Drop test proves Apple should avoid an ‘all-glass’ iPhone 8

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iPhone-6s-Galaxy-S7-drop-test
Aluminum wins!
Photo: PhoneBuff

Apple might want to avoid that “all-glass” design it is supposedly working on for the iPhone 8. A new drop test, which puts the iPhone 6s up against the Galaxy S7, proves aluminum is a far better choice for our smartphones.

Apple is said to be working on something special for the iPhone’s tenth anniversary in 2017. Not only could we finally get OLED displays, but according to reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, we’ll get an all-new design made almost entirely out of glass, too.

Some reports even say that glass will be curved — much like that on the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. But while this might look pretty, and has some advantages — like better wireless charging — it also means Samsung’s devices are much more fragile.

In the drop test below from PhoneBuff, the iPhone 6s goes up against the Galaxy S7 in a series of drop tests. As you might expect, the iPhone’s aluminum unibody is able to withstand a heck of a lot more than the Galaxy S7’s super slippery glass.

The Galaxy S7 actually fell at the first hurdle, while the iPhone 6s lives on — even after its display is shattered.

As you can see in PhoneBuff’s ranking at the end of the video, the four strongest smartphones — HTC 10, iPhone 6s, One M9, and iPhone 6 — are all made out of metal.

That glass iPhone 8 doesn’t sound like such a good idea now, does it? But maybe Apple has something special up its sleeve — like a new breed of glass designed by Jony Ive to be incredibly strong. Or maybe it will melt down some Bondi Blue iMacs and use sturdy plastic instead?

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