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Glass-Bodied iPhone 8 Shatters Repeatedly in Drop Tests

According to Apple, the glass used for its new iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 devices is the most durable glass ever used in a smartphone, but that hasn't helped the device resist shattering in a series of drop tests.





SquareTrade, a company that provides extended warranties for electronic devices, conducted drop tests on the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and, for comparative purposes, the Galaxy Note 8, which also has a glass body.





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Both of the iPhone 8 models and the Galaxy Note 8 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. Each test was conducted using the same equipment.





Ultimately, Square Trade gave the iPhone 8 a breakability score of 67, the iPhone 8 Plus a breakability score of 74, and the Galaxy Note 8 a breakability score of 80. At 67 and 74, iPhone 8 and 8 Plus are at "medium risk" of breakage from a drop, while the Galaxy Note 8 is at "high risk." The Galaxy Note 8 fared worse because it was non-functional after some of the tests, while the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus remained usable despite the broken glass.





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YouTuber JerryRigEverything also did a drop test on the iPhone 8 in a case and without a case. It survived a drop from knee height and was okay after one fall from waist height because it landed on the aluminum frame, but the glass broke after a second waist-high drop. The iPhone 8 in a case unsurprisingly fared better.





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Another YouTube drop test that compared the iPhone 8 Plus to the iPhone 7 Plus, and the iPhone 8 Plus shattered on the first drop. The iPhone 7 Plus survived a drop on its back, of course, as it has an aluminum body.





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Drop tests are never scientific and are not a reliable measure of durability because of the many variables involved when a device is dropped, but it's clear that even with the most durable glass used in a smartphone, the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are more prone to catastrophic breakage than previous-generation iPhones.





While both sides of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are now made of glass, the display and the body don't appear to share (https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/9/22/16350422/iphone-8-plus-glass-back-repair-cost-applecare) the same repair costs, so if you drop it on the wrong side, it's going to be an expensive fix.





With AppleCare+ (https://www.apple.com/support/products/iphone.html), Apple charges $29 for replacement for a broken display, but a broken glass body is subject to the $99 "other damage" repair fee rather than the screen replacement fee. Sans AppleCare+ (https://support.apple.com/iphone/repair/service/pricing), a display repair for the iPhone 8 costs $149 and an "other damage" repair costs $349. iPhone 8 Plus repairs are even more expensive at $169 for the display and $399 for the body.





Apple is also charging more for its AppleCare+ plans this year, with AppleCare+ for iPhone 8 priced at $129 (https://www.apple.com/shop/product/S6357LL/A/applecare-for-iphone-8-iphone-7-and-iphone-6s) and AppleCare+ for iPhone 8 Plus priced at $149 (https://www.apple.com/shop/product/S6362LL/A/applecare-for-iphone-8-plus-iphone-7-plus-and-iphone-6s-plus). AppleCare+ covers two incidents of accidental damage.

<div class="linkback">Related Roundup: iPhone 8 (https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/iphone-8/)
Buyer's Guide: iPhone (Buy Now) (https://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#iPhone) </div>
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Source: Glass-Bodied iPhone 8 Shatters Repeatedly in Drop Tests (https://www.macrumors.com/2017/09/25/iphone-8-shatters-in-drop-tests/)