# How fragile are iPhones? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 18, 2013, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fragile-are-iphones/653261 "2013-03-18T15:00:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fragile-are-iphones/653261/1 "2013-03-18T15:00:06Z")
After years of using Droids, I was thinking of testing out the iPhone. I’m looking at eBay for a used iPhone 5 and notice that a good number of them have badly cracked screens. One phone had a host of problems including a badly damaged screen, loose home button, and no charger, and he still wanted US$439 for it! So I guess I have two questions: [ol] [li]Is the iPhone 5 in such great demand that someone’s willing to fork over $439 for a badly damaged one with no charger (the phone isn’t unlocked, either; it’s tied to Verizon)?[/li][li]Seeing so many cracked iPhone screens on eBay and on people I know in real life, is getting iPhone worth it given how fragile it looks? How easy is it to crack the screen?[/li][/ol] Thanks for the responses. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fragile-are-iphones/653261/2 "2013-03-18T15:04:59Z")
It depends on your lifestyle and how you treat it. They aren’t ruggedized devices however and you can break them easily with just a single good drop or bang. Apple sees this as an opportunity. [New iPhone Geared Towards College-Aged Girls Comes With Pre-Shattered Screen](http://www.theonion.com/video/new-iphone-geared-towards-collegeaged-girls-comes,30769/) ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fragile-are-iphones/653261/3 "2013-03-18T15:24:47Z")
I don’t know about the 5, but I thought the iPhone 4/4S (and now the Nexus 4) was the most asinine way to make a phone. Go ahead and tout the beautiful design, then compel owners to stick it in a (frequently hideous) case just so it doesn’t get damage. the 4S is the only phone I’ve had where I’ve felt a case was mandatory. > [@](#): > > Seeing so many cracked iPhone screens on eBay and on people I know in real life, is getting iPhone worth it given how fragile it looks? How easy is it to crack the screen? it’s easy to crack the screen on any smartphone, really. Gorilla Glass may be surface hardened, but it’s still brittle glass. I’d have to guess that the number of cracked iPhones you see out there is due in no small part to the number of iPhones out there. Though the thin shell of the iPhone 5 makes me wonder how well the screen or front glass is protected when dropped. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fragile-are-iphones/653261/4 "2013-03-18T15:29:31Z")
I’ve abused the hell out of my Droids and have never had the screen crack or shatter after multiple drops. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fragile-are-iphones/653261/5 "2013-03-18T15:34:15Z")
> [@Agent\_Foxtrot](#): > > I’ve abused the hell out of my Droids and have never had the screen crack or shatter after multiple drops. Same for my iPhones. Edit: I had a 4 and now a 5. The 4 survived multiple drops onto hard surfaces with no damage. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fragile-are-iphones/653261/6 "2013-03-18T15:40:30Z")
The iPhone 4/4S and 5 are more prone to screen-shatter, IMO. It comes down to design/construction. The aluminum unibody looks and feels really nice, but it absolutely sucks when it comes to absorbing impact. You drop that sucker, and it transfers that force perfectly to the screen. Most android phones, on the other hand, are plastic bodies. They don’t look as good, but they absorb the impact better. Think of it like cars. Old cars were made of STEEL! They were TOUGH! You could get into a fender-bender and probably not even bend the fender! But of course, the driver and passengers sure as fuck FELT the fender-bender. All the force went right through the tough metal frame to the more important part…you. And on phones, the most important part is the screen (at least, from a user’s perspective…what good does it do you if the rest of the phone works fine if you can’t see or interact with it?) With plastic bodied phones, the plastic takes the impact (and all of my Android phones have nice little gouges and scratches on the plastic where they were dropped proving that,) and it saves the screen, much in the same way modern cars have crumple zones and whatnot. Sure, it might not look as nice, and even a small impact can cause some ugly superficial damage, but overall it’s safer. ---
**Author:** ![Michael63129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@Michael63129](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael63129)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fragile-are-iphones/653261/7 "2013-03-18T15:55:36Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > it’s easy to crack the screen on any smartphone, really. Gorilla Glass may be surface hardened, but it’s still brittle glass. I’d have to guess that the number of cracked iPhones you see out there is due in no small part to the number of iPhones out there. Though the thin shell of the iPhone 5 makes me wonder how well the screen or front glass is protected when dropped. Why not use hard shatter-resistant plastic instead? Sure, it might be more prone to dents or scratches, but that isn’t usually as bad as a big old crack, plus plastic is lighter than glass, a bonus for a lightweight device like an iPhone. ---
**Author:** ![Minnie\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Minnie\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Minnie_Luna)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fragile-are-iphones/653261/8 "2013-03-18T18:07:03Z")
> [@Michael63129](#): > > Why not use hard shatter-resistant plastic instead? Sure, it might be more prone to dents or scratches, but that isn’t usually as bad as a big old crack, plus plastic is lighter than glass, a bonus for a lightweight device like an iPhone. IANAEngineer, but it may have something to do with the touchscreen functionality. I have the iPhone 4. I am pretty hard on my devices, I drop them all the time. As soon as I got the phone I made sure I had a durable case for it. I have the OtterBox and it has protected my phone well. It would be nice if I could have a sleek phone, but I prefer one with an intact screen. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fragile-are-iphones/653261/9 "2013-03-18T20:16:58Z")
Shopping for used non-iPhone phones I’ve seen plenty with cracked screens. A piece of glass can and will shatter if it takes the right sort of impact no matter what the brand of phone. I’d suggest you get what phone you want and get a sturdy case with strong corners on it. I paid $3 for my Android case and it’s already saved me from two drops that would have scratched the shiny corners or edges of the phone if nothing else. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fragile-are-iphones/653261/10 "2013-03-18T20:30:14Z")
Well until yesterday I would have said they are tough. But I cracked the screen after dropping it a short distance. Ugh. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fragile-are-iphones/653261/11 "2013-03-18T20:34:47Z")
I just got a Lifeproof case and love it. It’s waterproof! And much smaller than an Otterbox. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fragile-are-iphones/653261/12 "2013-03-18T21:18:14Z")
My 4S is fine after a year and a half without a case. It doesn’t seem that hard to just treat it like the expensive electronic device it is. It lives in my jeans pocket with nary a scratch. ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fragile-are-iphones/653261/13 "2013-03-18T21:24:05Z")
I drop my 3gs regularly. No case. My kids play with it too. I’ve cracked the glass once, when I dropped it four feet perfectly face down onto uneven concrete. Besides that, and a few scratches, it’s still fine. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fragile-are-iphones/653261/14 "2013-03-18T21:43:26Z")
I’ve used an iPhone since 2008. In that time I have dropped my phone many times. In all of those drops I broke the screen once when it fell face first onto asphalt. Apple replaced the phone free of charge. (Go apple!) When I got the replacement I got a silicone case that covers the back, sides and stands a bit proud of the screen. This protects the screen and makes the phone less slippery so it doesn’t come out as often. ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fragile-are-iphones/653261/15 "2013-03-18T21:47:34Z")
Just about everyone I know who owns an iphone has cracked the screen. On the other hand my daughter recently dropped her S3 face down on concrete. The screen now doesn’t work but it didn’t crack… ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fragile-are-iphones/653261/16 "2013-03-18T23:45:35Z")
> [@Michael63129](#): > > Why not use hard shatter-resistant plastic instead? Sure, it might be more prone to dents or scratches, but that isn’t usually as bad as a big old crack, plus plastic is lighter than glass, a bonus for a lightweight device like an iPhone. Because, they scratch. If you haven’t destroyed your iPhone after 3-4 years, the screen will still be beautiful and un-scratched. That wouldn’t be true with a plastic screen, no matter how tough. I’ve had 3 generations of iPhones, and never cracked a screen, but I use a leather flip-top case. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fragile-are-iphones/653261/17 "2013-03-18T23:49:08Z")
I don’t use any sort of case or screen-protector for my HTC G2 (which has Gorilla Glass), and I’ve dropped it so many times, I’ve lost count. Once, I dropped it screen-side-down extremely hard on that _very rough_ type of pavement with large, jagged pebbles. The battery cover popped off and the battery popped out - it was that hard an impact. And this is a quite heavy phone, since it has a slide-out keyboard. Other than some nicks on the brushed-aluminum(?) bezel that surrounds the screen, there’s not even a single scratch, nick, chip, or any mark at all on the glass. It really takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin’! ::knocks on wood:: ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fragile-are-iphones/653261/18 "2013-03-19T01:44:23Z")
I’ve dropped mine several times with no damage. One drop landed on a water spigot screen down. It scratched the plastic cover, which I replaced, and it was fine otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fragile-are-iphones/653261/19 "2013-03-19T01:52:11Z")
Recent thread – [Do I really need a protective case for my Iphone 5? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=683657) ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fragile-are-iphones/653261/20 "2013-03-19T01:53:07Z")
I’ve kept all my phones in cases, from iPhone to Galaxy. The other upside to keeping in a case is it’s pristine when time to sell, and I get top dollar for the phone. Makes upgrading cheaper by half to three quarters when considering the sale of the older phone. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fragile-are-iphones/653261.md?page=2)