One of the biggest problems of modern smartphones remains the strength of the casings. One careless drop of the device can change the owner’s plans for an urgent visit to the service center, where you will have to leave a lot of money for repairs. Especially when it comes to flagships like Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra or iPhone 14 Pro Max.

It is because of this problem that the market for protective accessories – covers and additional glass for the display – is flourishing, which greatly increases the smartphone’s chances of survival after an unexpected flight from the owner’s hands to the asphalt.

But there are users who do not protect their smartphones very much and do not use such accessories at all. And thanks to the bloggers who care about the topic, we have the opportunity to see exactly what will happen to the new products as a result of the fall. Youtube channel PhoneBuff in their new video just tested the strength of the cases of the new Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and its biggest competitor — iPhone 14 Pro Max.

We’ll remind that both smartphones have glass front and back panels, but at the same time have different frames: the iPhone uses steel, and the S23 Ultra – aluminum. There is also a difference in the glass, where the Samsung is equipped with Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2, while the iPhone has its own manufacturing technology – Ceramic Shield.

The test covers three drops from a height of one and a half meters onto the asphalt. Each of them separately “grounds” the device on the back and front panels, as well as on the bottom corner. After that, the smartphones were once again dropped on the steel surface with the display facing down.

As a result, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra was able to handle drops a little better. After the first test, its back cover was less damaged, and the camera lenses remained intact. At the same time, the back of the iPhone 14 Pro Max was completely broken, and one of the camera lenses was cracked. At the same time, the steel frame of the iPhone withstood the impact much better than the aluminum on the Samsung.

A front panel drop left less damage on the iPhone’s display, while the S23 Ultra’s screen was noticeably more damaged. The “bonus” drop practically did not change the situation on the displays, but it is worth noting that each of the new blows increasingly damaged the back of the Apple smartphone.

Subjectively, such tests should not be considered as a benchmark, because each similar case in real life will be slightly different due to different acceleration, angle of fall, surface characteristics and other factors. It happens that even a small fall or impact leaves considerable damage on the devices. Sometimes the opposite happens. But what can be said for sure after such videos — in any case, the most modern flagships are still not as durable as manufacturers try to show them at their presentations.