Hey,

As this was posted last year comparing the Galaxy S2 and S3 against the iPhone 4(S) which led to the Galaxy coming out on top both times I though I would post this years test from the guys at Android Authority http://www.androidauthority.com/ipho...p-test-116898/

Seems Apple have definitely increased the durability of the device by going with an aluminium back and a tougher screen.

Gormond

i can't watch people throwing expensive tech on the floor

lol no, although it does give me a reason to use a case!

Good thing they got rid of the glass back. YouTube is going to full of these videos in coming days I reckon. In a blender. In a microwave. Trodden on by an elephant. Dragged behind a pickup etc. etc. Some people have too much time on their hands

On reflection making a phone out of glass was never that smart.

iFixit has also gave them an extra mark which also confirms there is no retrograde recycling design this time round.

It always kinda crazy when that big phone beat the small phone.

The reduced weight of the iPhone 5 will also help greatly with surviving the dreaded drop.

The microwave man Dovetastic has also got his hands on the iphone 5 and will be microwaving it tonight so the video should be up on youtube tomorrow our time.

I microwaved my phone once so I could get it replaced under warranty! I put it in whist it was powered up and put the microwave on. There was an immediate flash and pop.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCx5_K_21_k

And look how much it went for on Ebay to

http://www.ebay.com/itm/-/1509068118...1837&ViewItem=

How so?

A bigger phone will create more drag and thus fall slightly slower than a smaller phone, the size should make very little difference.

Possibly so though longer items can always be bent easier.

We are only very slowing coming out of distortion field hype of 1mm gorilla type glass.

Love the video comments from the anti-anything-Apple brigade about how unfair and biased it was. Ironic considering it was done by an Android-centric website.

I guess it does show the relative differences between a metal and plastic casing. Plastic has its benefits in that it flexes more which means for small impacts, it can 'bounce' back into position with no damage, whereas metal would dent. However, when the impact gets higher, the plastic flexes to a point where the rigid glass has to absorb more of the shock, whereas a metal surrounding would still remain rigid thereby reducing the possibility of the glass taking a direct impact.

So maybe the S3 is better for small drops, but the iP5 is better for more severe drops?

You're correct to point out that the effect of different shapes falling in air does make a difference to the rate at which they fall. Contrary to popular misconception all objects fall at the same rate where there is no air resistance. For example, when dropped in a vacuum, an elephant and a feather will strike the ground at the same time.

However the important factor here is the way an object's mass and/or the actual speed with which the object travels through the air affects the force with which it hits the ground (f=ma). If the iphone 5 weighs more, there will be a proportional increase in the force with which it hits the ground. Conversely the extra drag on the bigger object will reduce it's rate of fall and decrease the force with which it hits the ground.

That said, the drag on a phone an inch wider, in a drop from a few feet and a diffference in weight of a few grams is unlkely to be the critical factor in the durability of a a phone.

The iphone 4s was obviously a bit dodgy when dropped hardly going to be the case with the 5 is it. I have dropped several of my phones even flung my note clear across the room without them breaking, however if you drop any phone on concrete I wouldn't bet my life on any phone coming out unscathed every time regardless of make, simple as thet

That is the point I would always make (I include scratching in that). Until the manufacture offers a guarantee against drops/scratches then these results mean nothing.

New test from iFixit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSFKVq36Hgc

Seems while replacing the glass with aluminium has made it more resistant to breakage, it has made it less resistant to scratches. No doubt there'll be lots of whinging about that. Damned if they do, damned if they don't.

Its always been like that though!

When i got my 4S i removed it from the box, placed it on my glass coffee table and it scratched the back!

Although millions of people have not had the same problem.

But millions have.

Whats your point?

Millions have Really?

My point is that you keep stating that the iphone has a major problem with scratches and use your example.

When I asked my friends (who have iphones) about this apparent problem, they looked at me confused and didn't know what I was talking about.

I think taking your example and claiming that is the norm is misleading.

Millions haven't Really?

So i cant use my example, but you can use your pals and that's ok?!!

Everyone i know who has iphones has mystery scratches which happened on day one. With the new 5 it appears it scratches just opening the box!

I think you should do some googling.

Yes, of course it did. Every problem that anyone has ever had with an iPhone, you've had it. You are the unluckiest iPhone user in the history of mankind!

Funny, because when you first mentioned it I did do some googling. I looked at other forums which are dedicated to the iphone and there are some that covers scratches on the back glass. The average number of responses are around the 20 to 50 in number. That (simple) investigation along with asking people I know and trust tells me that the problem is not massive and definitely not to the scale (millions) that you talk about.

Ah! I wondered when you would rear your ugly head to defend everything apple!!

Yeah, maybe i was! Or maybe closer to the truth is just that apple products, as this new iphone 5 is showing again, aren't as good as apple nuts are making out? Did that ever occur to you?

I didn't think so!