramic Shield.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Dynamic Island iPhone 18 Pro Feature

11 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 18 Pro

Monday May 11, 2026 9:01 am PDT by
We're only four months out from the launch of Apple's premium next-generation smartphone lineup, and while we're not expecting a sea change in terms of functionality, there are still several enhancements rumored to be coming to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth noting is that Apple is reportedly planning a major change to its iPhone release cycle this year, adopting a...
Read Full Article • 35 comments
iOS 26

iOS 26.5 Features: Everything New in iOS 26.5

Monday May 11, 2026 5:09 pm PDT by
Apple released iOS 26.5 after a few months of beta testing, and while it doesn't have the Siri features we were hoping for since those are being held until iOS 27, there are a handful of useful changes worth knowing about. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. End-to-End Encryption for RCS Support for end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS messages between iPhone and...
Read Full Article • 62 comments
General Apps Reddit Feature

Reddit Starts Blocking Mobile Website, Pushing Users to App Instead

Monday May 11, 2026 6:10 am PDT by
Social network Reddit recently began blocking mobile visitors to its website while pushing them to download the official Reddit app, and it's fair to say that the move is not going down well with users. If you visit reddit.com on your iPhone today, you may see a new popup that can't be dismissed, asking you to "get the app to keep using Reddit." A Reddit spokesperson told Ars Technica...
Read Full Article • 125 comments

Top Rated Comments

4
44267547
73 months ago

The real test is the drop test.
To me, ‘drop tests’ really doesn’t prove anything. Because there’s so many variables when you actually drop a phone, like the surface type the phone lands on, the angle in which the phone lands, from what height, etc. Just because we see a ‘YouTube test’ of a drop, really isn’t indicative of everybody else’s experience how they drop their phone and if it was used in a case or not.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
J
Jakewilk
73 months ago
Scratches at a level 7 with deeper grooves at a level 8??
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
easy4lif Avatar
easy4lif
73 months ago
not gonna lie, the ceramic shield is pretty impressive.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngerDanger Avatar
AngerDanger
73 months ago
Just realized the iP12 in the thumbnail appears to have a screen protector on it while the iPhone in the video does not.

I'm not trying imply that there's something suspicious going on; it just seemed like an odd detail.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
D
Deinocheirus
73 months ago

Yeah I’d still go for a screen protector. I tend to use my phones for over 2 years and I’m sure with it being mixed in my pocket with change and keys at times it would eventually leave micro scratches. When I resell my phones they’re almost always pristine as I case and screen protect right after unboxing.
Cant imagine living for 2 years with a screen protector for that reason.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
K
kcslc
73 months ago
the jerryrigeverything guy won’t be able to say, “glass is glass” or “glass being glass, still scratched at a 6, with deeper grooves at a level 7.”
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments