No matter how careful you are, your phone can accidentally drop. To this end, manufacturers are constantly improving the durability of their products, with Apple using super-ceramic shields and Samsung using Corning Gorilla’s Victus glass. In the latest PhoneBuff video, the YouTuber dropped the Galaxy S22 Ultra alongside the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
As PhoneBuff explains in the video, Samsung has made several noteworthy upgrades to the Galaxy S22 Ultra that should improve its durability. First off, Samsung says its front display uses Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus Plus. Oddly, it’s unclear what makes it a “Plus”, as there is no documentation on this particular product on Corning’s website.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra also features a new Armor Aluminum frame. Samsung claims it is 10 percent stronger than the commonly used 7000-series aluminum frame. So, are these improvements enough for the Galaxy S22 Ultra to beat the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s ceramic shield and stainless steel frame? Let’s take a look.
From the previous tests, both the iPhone and Galaxy S22 Ultra are relatively durable. In a face-down drop, both phones developed a few small scratches and cracks appeared on the back panel. The wear and tear on the iPhone look a little worse. Other than that, both phones are fully functional.
Falling from the side corners didn’t turn out to be much lethal. The Galaxy S22 Ultra didn’t suffer any serious damage either. Scratches are clearly more noticeable on the S22 Ultra, but the iPhone 13 Pro Max also had a dent after a fall.
The face-down is the most lethal for both phones. The front display glass of the Galaxy S22 Ultra and iPhone 13 Pro Max both shattered. The fancy product names of these manufacturers all “shatter” when they hit the concrete. Still, the damage to the Galaxy looks noticeably more serious. The crack covers more of the display, and the under-display fingerprint scanner stops working entirely.
Finally, it’s worth noting that the Galaxy’s condition deteriorated faster than the iPhone’s after PhoneBuff went on to drop both phones 10 times higher. At the end of the drop test, the S22 Ultra’s S Pen couldn’t even get out of the slot. Meanwhile, the iPhone 13 Pro Max continues to work flawlessly.
Finally, the iPhone 13 Pro Max scored an impressive 39/40 drop test score, while the Galaxy S22 Ultra scored 34/40. Both phones are more durable, but the iPhone seems to have a better chance of withstanding multiple rough drops.