I tested how slippery those flagships are! Did I break any? iPhone 13 Pro vs. Pixel 6 Pro vs. Galaxy S21 Ultra

If you're a regular PhoneArena reader you may be familiar with our extensive smartphone reviews and comparisons, but there's one thing about smartphones that we (and likely – you) don't really consider often, and that's slipperiness.

Sure, most often your phone is likely sitting securely in your pocket, but eventually you'll end up placing it on a table, chair, on your own thighs while sitting down, and the last thing you'll want is for the magical rectangle to suddenly slip off and hit the ground.

So today we're taking three popular flagship phones – the iPhone 13 Pro, Pixel 6 Pro and Galaxy S21 Ultra – and testing to see how slippery they can be in different conditions.

Are you often finding yourself in coffee shops with glass tables, or wooden ones? Will your new flagship try to run away if you place it on one? We have the answers! Without further ado...

Apple iPhone 13 Pro isn't as slippery as it looks

The iPhone 13 Pro has a textured matte glass back, meaning it's nice and smooth to the touch, yet it doesn't collect fingerprints like the average glossy-back phone would.

Yet despite feeling smooth, the iPhone 13 Pro doesn't seem to slide that much off most surfaces, unless they're really slanted. The iPhone's huge camera bump actually seems to be helping it stay in one place.

But to be safe, always keep an eye on it if you need to place it on a thigh, because slowly but surely, it might start gliding.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra stays put

The S21 Ultra has a matte glass back, which feels even smoother than the iPhone, yet it slides much less. In fact, in our experience, it slides off only during the most difficult test – when on a glass surface.

Once again, the huge camera bump we're dealing with here could be helping this smartphone stay securely put on most surfaces.

Google Pixel 6 Pro is dying to slip away

Unlike the other two phones, the back of the Pixel 6 Pro is made out of glossy (and fingerprint-collecting) glass, as opposed to matte glass. And this phone is quick to slide off most slanted surfaces, except oddly enough – glass itself.

Where the previous two phones fail the Pixel 6 Pro stays oddly put, and yet again, the camera bump seems to be helping a lot, except if the camera bump is directly parallel to the slant, in which case it actually makes things worse and the phone starts sliding like a figure skater on pretty much any surface.

Consider getting a case for extra protection and less slippage

Many people are willing to cover the (normally) premium glass and metal design of their smartphone with something like a plastic case, so long as that case comes with a promise of apt protection from daily wear and tear.

And although getting a case might feel like a compromise to some, aside from protecting your phone from scratches, it might even save it from the occasional accidental drop. In addition, impact protection aside, many cases are grippy and less likely to slide off the table as smooth glass or plastic will.

So if you can't trust your new flagship to stay put, consider getting a case for it:

• Best iPhone 13 cases
• Best Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra cases
• Best Pixel 6 cases

Note: No flagship smartphones were harmed during this experiment. Don't try this at home!

Ever had a phone slide off and hit the ground? Did it survive?