iPhone 5 hardware durability

July 1, 2013 9:09 AM

How durable is the iPhone to different things, such as impact on surfaces, water exposure, etc.? I'm asking because I hit my iPhone 5 with an umbrella by accident and it looks fine, except for some small amount of metal finish that came off on the back of it. Can force like that affect internal components as well even if not visible?
posted by antgly to Technology (8 answers total)

Here's a Stackexchange query on the topic, with the impact being a fall from a desktop to the floor. The top suggestion notes that iPhones are designed to be fairly durable, but notes you should check all the features of the phone.
posted by filthy light thief at 9:18 AM on July 1, 2013

If it's working correctly it's probably not damaged. Video of durability tests.
posted by beagle at 9:20 AM on July 1, 2013

I dropped an iPhone 3GS on the ground once. The case broke, and the outside of the phone appeared undamaged. But the force did seem to dislodge whatever physical internal device makes the phone vibrate, because from that moment on the vibrate sounded like a dying cicada instead of the normal pleasant buzz.

So yes, force can affect the internal components, but I assume you'd know rather quickly if it did.
posted by misskaz at 9:20 AM on July 1, 2013

I do not use a case or a bumper and have dropped my iphone 5 countless times - including while running on cement where it bounced several times before settling. The 5 is much better designed than prior versions with the outer metal edge raised slightly, so the screen has never broken or gotten scratched. The only damage is that metal edge is scratched and the camera seems to be slightly shifted when zoomed in - what I see on the screen is not what the camera actually takes a picture of. Thankfully, I hardly ever use the zoom.
posted by valeries at 9:35 AM on July 1, 2013

The 5 is much hardier than previous iPhones – I don't use a case and mine has been dropped on concrete from moving bicycles and dropped on tile repeatedly and the metal edge is a bit banged up but the glass is perfect and all functions work normally. Also, the camera lens is sapphire on the 5 which prevents the scratching that caused me to replace the backs on all my previous iPhones.
posted by nicwolff at 10:27 AM on July 1, 2013

iPhones are a bit like buttered toast. When you drop one it's all about how it lands.

I've scuffed and beaten and dropped all of my iPhones. I only killed one and that was about a 3 foot drop and it landed just right to crack the glass.

If the phone still functions and nothing is having problems I would call it good.
posted by cjorgensen at 11:00 AM on July 1, 2013

I dropped my iPhone 3 in the tub. I shut it off, blew it out with air, and a few hours later turned it back on. The screen was fairly translucent, but the phone worked. Over the next few days it got cloudy, then the phone went back to looking normal. Perfectly fine.

I have a 3G I now use as my "tub phone." It doesn't have data on it, but for watching Netflix in the tub it's perfect. I take atomically hot baths and tend to handle the phone with wet hands.

I've only ever killed one phone.

This all said, I wouldn't advise any of the above.
posted by cjorgensen at 11:10 AM on July 1, 2013 [1 favorite]

I dropped my 4s while opening the hatchback on my car. It appeared fine but never accepted a charge again - they told me the fall had damaged the logic board.

From now on I am planning to insure the phone and get a super strong case. I was using a hard plastic battery case, which is good in some ways but very brittle. I'm going with a softer plastic +rubber one this time. I"m glad to hear the 5s are apparently better made. This is the second iPhone which has developed hardware problems due to my clumsiness/roughness.
posted by Miko at 11:32 AM on July 1, 2013