iPhone 6s Beats Samsung Galaxy S7 In Drop Test, But Don’t Dunk It Underwater

The Samsung Galaxy S7 may be water-resistant, but don’t drop it on a hard surface. A new report from SquareTrade Labs released Monday shows the iPhone 6s lasts far better in drop tests. The 6s Plus, though, was not so lucky.

The four devices were tested in the “TumbleBot,” a machine that drops devices for 30 seconds at 50 spins per minute. The 6s Plus screen totally shattered, but the 6s came out without a scratch. Both the S7 and S7 edge came out with major back- panel damage and small cracks on the front.

The S7 and S7 edge, which launched last Friday after record breaking pre-order rates, don’t take kindly to being dropped on the sidewalk either. The S7 screen didn't survive even one drop face down, while the S7 edge shattered after two face-down drops.

While the S7 and S7 edge may be water-resistant, don’t hold them underwater for too long — the test showed that the phone audio was permanently muffled after 30 minutes under about five feet of water, but it otherwise continued to work. That’s better than the 6s and 6s Plus though - the former came out with a broken screen and speaker, while the latter stopped working completely after 24 minutes underwater.

It may not be much of a surprise that the iPhones didn’t last as long underwater. The S7 and S7 edge are water-resistant to IP68 rating — enough to withstand submersion to a maximum five feet for up to an hour. The iPhone has never received a water-resistance rating, but third party tests when the iPhone 6s launched showed the device is surprisingly resilient after exposure to water. Judging by these tests, though, it's probably best not to risk it.

“Samsung’s new phones may hold up to an impressive amount of water, but we’ve found that they still struggle to keep up with the iPhone when it comes to screen durability,” said Aileen Abaya, director of communications at SquareTrade, in a statement. “So while the S7 and S7 edge may be perfect for underwater adventurers, those of us who are clumsy or accident-prone should still be careful about drops and tumbles.”