iPhone 8 drop tests don't inspire much confidence

The switch to glass backs on smartphones have users doubly worried about the survivability of their precious companions. It's bad enough that you don't have much of a choice for your screen other than breakable glass or scratchable plastic, now they also have to pay greater care to the backs as well. Unsurprisingly, this has become a core concern for owners and would-be owners of the new iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, prompting not a few drop tests to see how they might fare in theoretical situations. The results probably won't surprise you.

First up is SquareTrade, whose core business is providing extended warranties for devices. Naturally, they'll be interested to know just how much the iPhone 8's new glass backs will affect, positively or otherwise, their business. They took the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and the Galaxy Note 8 on several machine-controlled drop tests. And, as you'd expect, they all ended up with broken screens and backs.

They're not all that equal, mind you. The smaller iPhone 8, perhaps owing to its more compact size, didn't break as bad. The larger iPhone 8 Plus fared worse, but the real loser, at least from SquareTrade's tests, is the Galaxy Note 8. While the iPhones' glasses broke, their screens remained functional. The Galaxy Note 8's display, on the other hand, suffered an inglorious death.

JerryRigEverything rarely does drop tests because he finds them to be unscientific and rarely matches real world accidents. Still, due to popular demand and a sponsor, he subjects the iPhone 8 to his own version of a drop test. Unlike SquareTrade's test, the iPhone 8 survives a few falls before either is screen or its back crack. The end result, however, is still the same sad fate.

More than just entertainment value, these tests do warn users to be extra careful with their now more delicate and also more expensive smartphones. When you factor in the fact that tearing down and repairing these phones are now also more difficult and more expensive, you might seriously consider some form of protection for your precious device this time around.