The 15 Pro and Pro Max are now hailed as the “strongest” iPhones ever, as they are the first of their line to step up to “Grade 5” titanium in their frames. However, their well-touted toughness compared to their stainless steel forebears has come into question thanks to some initial tests of their durability. They suggest that the fancy new frames, together with some other new design tweaks, might actually make the new top-end iPhones more susceptible to damage.
Apple claims to have taken a considerable leap forward in terms of device weight and handling experience with the 15 Pro and Pro Max by conferring a new internal aluminum plate and slight bevelling on their new frames, which are of course now titanium alloy rather than stainless steel as with the 14 Pro series.
While JerryRigEverything host Zach Nelson claims to have verified the presence of the “Grade 5” metal (about US$30 of it per device, apparently) by preparing a cross-section of the new frame for us all on YouTube, its allegedly improved robustness may now be in doubt.
A growing list of vloggers, MobileReviewsEh included, seemed to demonstrate that the iPhone 15 Pro was no less likely to become scuffed, scratched or cracked from even the start of an exhaustive drop test compared to the previous generation.
One extreme case in which AppleTrack’s Sam Kohl became determined to kill both a 15 Pro and a 14 Pro on Sydney, Australia’s cobbles resulted in findings the newer model was the first to die outright. Furthermore, it lost its rear camera glass into the bargain, prompting Kohl to condemn it as “not the durable titanium phone that I was promised“.
Meanwhile, JerryRigEverything also demonstrated that the 15 Pro Max’ rear panel cracked easier than a Motorola Razr Plus cover display in response to a bend test – then again, that of the smaller 15 Pro did not.
Accordingly, it is just possible that Apple’s new durability-focused design tweaks are not working out as planned; then again, MobileReviewsEh concluded that the 15 Pro might be the more resilient iPhone in some cases: ‘accidentally’ hitting it with a kettle-bell (and vice versa) several times over, for example.
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Deirdre O Donnell – Senior Tech Writer – 6731 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2018
I became a professional writer and editor shortly after graduation. My degrees are in biomedical sciences; however, they led to some experience in the biotech area, which convinced me of its potential to revolutionize our health, environment and lives in general. This developed into an all-consuming interest in more aspects of tech over time: I can never write enough on the latest electronics, gadgets and innovations. My other interests include imaging, astronomy, and streaming all the things. Oh, and coffee.
Deirdre O’Donnell, 2023-09-24 (Update: 2023-09-24)
…. to be continued
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