It's no secret, smartphones are equal parts expensive and necessary to daily life. As a result, many who are in the market for a new device often have to consider both their clumsiness and their phone's ability to handle it. Last week, Apple launched the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C to millions of customers and will continue to release the devices to millions more. This begs the question, which of the two is more durable.
According to durability tests form Square Trade, the iPhone 5S does better on 2 out of 3 of its durability tests than the iPhone 5C. The tests were designed to test each phone's ability to withstand a drop on a hard surface, how far it will slide on a table and how it performs after being submerged in water for up to ten seconds.
In the drop test, the iPhone 5S outperformed the iPhone 5C, which suffered almost a completely cracked and unusable screen. The 5S did suffer some knicks and scratches at its corners, but the phone was still completely usable. The iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C both performed well in the water dunking. Both devices still worked, complete with audio, after they were taken out of the drink.
Where the iPhone 5S lost to the iPhone 5C was in the slide test. The 5C didn't go off the table whereas the iPhone 5S did. While this may sound like a tie, the iPhone 5S still has the edge as a result of the drop test. Even if it does fall off a table, it will survive the drop better than the 5C.
All of these tests were administered using robotic devices to ensure unity in the test results. Along with both new iPhone models, the Samsung Galaxy S4 and Moto X were also put to the test. Among the 4 the Galaxy S4 did the worst and the Moto X did the best, with the iPhone 5S in second place.
You can check out a video of each test being administered below. Tell us what you think, do the results of any of these tests encourage or deter you from purchasing any of the smartphones featured? Why or why not? Comment and share your thoughts below.
