Watch: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs iPhone 15 Pro Max drop test

iPhone 15 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra durability tested

PhoneBuff’s durability test puts through the Samsung and Apple phones in a range of durability tests. The phones are dropped from various angles onto a concrete surface.

First Round: The first round starts with the dropping of the Galaxy S24 Ultra and iPhone 15 Pro Max flat on their backs. This has shattered the glass back panel of both phones, with damages more prominent on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. This is an interesting dynamic considering the phone features a Corning Gorilla Glass Armour layer. The camera lens covers on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra also sustained slightly more damage than the Apple phone. The winner of this round is easily the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Second Round: For the second drop, the phones are dropped from the corner to test the titanium frames. Both phones came out with flying colours and no major dents. This shows the new titanium frames are quite durable to drop. However, the iPhone 15 Pro Max glass pieces on the back frame around the edge from where it was dropped started coming off. Either way, round two ended in a tie.

Third Round: The moment of truth. The third round is where the phones are dropped facing down to test which has the more durable screen. Both the Galaxy S24 Ultra and iPhone 15 Pro screens were shattered but in comparison, the former has a more prominent damage.

The Corning Gorilla Armour glass on the Samsung phone has sustained more damage and the cracks reached as far as the selfie camera module. This caused glaring issues when clicking selfies. The under-display fingerprint sensor was also not able to register or recognise the finger. 

On the other hand, the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s screen was also damaged but there are far fewer cracks. The FaceID was working so was the selfie shooter. So, round three goes to the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Round Four: This is a bonus round, where the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and iPhone 15 Pro Max were dropped repeatedly face-down on a metal surface and not concrete. The iPhone started to sustain more damage as a vertical line started appearing on the second drop and by the seventh drop, the screen turned fully white and became non-responsive. 

On the other hand, the Galaxy S24 Ultra also started facing its own set of problems. We have noticed yellow lines and there were more cracks on the screen. But then, the phone was fully functional even after 10 drops. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra takes the crown in round number four. 

Conclusion: PhoneBuff gives the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra an overall score of 37 points, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max comes a close second with 36 points. The Apple phone scored straight 10s in the first three rounds but succumbed in the fourth round. This is where the Samsung phone takes the lead.