Matte black iPhone 7 undergoes brutal scratch, bend test in new video

Posted:
in iPhone edited September 2016
Although it just launched mere hours ago, Apple's latest 4.7-inch iPhone 7 has already been subjected to a brutal durability test that shows the new matte black finish, while fairly resistant to scuffs, is no match for a razor.




YouTube channel JerryRigEverything got its hands on one of the first production iPhone 7 models on Wednesday, and like any good YouTuber promptly unboxed and attempted to destroy it with keys, razors and sheer brute force.

Overall, iPhone 7 faired well in an array of scratch tests designed to simulate everyday use scenarios, for example scuffs from a set of keys. Apple's anodizing process appears robust in most cases, but succumbs to the tip of a utility knife.

On the front, iPhone 7's screen scratched with a mineral test pick equivalent to a level 6 on the Mohs hardness scale, in line with most modern smartphones equipped with the latest Gorilla Glass.

Interestingly, JerryRigEverything claims the rear iSight camera cover is not sapphire. As seen in the video, iPhone's camera cover is unharmed by a common razor blade, but shows deep pitting with a level 6 test pick. That puts the material one level below quartz on the Mohs scale and three below corundum, of which sapphire is a variant.

For its part, Apple's official tech specs webpage clearly state both the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus feature sapphire lens covers.

Perhaps more questionable is JerryRigEverything's claim that the Touch ID home button -- now solid-state -- is covered in glass, not sapphire, as it too scratched with a level 6 pick. Apple is widely known to implement sapphire in its Touch ID stack, a contingency introduced when the fingerprint recognition system debuted on iPhone 5s. Only a material like sapphire is suitable for such a component, as iPhone's home button acts not only handles UI navigation, but also access protection and, with Apple Pay, payments. Inaccurate fingerprint readings from a scratched cover would be considered a major defect.



Like last year's iPhone 6s, the new handset is constructed from 7000 series aluminum, making it nigh unbendable for regular humans. During the bend test, the channel pointed out what it calls "waterproofing adhesive," which appeared to stretch out from the edge of display when it lifted away from the aluminum chassis. Apple is touting IP67 water resistance, but whether the sticky material is indeed a waterproofing agent or simply Apple's usual liquid-based adhesive is unclear.

Today's video offers a fair estimation of what to expect from Apple's latest and greatest smartphone in terms of durability, but we would take the dubious assumptions drawn from JerryRigEverything's Mohs scale testing with a grain of salt.
«1

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 29
    actually today's video doesn't offer a fair anything,

    and Appleinsider has made a fool of itself claiming such
    even "they" admit that "Jer..." is an idiot self seeking publicity nut,

    yet they publish this crap anyway
    gilly017perkedelargonautSpamSandwichpscooter63dysamoriaredgeminipajony0
  • Reply 2 of 29
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,038member
    bill1357 said:
    actually today's video doesn't offer a fair anything,

    and Appleinsider has made a fool of itself claiming such
    even "they" admit that "Jer..." is an idiot self seeking publicity nut,

    yet they publish this crap anyway
    I think his scratch tests are fair. Not sure how those are a lie. Nice to see it's the same scratch resistance display material as last year, and not the softer GG5. It was also interesting to see the camera lens no longer being sapphire. The Home Button was expected since it's part of the display component, now, but I would have assumed the lens cover would still be sapphire.
    pscooter63
  • Reply 3 of 29
    Here we go again with the "Bend-Gate". AI and all those tester - Please give it a rest!
    caligilly017perkedelSpamSandwichdysamoria
  • Reply 4 of 29
    Here we go again with the "Bend-Gate". AI and all those tester - Please give it a rest!
    Don’t worry. We have Burngate this time around. We can throw it back in their faces.
    gilly017perkedeljbdragon
  • Reply 5 of 29
    Here we go again with the "Bend-Gate". AI and all those tester - Please give it a rest!
    Don’t worry. We have Burngate this time around. We can throw it back in their faces.


  • Reply 6 of 29
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    I guess the take away from this is not to store your iPhone in the same pocket you keep your razor blades.

    rezwits1983birkoargonautidreyslprescottdysamoriaredgeminipanolamacguyjbdragon
  • Reply 7 of 29
    I think the funniest parts was:

    1.  Taking the blade to the LEDs, it's like yeah ok, (besides just blatantly taking razor blade to the phone all over anyway) haha

    2.  The lighter was hilarious, I mean just throw it in a volcano and flipping complain.
    I mean I guess you could drop your iPhone in a campfire? ahah

    Although the video showed us something, most of it was obvious? no?

    But the video quality was shot in 4K, I had 1440p from YouTube, that was sharp!
    edited September 2016
  • Reply 8 of 29
    Moh's scale of hardness isn't what this guy thinks it is – which is why he doesn't understand that the sapphire lens cover can scratch (in much the way that you can also scratch a diamond.) Or put more simply, I doubt Apple is falsely advertising the sapphire lens cover on their iPhone specifications page.
    pscooter63dysamoriaredgeminipa
  • Reply 9 of 29
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    Evil government interfering in business.  #TrumpChump
  • Reply 10 of 29
    It is really sweet to people as excited as ever to buy the new iPhone 7, which goes 100% against the meme the phone is boring and missing the headphone jack. 

    Now that Apple has survived and on its way to thriving the condemnation of the media, I am looking forward to the 2017 release of the Galaxy S7. Will Samsung remove the headphone jack or keep it. If removed will the media praise or condemn the removal? 
    supadav03
  • Reply 11 of 29
    That dude went off the rails when he started talking about the lightning port durability. What is wrong with people?
    redgeminiparezwits
  • Reply 12 of 29
    Personally, I'm not going to add to the YouTube 'views' for this guy.
    pscooter63dysamoria
  • Reply 13 of 29
    Clearly, I'm going to have to get out of the habit of shaving my phone each morning... 

    sriceSpamSandwichpscooter63dysamoriaredgeminipa
  • Reply 14 of 29
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,645member
    Soli said:
    bill1357 said:
    actually today's video doesn't offer a fair anything,

    and Appleinsider has made a fool of itself claiming such
    even "they" admit that "Jer..." is an idiot self seeking publicity nut,

    yet they publish this crap anyway
    I think his scratch tests are fair. Not sure how those are a lie. Nice to see it's the same scratch resistance display material as last year, and not the softer GG5. It was also interesting to see the camera lens no longer being sapphire. The Home Button was expected since it's part of the display component, now, but I would have assumed the lens cover would still be sapphire.
    He could easily used the wrong test stick. I've got a set too, and mine are differentiated by color and number. Who knows? Maybe he used the wrong one deliberately. There is no way to believe that Apple is lying when they state that both the lens covers and button are sapphire.
  • Reply 15 of 29
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,645member

    Moh's scale of hardness isn't what this guy thinks it is – which is why he doesn't understand that the sapphire lens cover can scratch (in much the way that you can also scratch a diamond.) Or put more simply, I doubt Apple is falsely advertising the sapphire lens cover on their iPhone specifications page.
    The Mohs test sticks are a proper way to test for hardness. The way they're used is important as well. You are supposed to lightly, but with some pressure, drag the point across a test piece, at about a 45 degree angle. It's pretty easy, but requires a bit of practice across several known hardness samples, which can be bought. If you dig the point in, then you might be able to scratch something, but it's difficult to do, and can destroy the point.

    i don't understand his results. But if Apple is still stating that the lens cover and button are sapphire, then they must be, and there is no way that I can think of that they would be scratched by a #6 point. Maybe a #7 point, if really dug deeply, might cause some damage, but even that's hard to do, and won't result in a scratch, maybe a small pit.
    edited September 2016 dysamoriaredgeminipanolamacguy
  • Reply 16 of 29
    I'm worried about how the iPhone 7 will hold up against a drill, saw or plasma cutter.
    dysamoriaredgeminiparezwits
  • Reply 17 of 29
    More waste of material and money by buffoons  looking for 15 seconds of attention. It's grotesque how people justify wastefulness.
    redgeminipa
  • Reply 18 of 29
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,038member
    melgross said:
    Soli said:
    I think his scratch tests are fair. Not sure how those are a lie. Nice to see it's the same scratch resistance display material as last year, and not the softer GG5. It was also interesting to see the camera lens no longer being sapphire. The Home Button was expected since it's part of the display component, now, but I would have assumed the lens cover would still be sapphire.
    He could easily used the wrong test stick. I've got a set too, and mine are differentiated by color and number. Who knows? Maybe he used the wrong one deliberately. There is no way to believe that Apple is lying when they state that both the lens covers and button are sapphire.
    You think Apple is using Sapphire on the Home Button, not simply cutting a recess into a single piece of alkali-aluminosilicate sheet glass?


    edit: The iFixit teardown shows it's a separate component.


    edited September 2016
  • Reply 19 of 29
    Not sure why this article is pretending iPhone 6's don't bend. They definitively do, and just from normal carry in a pocket or purse. My girlfriend's iPhone 6 had a dying charging port, and when I took the phone out of its otter box so I could so I could go through the rather pain in the rectum process to replace the assembly, I noticed it had a slight but clear bend right at the bottom of the volume buttons, with a ripple in the thin metal making a bump next to the bottom button. This is a normal iPhone 6, mind you, not the 6+, and she carried it in her purse, in a sturdy case. Now, this bend in no way affected any function of the phone, but it clearly isn't imaginary. Other thin aluminum phones also permanently bend, so it's not an issue exclusive to Apple's phones. It's time to stop claiming it's not real. Too many people have had their phones bend in their pockets for it to be some made up thing. It does appear that the 7 returns to shape pretty well after being flexed, which is good. Perhaps there's new reinforcement, or the aluminum has been heat treated in a way that allows flex without permanent bending, like in a lock bar of an aluminum framed folding knife. Regardless, it looks like it'll hold up better than the 6, which is nice. I personally wouldn't buy a phone that doesn't have a 3.5mm jack, at this point in time. I use mine daily at work, to hook my phone up to our work van's radio, which lacks bluetooth, and to a stereo there to listen to music and such. I know you can use an adapter, but increased wear and tear sucks. I mean, my girlfriend's charging port on her 6 died *without* double use as a headphone jack. In the future when everything is actually wireless, it won't be much of an issue, but right now, it seems premature. And again, this isn't exclusively an Apple design choice. A couple of Android phones did it to achieve very thin phones before the 7 was released. I wouldn't currently buy one of those phones yet either. Another odd little issue an acquaintence of mine is about to have is that she uses a credit card reader for her business with her iPhone, and it uses the headphone jack. Her phone plan automatically upgrades her to the newest iPhone, so she' not exactly sure what she's doing about it yet. Presumably new readers will be released, but there's no current solution for her to use one with the 7 she's about to receive. I suggested she get a cheap android prepaid and use that in the mean time.
  • Reply 20 of 29
    It's time to stop claiming it's not real.
    It’s not real. Fuck off.
Sign In or Register to comment.