Every new smartphone is meant to be better than the last, but hardiness is often not included in that upgrade. Now the iPhone 6S has been dropped, bent, scratched and now submerged in water, how tough is it?

Last year users complained about the iPhone ending up bent after trips through user pockets. Testers then took their thumbs to various other large and thin smartphones, including Samsung’s Galaxy Note series.

This year saw Samsung claim a 1.7 times strength increase within its Galaxy S6 smartphones to try and stop bending. Apple also switched to a stronger aluminium for its iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, which it claims is harder, but is it and will it bend? Vlogger Christian from FoneFox put it to the test.

Bending the iPhone 6S.

The iPhone 6S Plus seems to be more resilient. Requiring two people to actually bend it indicates users are unlikely to do it by accident. Chalk this one up to positive consumer action from last year’s bendgate.

Dropping and scratching

Bending isn’t quite in the same consumer-issue league as dropping smartphones. The harder aluminium used in the new iPhone helps it survive drops on to its edges and back better than last year’s iPhone 6S, with fewer marks and deformations in the frame. Dropping it on to the screen still has a predictable effect, according to vlogger David Rahimi:

Dropping on to hard floor.

Apple claims its X-ion glass screen is the hardest in the business, and while it will stand up to keys, knives, grit and sandpaper are not the iPhone 6S’s friend, according to vlogger JerryRigEverything:

Scratching and bending.

Samsung’s Galaxy S6 with its Corning Gorilla Glass 4 can apparently survive a Stanley knife blade, for comparison, but neither screen is a match for sandpaper or grit in the pocket.



Taking a bath

Apple doesn’t claim that the iPhone 6S is waterproof, but it seems that the phone is a lot more capable of surviving a dip into water than last year’s iPhone 6 and most other non-waterproof or water-resistant smartphones.

Are the new iPhones waterproof?

The phones survived an hour of submersion in water, and continued working without issue. Even the exposed Lightning and headphones ports worked fine after the dip, and continued to do so 48 hours later, according to vlogger Zach Straley.

Another vlogger was not so lucky with his testing, showing neither smartphone surviving unscathed after a 30-minute submersion, however.



Both the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus are heavier and thicker than last year’s iPhone and it seems Apple’s claims that they are more durable with harder aluminium frames stands up to testing. But whether they are waterproof seems to be up for debate.