LG has now taken the wraps off the LG V10, giving us a device that shares some of the same design elements and specs as the LG G4, but with some very meaningful upgrades and improvements baked in. This doesn’t just apply to the spec sheet either, as the LG V10’s build has been improved, especially in terms of durability. The device’s frame is made with strong stainless steel and DuraSkin, a plastic material that is not only soft and grippy, but it also provides a lot of protection against drops, nicks and scratches.

Even more exciting, the V10 touts a MIL-STD-810 rating for resistance to mechanical shocks. In theory, that means the device should survive 26 drops from a 122 cm height onto a plywood sheet placed over concrete. Of course, most users just want to know if the phone can handle a drop or two. That is what we are testing today.

The idea is to simulate real-life scenarios in most of our drop tests, but we made an exception with the V10, due to its nature. In the video above, the LG V10 was pushed to its limits, and while we tried to focus on some of the more common drops that a smartphone owner might encounter, we threw in a few unrealistic drops to see just how much of a beating the V10 could take.

Our test unit went through about 15 drops – some realistic, some not so much. As it turns out, our results show the LG V10 is actually surprisingly durable. The screen did shatter, but that didn’t happen until the last drop, when I tossed the phone up in the air, just to see how far the V10 could be taken. Before this final drop test, the smartphone only had minor cosmetic damage – scratches and nicks here and there.

Even though the screen did break at the very end, any other smartphone would probably have been destroyed long before this. We have seen plenty of phones end up worse than the LG V10 by the very first drop, so this is definitely a sign of success for the Korean manufacturer. Not to mention, the device still works to its fullest capacity, albeit with a cracked screen and some other cosmetic damage.

Certain lifestyles require this level of durability. If we kept doing normal scenarios, the phone’s screen would have probably been fine, making this phone one definitely worth considering if you tend to be a bit rougher with your phones.

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What do you think of the LG V10’s durability? Anyone interested in picking one up now that you know just how tough it is?