Drop Tests Show iPhone 8 Glass Back Is Too Fragile, Proved Apple Exaggerated

As if there was any doubt, drop tests recently confirmed what everyone knew from the start; the glass casing of the iPhone 8 is incredibly fragile. This was already obvious to anyone who saw the unveiling of the smartphone during the recently concluded Apple event. It’s not even as if the company didn’t already know this as the iPhone 4 proved that glass backs are a terrible idea.

All iPhones since the iPhone 5 have had aluminum cases and for good reason. They are reasonably lightweight, are durable enough for everyday use, and are also inexpensive. With the iPhone 8, users will now have to worry about the backs of their phones shattering along with the screens, Business Insider points out.

The Cupertino firm tried to assure customers during the iPhone 8’s announcement that the glass backs are the most durable type used on mobile devices. Several people put this claim to the test, which the phone failed in spectacular fashion.

One video of a test conducted by the company Square Trade showed just how fragile the glass backs were. Both the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus could not withstand a being dropped from a height of 6 feet nor could they survive being thrown some distance. To be fair, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 was also tested and failed, but the damage was significantly less pronounced.

More people conducted their own tests of the iPhone 8’s glass case and pretty much all of them came away with the conclusion that Apple did not deliver on its promises. As a result, Square Trade gave the iPhone 8 a 67 in breakability score while the iPhone 8 Plus got a 74. The Note 8 got an 80, which is huge in terms of showing just how superior the Samsung unit is in this regard.