Apple iPhone Air survives extreme durability testing — video

The iPhone Air, Apple's thinnest smartphone at 5.6 mm thick, passed JerryRigEverything's rigorous tests. Despite initial doubts, the device could not be bent by hand, and the test results were better than expected.

This was reported by JerryRigEverything channel on YouTube.

How tough is the iPhone Air?

Before the bend test, the blogger traditionally conducted a series of tests to assess the basic stability of the case and glass:

• Display scratches — the declared Ceramic Shield 2 showed significantly higher hardness than last year: on the Mohs scale, traces are practically absent at level 6 and barely noticeable at level 7. At the same time, glass is still glass — there is no complete invulnerability.
• The polished titanium sides are scratched with a regular blade. The buttons, on the other hand, turned out to be strong and could not be removed during attempts, unlike with other thin models.
• Fire — after exposure to the flame of a lighter, there were no traces on the screen, and the oleophobic coating was not damaged.

The main issue is the bending of the case. The smartphone remained intact on the front and back. When force was applied, the case curved slightly and then returned to its original shape due to the rigidity of the titanium.

To obtain an objective measurement of the destruction, the author used a lifting mechanism with a dynamometer. The critical load was 216 lb (ca. 98 kilogram). At this point, the frame bent, and the front glass cracked below the volume button. The back panel remained intact.

Therefore, it's nearly impossible to bend an iPhone Air in everyday scenarios. Controlled deformation occurred only under a load of 216 lb (ca. 98 kilogram) without damaging the rear glass. Overall, the stability of such a thin case is high.

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