iPhone Air durability testing avoids Bendgate, but its screen is still fragile
Apple claims its new iPhone lineup is the most durable its ever made, but Allstate's breakability tests examine that with its bend and drop trials.
Apple has worked hard to avoid another “Bendgate” situation with its latest iPhone series, which hit the market last Friday. The brand claims the new handsets, which include the iPhone 17 models and the freshly introduced iPhone Air are among the most durable it has ever created. The iPhone Air features a Ceramic Shield 2 covering to protect its front display, back panel, and camera housing. It also features a Grade 5 titanium frame to reinforce the body of the ultra slim device. At just 5.6mm, the iPhone Air is the thinnest iPhone to date. Its width can be compared to one Oreo wafer, 3 wooden toothpicks, half a Lego brick, three U.S. quarters, or 7 razor blades, according to Zach Nelson of JerryRigEverything. While the iPhone 17 Pro is much thicker, it also has Ceramic Shield 2 on the front and back to keep the device sturdy.
However, Allstate Protection Plans have gotten their hands on the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro to perform their infamous breakability tests to see if the new models are as durable as Apple states. The paces performed on the new iPhones included the Bend Test, in which the handsets are placed inside the BendBot and put under pressure until they bend. Allstate Protection Plans found that the iPhone Air bent at 190 lbs. of pressure, and the iPhone 17 Pro at 200 lbs., adding that the devices are comparable in durability.
The team also added that the iPhone 17 Pro Max bent at 260 lbs. Cheekily rehashing that the iPhone 6 snapped at 179 lbs., they also noted the strength of the new iPhone models likely will not bring new Bendgate controversy in 2025. Consumers should feel secure that the iPhone Air can fit in back pockets without giving way to their behinds.
The Allstate Protection Plans Drop Test entails dropping handsets from the DropBot onto the sidewalk face down and back panel down from a height of six feet. The drop tests found that the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro displays both shattered when dropped; however, the devices remained functional. During the rear drop test, the iPhone Air suffered cracks along the back panel, and scuffs along the camera housing, but this didn’t affect the functionality of the device. The iPhone 17 Pro experienced light corner scuffing, and scuffing along its camera housing as well, but the damage was mainly cosmetic.
While the new iPhone series has avoided extensive price hikes due to tariffs, they are by no means inexpensive. The iPhone Air starts at $999, while the iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1,099. Repair costs without AppleCare can be as high as $699 to $749, Allstate Protection Plans noted.
Allstate Protection Plans VP of marketing, Jason Siciliano, cosigned with Apple, saying in a statement that the new iPhones “are the most durable we’ve tested in years.”
He added that with the fragility of the displays, consumers should consider a case, screen protector, and protection plan when purchasing these devices.
“Apple avoided another Bendgate, but gravity still wins," Siciliano said.