Latest iPhone 11 Pro Max drop test puts it in competition with the Galaxy Note 10+

What you need to know

  • Phonebuff has released a new video drop testing the new iPhone 11 Pro Max
  • This video pits the new iPhone against the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+
  • The results vary, depending on the location of impact

There have already been quite a few drop test videos of the iPhone 11 Pro Max by itself, so naturally the next move was to match it up against some competition. Reported by 9to5Mac, that's exactly what Phonebuff has done, pitting the new iPhone against Samsung's equivalent flagship, the Galaxy Note 10+.

The first test drops both phones from a height of around three feet with their backs facing down. The iPhone 11 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ both shatter, but the Galaxy shows less overall damage.

The second test drops both phones to ensure they impact on their sides. In this test, the iPhone performs much better and shows much less overall signs of damage. This can be attributed to the fact that the new iPhone 11 Pro models feature a stainless steel enclosure, while Samsung's Galaxy Note 10+ only has aluminum sides. The benefits of this stronger metal is evident in this test, and reinforces Apple's focus into making this a "Pro" iPhone that can take a beating.

The last test drops both phones on their screens, and here the Galaxy does much better. While both screens do crack, the iPhone's screen is much more useless after the drop.

CNET has also just released their drop test of the new iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. While not a comparison to another brand's model, it does show that the results of these tests can vary widely.

In CNET's tests, they were able to increase the height of drops up to 11 feet before they were successful in breaking anything, but it ended up being the camera, while the glass still remained unshattered.

CNET reached out to Apple about the glass and they released the following statement:

iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro both are made from the toughest glass ever shipped in the smartphone industry on the front and back. iPhone 11 features an aerospace-grade aluminum band and iPhone 11 Pro features a stainless steel structural band. All go through rigorous real-world testing and are designed to be durable, but not indestructible. If anyone is concerned about dropping their iPhone and damaging it, we suggest using one of the many beautiful cases available to protect iPhone.

More drop test videos are sure to keep coming, so expect to keep seeing varying results across different types of drops, what the phones are being dropped on, and what phones the iPhone is being compared to. Regardless, it is clear that every year companies figure out how to make the glass on our phones a little stronger. However, until that magical day comes where the glass is virtually unbreakable, you're always risking a crack or a shattered screen if you go without a case.

Joe Wituschek
Contributor

Joe Wituschek is a Contributor at iMore. With over ten years in the technology industry, one of them being at Apple, Joe now covers the company for the website. In addition to covering breaking news, Joe also writes editorials and reviews for a range of products. He fell in love with Apple products when he got an iPod nano for Christmas almost twenty years ago. Despite being considered a "heavy" user, he has always preferred the consumer-focused products like the MacBook Air, iPad mini, and iPhone 13 mini. He will fight to the death to keep a mini iPhone in the lineup. In his free time, Joe enjoys video games, movies, photography, running, and basically everything outdoors.