Home
News
You are here

iPhone 15 Pro Max miserably fails durability test

By Anam Hamid

Published: Sep 23, 2023, 12:20 PM

9comments

iOS Apple

We may earn a commission if you make a purchase from the links on this page.

iPhone 15 Pro Max miserably fails durability test

The new iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max feature titanium sides and theoretically, this should make the phones more durable than their predecessors, which are made of stainless steel. Since the iPhone 15 Pro hasn't been out too long, it's too soon to make any definite comments regarding the durability of the phone but early reports are not very promising.

Recently, a series of drop tests carried out in Australia suggested that the iPhone 14 Pro is far more robust than the iPhone 15 Pro and now Zack Nelson has posted a video on his JerryRigEverything YouTube channel which indicates that the iPhone 15 Pro Max should be handled with care.

The phone's display is highly resistant to scratches, only showing visible marks at Mohs level 7. The titanium frame is scratchable but the back is not. The camera lenses are also very resilient to scratches.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max has titanium bands but the internal structure is made from aluminum. Apple used a thermo-mechanical process to weld the two metals together. The phone's back glass is removable, which should help with repairability.

When Nelson bent the phone, the back glass cracked almost immediately. This was shocking because most phones, especially iPhones, hold up better than this in bend tests. He theorizes that the back glass cracked easily either because titanium has more tensile strength than aluminum or because it's not as elastic as aluminum, so the glass gets all the pressure.

Another possibility is that since the glass is modular, it's now easier to break, as it's no longer affixed to the back of the phone. The only silver lining here is that the back glass is now cheaper to repair than before.

Aside from the back glass getting shattered, nothing major had happened to the iPhone 15 Pro by the end of the torture test and it kept working perfectly fine.

iPhone 15 Pro: get with AT&T at Walmart for $23.59/mo

You can order the iPhone 15 Pro at Walmart with an AT&T plan for $23.59/mo over 36 months. That saves you $200 in total.

$200 off (19%)

$849 ²⁴

$1049

Buy at Walmart

iPhone 15 Pro Max: get with AT&T at Walmart for $29.14/mo

The iPhone 15 Pro Max is also available with an AT&T plan at Walmart. This fella sells for $29.14/mo over 36 months, saving you $200.

$200 off (16%)

$1049 ⁰⁴

$1249

Buy at Walmart

View Full Bio

Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.