- Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has an aluminum frame and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on front and back.
- Popular Youtube channel Phonebuff performed four rounds of drop tests on the S23 Ultra and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
- Although by a small margin, the Galaxy S23 Ultra won the drop tests to beat the top-end iPhone.
In the battle of flagships, design, camera, charging speeds, and ecosystems usually grab the most attention. But another important factor which should get more prominence is built quality and durability. Samsung and Apple, the two behemoths in the smartphone game, always outdo themselves with their latest devices in terms of the material they use. While the S23 Ultra is Samsung’s flagship device, Apple has the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Both premium devices offer top of the line features and are generally compared around the aforementioned features. Until now, PhoneBuff, a popular Youtube channel, recently conducted a four round drop test pitting the flagships against each other. The results? Well a bit surprising for purists and general customers.
Galaxy S23 Ultra & iPhone 14 Pro build quality and specs
Galaxy S23 Ultra features a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display. The device is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and back. It also comes with an IP68 rating dust and water-resistant rating.
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max features a 6.7-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display. It is protected with a ceramic shield up front, while a dual ion exchange glass protects the back. The 14 Pro Max also comes with an IP68 dust and water resistant rating.
Round 1 - Dropped flat on their backs
It started with a simple drop test where both the devices were dropped flat on their backs. The Galaxy S23 Ultra registered two minor cracks on its corners. On the other hand, the 14 Pro Max's rear glass was completely shattered, and a dent appeared on its camera lens.
Round 2 - Dropped on the concrete floor
The second round saw both devices being dropped on the concrete floor. Here, the iPhone 14 Pro Max registered minor scratches on its curved metal frame. The Galaxy S23 Ultra received more damage on its aluminum corners.
Round 3 - Dropped face-first on a concrete floor
Both devices were dropped face-first on the concrete floor in the third round. The screen on both devices was completely shattered. However, the iPhone's face ID and S23 Ultra’s fingerprint scanner were still working.
Round 4 (bonus round) - Dropping the devices face first on a metal surface
In the 4th or bonus round, both devices were dropped face-first on a metal surface. On the front, both the devices looked similar to their condition after the third round. But, the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s back had suffered major damage. A part of its protective glass was missing, and its front and the rear camera started showing light flare.
Conclusion
After the drop tests, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra scored 38 points which were higher than the 36 scored by the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Both devices are well built and are more than capable of surviving minor bumps. However, given their price tag, we recommend putting on a protective case.
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