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iPhone 4S vs. Samsung Galaxy S II ... The drop test

By | October 20, 2011, 6:22am PDT

Summary: Smartphones vs. gravity … which will win?

How does Apple’s iPhone 4S and Samsung’s Galaxy S II compare in drop tests?

Warranties firm SquareTrade carried out drop tests of the two handsets from both waist and shoulder height onto concrete. How do the two handsets compare? Well, I’ll let you watch the video, but let me tell you in advance that the iPhone 4S looks really ugly by the end of the testing.

Siri might want to look away …

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Topics

Apple iPhone, Apple iPhone 4S, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Smart Phones, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology.

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Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

All opinions expressed on Hardware 2.0 are those of Adrian Kingsley-Hughes. Every effort is made to ensure that the information posted is accurate. If you have any comments, queries or corrections, please contact Adrian via the email link here. Any possible conflicts of interest will be posted below. [Updated: February 23, 2010] - Adrian Kingsley-Hughes has no business relationships, affiliations, investments, or other actual/potential conflicts of interest relating to the content posted so far on this blog.

Biography

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology -- whether that be by learning to program, building a PC from a pile of parts, or helping them get the most from their new MP3 player or digital camera.

Adrian has authored/co-authored technical books on a variety of topics, ranging from programming to building and maintaining PCs. His most recent books include "Build the Ultimate Custom PC", "Beginning Programming" and "The PC Doctor's Fix It Yourself Guide". He has also written training manuals that have been used by a number of Fortune 500 companies.

Adrian also runs a popular blog under the name The PC Doctor, where he covers a range of computer-related topics -- from security to repairing and upgrading.

Talkback Most Recent of 30 Talkback(s)

  • RE: iPhone 4S vs. Samsung Galaxy S II ... The drop test
    The Iphone 4/4S wouldn't have survived what my ancient HTC Legend has with only minor scratching. True to the Apple way, it's form over function.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Jayton
    20th Oct
  • It is not form, it is materials; Apple did not want to go with creaky ...
    @Jayton: ... plastic, so they have to go with glass. They would love to use metal, but it tampers with cellular signals quite badly once you have faster connection than 2G (hence starting from iPhone 3G Apple did not use metal back for iPhone).
    ZDNet Gravatar
    DeRSSS
    20th Oct
  • Apple could have gone with non creaky plastic
    @DeRSSS
    They did with the iPod.

    And the Apple TV.

    And the Airport.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    toddybottom
    20th Oct
  • I cannot comprehend
    Owning a phone that I would have to be paranoid of dropping. My Droid2 Global was a tank & my Bionic is built just as well. I have tile floors in my house, an iPhone would have been destroyed long ago. My teen drops his phone almost daily. I would like to see how many iPhone 4/4S's get replaced because of this, I bet it is one of the highest in the industry.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    tgschmidt
    20th Oct
  • iPhones do get replaced a lot
    @tgschmidt
    A friend of mine and his wife are each on their 3rd iPhone.

    Using a case with an iPhone is a requirement.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    toddybottom
    20th Oct
  • RE: iPhone 4S vs. Samsung Galaxy S II ... The drop test
    @toddybottom
    Yet, you claim that the iphone is better than competitors for all users irrespective of their needs/personality.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    anono
    20th Oct
  • It is
    .
    ZDNet Gravatar
    toddybottom
    20th Oct
    • Flagged
  • Do not pay attention, he is trolling; he is a long-time ZDNet poster
    @anono: ... who changes nicknames like twice a year.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    DeRSSS
    20th Oct
  • The glass front on the iPhone is nice
    It takes a special kind of stupid to put glass on the back of a phone though.

    I just put mine in a case so it doesn't matter to me but Apple should warn people in the store that these phones are fragile and require extra protection that they haven't needed up until this point on their other cell phones.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    toddybottom
    20th Oct
  • RE: iPhone 4S vs. Samsung Galaxy S II ... The drop test
    @toddybottom Its not stupid to put the glass on the back of the phone though, its stupid it ain't use gorilla glass for it.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Lghost
    20th Oct
  • On number 3
    I've dropped my iPhone(s) three times and two of those three I had to replace because the glass broke. It' frickin glass, so yeah it's going to break if you drop it. I broke my second one a day after I got the first one replaced. My advise is that if you are clumsy , get a sturdy case. A MUST is to have the square trade warranty!!!! both times replaced with very little hassle.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    pcampagna
    20th Oct
  • That isn't an excuse
    @pcampagna
    "It' frickin glass, so yeah it's going to break if you drop it"

    It would be like selling a bullet proof vest made out of paper and then saying "It's frickin paper so yeah it won't stop bullets."

    The glass front is nice.

    The glass back is just stupid.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    toddybottom
    20th Oct
  • RE: iPhone 4S vs. Samsung Galaxy S II ... The drop test
    @toddybottom
    Yet, you claim that the iphone is better than competitors for all users irrespective of their needs/personality.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    anono
    20th Oct
  • It is
    ,
    ZDNet Gravatar
    toddybottom
    20th Oct
    • Flagged
  • RE: iPhone 4S vs. Samsung Galaxy S II ... The drop test
    So. Maybe my iRunningBaton app would be better targeted to Android?

    My sincere sympathies to the folks above who have had iPhone damage. I've had a few fumbles, but fortunately not onto any thing that left a mark. Seems to me that buying a phone for how it survives drops is like buying a computer os for its current security profile: you're thinking too much about the negatives. Had that Galaxy done more poorly, but it had the apps and the experience you prefer or need, you get the Galaxy and be careful. All of these devices seem more rugged than they are.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    DannyO_0x98
    20th Oct
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