Breaking phones… on purpose
SAMSUNG’S new Galaxy S6 phones proved durable in the face of drops and other pressures, according to SquareTrade, a provider of extended-protection plans for gadgets.
In SquareTrade’s tests, which use robots to throw and drop various phones to ensure consistency, the S6 phones had great water resistance, even though they don’t officially have those capabilities as last year’s Galaxy S5 did. But the S6 phones lost points for having slippery glass backs. They slid farther than last year’s plastic Galaxy S5 and the metal-back iPhone 6 when pushed, making them more prone to falling off the edge of a table.
A premium version of the S6, known as Edge, also lost points for bending under pressure, though the regular S6 did well, withstanding 110 pounds of pressure.
Samsung says any phone will break if you try hard enough, but its phones “are capable of taking some hits.” The company says the metal frame, for instance, is designed to absorb much of the impact from any drops to protect the glass. Samsung posted video showing phones still working after drops. As for bending, Samsung says SquareTrade’s tests apply more pressure than would be typical in a person’s back pocket. (AP)
