The iPhone Air is Apple’s slimmest smartphone to date, and the company even claims that it’s “more durable than any previous iPhone.” Now, the company has shared a bend test video with media outlets that shows it can survive stress and even recover.
What’s the big picture?
Apple used a grade 5 titanium frame on the iPhone Air, and further fortified it using Ceramic Shield that offered four-fold drop resistance. But with a waistline of just 5.5 millimeters, it’s obvious to doubt Apple’s claims. It seems the phone is indeed pretty strong.
Behind closed doors, Apple gave a demonstration of the iPhone Air’s strength on a rig that tested how well it fares. The phone reportedly withstood 130 pounds of vertical weight without breaking or permanent bending of the chassis.
“Then they put the phone on a table, and it returned to being perfectly flat in a few seconds, and it still worked,” reports MobileSyrup. According to 9to5Mac, exerting 130 pounds of vertical force “resulted in no damage to the phone at all.”
Why must you be cautious?
It’s fantastic to see that the iPhone Air, despite being slimmer than the iPhone 6 series, will likely avoid another “bendgate” fiasco for Apple. However, these lab tests don’t really simulate real-life situations. Imagine an average adult male weighing over 130 pounds accidentally sits on it for a longer spell, or another heavier load is subjected to the device.
Additionally, the repairs are not going to be cheap. AppleCare covers both “iPhone Screen-Only or Back Glass-Only Damage” and “iPhone Screen-Only and Back Glass-Only Damage.” But those will only be applicable in a specific situation. Here’s what the updated 2025 support document says:
“The Covered Device must have no additional damage other than to the screen or back glass, including, but not limited to, a bent or dented enclosure, that would prevent Apple from replacing either the screen or back glass on the Covered Device.”
