iPhone X Drop Test Fails Apple's Claim Of ‘Most Durable Glass Ever’

Apple stated that its highly anticipated iPhone X, which the company has dubbed “the future of the smartphone,” comes equipped with the “most durable glass ever in a smartphone.” But drop tests may indicate Apple still has its work cut out for it before users can opt to go case-free.

The phone’s new all-screen display and glass back has it failing even 3-foot drop tests by both critics and users, with the Guardian naming it Tuesday the brand’s most expensive (at a cool $1,000) and “easiest to break” iPhone. The iPhone X’s breakability was most recently put to the test by SquareTrade, a San Francisco-based “warranty service provider.”

Pointing to the phone’s steep price tag and costly repairs (at roughly $549 for most), SquareTrade questioned whether shelling out a grand for Apple’s latest smartphone iteration is worth the risk.

A single side-drop test from a height of 6 feet led to several immediate issues, including scratching, display separation, home swipe failure and OLED screen malfunction. And if the side drop saw problems, a face-down drop from a height of 6 feet included Face ID failure as well as shattered and loose glass. Tumble tests and back-down tests saw similar shattering.

Rating the phone’s breakability score at 90 (high risk), SquareTrade dubbed the smartphone the brand’s “most breakable, highest priced, most expensive to repair iPhone, ever.”

Still, Apple seems to stand by its claim that the iPhone X “marks a new era” for the technology.

“For more than a decade, our intention has been to create an iPhone that is all display. The iPhone X is the realization of that vision,” said Jony Ive, Apple’s chief design officer, in a statement. “With the introduction of iPhone 10 years ago, we revolutionized the mobile phone with Multi-Touch. iPhone X marks a new era for iPhone — one in which the device disappears into the experience.”