This iPhone 11 drop test proves why you desperately need a case

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It turns out Apple's iPhone 11 Pro front glass does not play well with concrete

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Apple CEO Tim Cook introduced the iPhone 11 Pro as having the “toughest glass ever in a smartphone,” but on the phone’s release day, Tom’s Guide saw evidence to the contrary: when dropped just once from hip-height, the front screen cracks pretty hard.

That’s about the height it would fall when fumbled out of a pocket, so it’s a good estimate of what might happen if you can’t catch your phone in time. The back glass fared better, but still cracked. 

It’s not the only new iPhone to suffer a fall and sad cracking:

Granted, it’s not quite enough of a sample size to be representative of the phone’s front glass strength - perhaps it’s stronger when dropped at other angles. 

But the experiment totally supports the need for a case to protect these expensive flagship smartphones - we’re starting to see a theme here.

David Lumb
David Lumb

David is now a mobile reporter at Cnet. Formerly Mobile Editor, US for TechRadar, he covered phones, tablets, and wearables. He still thinks the iPhone 4 is the best-looking smartphone ever made. He's most interested in technology, gaming and culture – and where they overlap and change our lives. His current beat explores how our on-the-go existence is affected by new gadgets, carrier coverage expansions, and corporate strategy shifts.