Apple highlights Ceramic Shield screen in new iPhone 12 ad

AppleInsider

Apple continued its "Relax, it's iPhone" ad campaign on Wednesday with a brief commercial highlighting iPhone 12's rugged Ceramic Shield glass.

Dubbed "Fumble," the latest spot runs about 30 seconds and shows a (PRODUCT)RED iPhone 12 being fumbled -- somewhat gracefully -- onto the ground.

In the short, a woman talking on her iPhone 12 accidentally drops the device as she switches from one ear to the other. The mishap kicks off a humorous juggling routine, set to "The Conference" by Nitin Sawhney, ends in the iPhone landing screen-down in patch of dirt and rocks.

Picking up the handset, the woman is relieved to find its display unscathed.

"iPhone 12 with Ceramic Shield. Tougher than any smartphone glass. Relax, it's iPhone," the ad's tagline reads.

Ceramic Shield glass debuted on iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro as a new technology in which nano-ceramic crystals are grown within a glass matrix for improved toughness. Apple claims the iPhone 12 line boasts four times better drop performance than past handsets.

Apple has released a steady stream of ads highlighting iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro's various features since the flagship devices launched last fall. Previous commercials focused on iPhone's cameras, Dolby Vision, built-in privacy measures and other platform-exclusives.

Most recently, Apple touted iPhone 12's overall durability in an ad entitled "Cook" last week.

dr. x

Where is the ad?

wookie01

Is it just me. Or does it come off as strange that she is waking along a very hard sidewalk (paved with bricks) 
but when it finally hits the ground it’s on soft dirt. 

I suppose this could still result in a scratched screen. 

But landing on edge or flat on the hard sidewalk or road is probably more realistic. 

sdw2001

My pro Max screen has small scratches.  I don’t recall my previous iPhones having that problem. For the first time I am using a screen protector now.  I can’t see it’s worse, but I don’t see how it’s any better than previous models. Perhaps I’m wrong.

cloudtalkin

sdw2001 said:

My pro Max screen has small scratches.  I don’t recall my previous iPhones having that problem. For the first time I am using a screen protector now.  I can’t see it’s worse, but I don’t see how it’s any better than previous models. Perhaps I’m wrong.

It's not better or worse when it comes to scratch resistance. Still scratches at a 6 with deeper grooves at a 7.    Apple is touting a different form of resistance in this commercial: shatter resistance.  Shatter resistance and scratch resistance aren't the same.  Typically, more scratch resistant (harder glass) = less shatter resistant (softer glass) and vice versa.

fastasleep

It *seems* like my iPhone 12 Pro has fewer scratches/micro abrasions than I'd expect at this point (got it at launch). It's hard to be sure though considering it's been winter and I've been mostly at home, but generally you pick those up from things like grains of sand/dirt on the floor/fabrics/pockets/surfaces etc. I'll be curious to see if it holds up better than previous models, but it seems like it so far. 

pixelpp

wookie01 said:

Is it just me. Or does it come off as strange that she is waking along a very hard sidewalk (paved with bricks) 
but when it finally hits the ground it’s on soft dirt. 

I suppose this could still result in a scratched screen. 

But landing on edge or flat on the hard sidewalk or road is probably more realistic. 

What's fascinating is the actually edited in that sand patch!

I thought I recognised the streets of Sydney, Australia.

I used to walk the streets on my way to work.

And there are never so many people walking around in that area, all are actors of course.

20 Chippen St:​

https://www.google.com/maps/@-33.8875526,151.2006349,3a,75y,198.03h,85.87t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1si8UQVdxLK4bYwp7_vBMOxw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

georgebmac

The phone is great

The actress is incredible!

.... Where did they find her?   And how many takes -- and how many iPhones -- did it take to get that commercial?

zimmermann

Don’t try this at home. 

gumashow

Had my iPhone 12 Pro Max one week -- slipped out of my pocket getting out of my car, fell to the ground (similar to the commercial but at a much lower height) about 18 inches broke the side of the screen and chipped the frame in two spots. That's a real life example, that ad is disingenuous. An Apple Genius (had to go twice to find a sympathetic one) graciously fixed the screen for free after I told him honestly what happened and showed him the text on the Apple page about being stronger than previous phones. However my frame is still chipped into spots and as an Apple fanatic (OCD) obviously that drives me nuts, looking at that every day. Previous iPhones have taken similar spills in the past resulting in no damage. Be it what it may, your mileage will vary. so watching that commercial kind of punches me in the gut. Falls are very unpredictable. I was so mad at myself but a little disappointed in the durability the phone that cost me $1400, needless to say. Now after that commercial, I feel worse.

anantksundaram

Wonderfully-produced ad: edgy, and different than the anodyne stuff they've been trotting out lately.

The background 'music' in the ad -- the vocalization of rhythmic sounds of percussion instruments in Indian classical music -- is called "konnakol".

applezulu

While chipped, cracked or scratched glass is the undesirable fate most often resulting from dropping of phones, it's actually really remarkable that iPhones (and other brands for that matter) don't go dark from internal damage more often. I keep a slim leather case on mine, which goes a long way to preventing screen damage, but that still doesn't keep the internal components from experiencing the effects of sudden, rapid deceleration every time I drop the thing. Still, it lights up and works every time so far. It's not so long ago that this would not be a normal expectation for an electronic device.

edited March 2021

ravnorodom

It lands on dirt, not concrete. When my iPhone falls, it usually over pavement or hard floor.

shamino

As others have said, let's see what happens when the phone impacts the ground on a corner instead of flat, and where it strikes pavement or stone or a tile floor.  I have yet to see a phone where that won't shatter the screen (and the back if it's also glass).  That's why so many (including my family) invest in OtterBox Defender and other similar kinds of cases - you need something like that to protect against this kind of impact.

beats

wookie01 said:

Is it just me. Or does it come off as strange that she is waking along a very hard sidewalk (paved with bricks) 
but when it finally hits the ground it’s on soft dirt. 

I suppose this could still result in a scratched screen. 

But landing on edge or flat on the hard sidewalk or road is probably more realistic. 

Over the years I’ve concluded it’s a liability issue. Morons will try to sue Apple if their screen cracks on pavement but it didn’t on the ad.

How did I conclude this over the years? Well remember that stupid Apple ad for the first iPhone Pro(I believe) that claimed it was the toughest iPhone ever? But they showed broccoli and rubber duckies thrown at it? Yeah that was really stupid but I believe they didn’t wanna show rocks and wrenches etc. because of lawsuits from morons.

fastasleep

gumashow said:

Had my iPhone 12 Pro Max one week -- slipped out of my pocket getting out of my car, fell to the ground (similar to the commercial but at a much lower height) about 18 inches broke the side of the screen and chipped the frame in two spots. That's a real life example, that ad is disingenuous. An Apple Genius (had to go twice to find a sympathetic one) graciously fixed the screen for free after I told him honestly what happened and showed him the text on the Apple page about being stronger than previous phones. However my frame is still chipped into spots and as an Apple fanatic (OCD) obviously that drives me nuts, looking at that every day. Previous iPhones have taken similar spills in the past resulting in no damage. Be it what it may, your mileage will vary. so watching that commercial kind of punches me in the gut. Falls are very unpredictable. I was so mad at myself but a little disappointed in the durability the phone that cost me $1400, needless to say. Now after that commercial, I feel worse.

And yet if you had gotten AppleCare+ you could've requested an express replacement by mail and gotten a refurb with no scratches on it. It's a calculated risk to leave the house with a naked iPhone.

gumashow

I had Apple's silicone case on it. Frame still dented in two spots. And it's still expensive for Apple Care plus ($200ish) and still another $200, I believe, to get a new phone. This iPhone is no tougher than any other, in my experience. Only an idiot would go without a case in such and expensive device. 

fastasleep said:

gumashow said:

Had my iPhone 12 Pro Max one week -- slipped out of my pocket getting out of my car, fell to the ground (similar to the commercial but at a much lower height) about 18 inches broke the side of the screen and chipped the frame in two spots. That's a real life example, that ad is disingenuous. An Apple Genius (had to go twice to find a sympathetic one) graciously fixed the screen for free after I told him honestly what happened and showed him the text on the Apple page about being stronger than previous phones. However my frame is still chipped into spots and as an Apple fanatic (OCD) obviously that drives me nuts, looking at that every day. Previous iPhones have taken similar spills in the past resulting in no damage. Be it what it may, your mileage will vary. so watching that commercial kind of punches me in the gut. Falls are very unpredictable. I was so mad at myself but a little disappointed in the durability the phone that cost me $1400, needless to say. Now after that commercial, I feel worse.

And yet if you had gotten AppleCare+ you could've requested an express replacement by mail and gotten a refurb with no scratches on it. It's a calculated risk to leave the house with a naked iPhone.

georgebmac

gumashow said:

» show previous quotes

I had Apple's silicone case on it. Frame still dented in two spots. And it's still expensive for Apple Care plus ($200ish) and still another $200, I believe, to get a new phone. This iPhone is no tougher than any other, in my experience. Only an idiot would go without a case in such and expensive device. 

fastasleep said:

gumashow said:

Had my iPhone 12 Pro Max one week -- slipped out of my pocket getting out of my car, fell to the ground (similar to the commercial but at a much lower height) about 18 inches broke the side of the screen and chipped the frame in two spots. That's a real life example, that ad is disingenuous. An Apple Genius (had to go twice to find a sympathetic one) graciously fixed the screen for free after I told him honestly what happened and showed him the text on the Apple page about being stronger than previous phones. However my frame is still chipped into spots and as an Apple fanatic (OCD) obviously that drives me nuts, looking at that every day. Previous iPhones have taken similar spills in the past resulting in no damage. Be it what it may, your mileage will vary. so watching that commercial kind of punches me in the gut. Falls are very unpredictable. I was so mad at myself but a little disappointed in the durability the phone that cost me $1400, needless to say. Now after that commercial, I feel worse.

And yet if you had gotten AppleCare+ you could've requested an express replacement by mail and gotten a refurb with no scratches on it. It's a calculated risk to leave the house with a naked iPhone.

Yeh, so sorry for your mishap.  It can happen to anyone.  And good for you for having gotten an Apple Case on it.  And good for Apple for helping you out!  That speaks well of them.

But yeh, stuff happens.  That's why I always get AppleCare+ as soon as possible.  And, it's even more worthwhile now that you can renew it on a monthly basis following the initial 2 year period -- so it covers repairs like battery replacements when they are most likely to happen.

Some others here vehemently disagree with me.  But I think it is well worth the investment -- but then it does make an expensive device prohibitively expensive.  That's why I'm on a 4+ year cycle for phones.   And besides, I'm not as lucky as the person in this ad.

frantisek

What a lame ad. They try to trounce Intel again! Now in whos ad is worse.

Try it on cobbled street. It will be advertisement worth Apple and ceramic shield.

beats

frantisek said:

What a lame ad. They try to trounce Intel again! Now in whos ad is worse.

Try it on cobbled street. It will be advertisement worth Apple and ceramic shield.

Again, probably a liability issue. I have an iPhone 5s and it has slammed onto parking lots, streets and concrete without a scratch. One time I had it in my sweater pocket and like a dumb a** I grabbed a slow-ish moving train(this is my cheap entertainment) and it flung out of my pocket face down onto the street, I mean you can HEAR the slam. I picked it up and it just had a small nick on the corner of the enclosure, screen was fine.

I had that 5s for about 5 months (3rd owner) and I dropped it onto hard surfaces about 10 times and the screen never cracked.

Ironically this 7 year old iPhone had a tiny opening the size of a hair between the screen and enclosure and one night (a few weeks ago) I pushed it off my bed while asleep. It landed in a cup with about an ounce of juice and that ruined the screen via the hairline opening. It still works but the screen is darkened and with artifacts.

It all comes down to physics. A 5s could slam into hard concrete and survive and a new iPhone 12 can crack by gentle fall on a rock. It all depends...

georgebmac

Beats said:

» show previous quotes

frantisek said:

What a lame ad. They try to trounce Intel again! Now in whos ad is worse.

Try it on cobbled street. It will be advertisement worth Apple and ceramic shield.

....

It all comes down to physics. A 5s could slam into hard concrete and survive and a new iPhone 12 can crack by gentle fall on a rock. It all depends...

I think that's one of nature's laws -- like Newton's laws of motion:   "Only the expensive, new stuff breaks.  The old stuff, you can't get rid of"