Device insurer Allstate Protection Plans annually pits the latest iPhone in drop and dunk tests against other top-end smartphones, and this year is no exception. Allstate today shared the results of its drop and dunk tests for the iPhone 15 Pro Max, along with other manufacturers’ top-end smartphones.
Allstate’s drop and dunk tests pitted Apple’s $1,200 iPhone 15 Pro Max against three other devices, Samsung’s $1,200 Galaxy S23 Ultra, its $1,799 Galaxy Z Fold 5, and the $1,799 Google Pixel Fold. All four handsets are constructed from glass and are the most expensive smartphones available from Apple, Google, and Samsung.
All of the smartphones fared well in Allstate’s dunk test, which involves dunking each smartphone in water for 30 minutes. All of the smartphones boast good water resistance ratings, so they all survived the dunk test, with all of the handsets operating properly after taking the no-Nestea plunge.
It was a different story when it came to the drop test. as glass and concrete sidewalks are not compatible. Allstate testers drop the devices onto a sidewalk from six feet, using an apparatus to drop them from exactly the same height and angle.
None of the devices came away from the drop test unscathed.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max fared as well as you might imagine in the front screen-down drop test, with the glass shattering on the first drop, rendering it unusable, thanks to the shards of loose and raised glass. The Galaxy S23 test results were close to identical.
The Z Fold5 and the Google Pixel Fold both stood up to two screen-down drops, although they did come away from the test with screen dents, scuffing, and frame damage. Allstate says the raised lip around the interior edge of each display helped prevent worse damage. (Screen down is defined as the main screen that is visible when the devices are opened.) However, it was a different story when the two foldable devices were dropped on their closed outer displays, as both devices shattered.
In the backside-down drop tests, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and the iPhone 15 Pro Max both shattered. Although the iPhone 15 Pro Max continued to be functional, two of its cameras no longer worked, due to camera glass damage suffered at impact.
Although Apple has improved the strength of its iPhone glass over the years – this year’s Pro Max uses a stronger back glass and a “Ceramic Shield” on the front glass – glass is breakable and will suffer damage in a fall from a high enough height onto a hard surface.
While Allstate Protection Plans conducts its tests using the same variables, the element of unpredictability in testing means that tests like this don’t always reflect real-world results.
If you want to protect your iPhone 15 Pro Max (or any other iPhone model) from damage from being dropped on a hard surface, I strongly recommend that you use a highly protective case designed to protect against drop-related damage. It’s also a good idea to get AppleCare+ coverage for your iPhone, whether or not you use a case, as AppleCare+ covers two incidents of accidental damage each year, with only a $29 deductible.