Essential Phone drop test yields unexpected results

11 September 2017
Since ceramic is usually considered to be more brittle than glass, you'd expect the handset's back to break, but you'd be wrong.

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  • D
  • AnonD-684709
  • 3v5
  • 14 Sep 2017

"On the other hand, the Gorilla Glass front isn't as fortunate and after the last drop is pretty much ruined."

Actually, the front glass was already totally ruined from the very first drop, sliding off the knee only, but already major damage to upper left and lower right corners, with lots of spiderwebbing. Display very soon kicked the bucket after more drops. Perhaps it isn't really GG5 and they cheapened out, using much cheaper low-quality glass. Hard to tell once it's inside of the device.

Anyway, this is by far the worst damage from a knee-high drop I've ever seen.

    • ?
    • Anonymous
    • vI1
    • 13 Sep 2017

    Anonymous, 12 Sep 2017I have two kids. Both of them got iPhones. The older one wo... moreMaybe he was clever and throwing his younger brother's phone whenever he got angry ;)

      • K
      • Kirk
      • UD{
      • 13 Sep 2017

      Anonymous, 12 Sep 2017I have two kids. Both of them got iPhones. The older one wo... moreWhy would you give kids below 10 years old, overly expensive phones to begin with?

        • ?
        • Anonymous
        • Tcf
        • 12 Sep 2017

        Anonymous, 12 Sep 2017Sometimes i see people mistreat their phones.. especially t... moreI have two kids. Both of them got iPhones. The older one would *throw his against the wall* whenever he got angry. My younger kid is a little more mellow.

        The younger kid's broke first. The older kid's still runs to this day.

        Karma.

          • ?
          • Anonymous
          • Tcf
          • 12 Sep 2017

          If I am going to pay $700.00 (Essential) or $1,000.00 (Apple & Samsung) for a phone, I expect it to last 3-5 years. Finding out what ones really will is key to my purchasing decision. This is particularly true now that that modern phones are all 64-bit and major updates over the next few years are unlikely.

          Does anyone buy a new car or a home or any other major purchase without first estimating the total cost of ownership?

            • D
            • AnonD-669148
            • J5M
            • 12 Sep 2017

            Almost any cheap tpu-case will protect even the most fragile phone!

              • D
              • AnonD-632062
              • 3Ye
              • 12 Sep 2017

              He is absolutely right to play the sad music during those slo-mo videos of the drops.

                • K
                • Kangal
                • uCX
                • 12 Sep 2017

                mir, 12 Sep 2017Why does it matter if it's scientific or not for this type ... moreNo, it matters and it matters immensely.

                Its about getting the data and finding the facts.
                Not to cause bias, but to cut through it.
                I believe a phone can be designed today to withstand a lot of scratch, dust, water, and force.... while still looking elegant and keeping reasonable proportions.

                We simply need to find out how to create it, the architecture and the materials employed.
                There are millions of combinations, and its our benefit to study into this in a scientific manner.
                It's pointless to say "Carbon Fibre is the best" and leave it at that.... we should see if that hypothesis holds true, and if it does, under what conditions, and how does it fare to the competition.

                Without a scientific study, there's no way to know in certainty.

                  Anonymous, 12 Sep 2017Don't use screen protectors, you will miss the touch screen... moreI don't use it but even with a screen protector my phone scratched at the edges a bit. But maybe it will keep display intact. It's pure luck. I know someone that used tempered glass on galaxy grand prime with a case as well and it fell right on speaker zone where is not protected. Display cracked with curved spider webs :(((.

                    • D
                    • AnonD-25208
                    • J@4
                    • 12 Sep 2017

                    My Iphone 7 Plus looks like some debranded phone with Spigen Neo Hybrid + Screen Protector Slim, my S7 Edge also looked pretty similar. I've dropped both phones a couple of times, nothing happened and I don't care, the S7 specially looked beautiful without the case but I'm pretty sure it would break easily everywhere on the first drop - It's a phone made of glass!

                    And honestly, I'm not very fond of Gorilla Glass Protection, my S7 edge scratched on the first week of use, not sure how that happened, it almost never left my side table at the time.

                    Yet my Nokia 930 stil has no scratches and I've never used any kind of screen protection on it, only a case, used it daily for listening to music and GPS.

                      • ?
                      • Anonymous
                      • IWQ
                      • 12 Sep 2017

                      Anonymous, 12 Sep 2017Many people are revealing their hate and frustration toward... moreThis is why i punch anyone in the face who borrows my phone.

                        • ?
                        • Anonymous
                        • IWQ
                        • 12 Sep 2017

                        Anonymous, 12 Sep 2017Sometimes i see people mistreat their phones.. especially t... moreWow how low does one have to be to ask relatives to buy 1 for them.

                          The Essential Phone is nice looking phone with very nice stock OS. But that camera, Big NO.

                            • ?
                            • Anonymous
                            • 7Xc
                            • 12 Sep 2017

                            I'd rather have the Ceramic Back break than thd most expensive screen.

                              • ?
                              • Anonymous
                              • IWH
                              • 12 Sep 2017

                              Wow people were saying it's fragile... turns out random internet people know nothing lol. I assume they're using xiaomi's supliers. I read that their ceramic is the kind used to make dentures, if it can survive chewing should be ok for some drops.

                                • A
                                • Anonymous
                                • mYW
                                • 12 Sep 2017

                                Apolodor, 12 Sep 2017I know and I put a case on every phone I will use. But even... moreDon't use screen protectors, you will miss the touch screen of a glass and the display
                                A case it's ok

                                  • ?
                                  • Anonymous
                                  • uJD
                                  • 12 Sep 2017

                                  Sometimes i see people mistreat their phones.. especially they couldn't afford it. Their relatives buy for them, they just brag and show-off.

                                  In just a few short months, a sparking phone becomes shattered. And they go cheap repair shop without knowing, and their phone becomes frankenstein monster of patch work.. then they started complaining slow and ask relatives for brand new ones.

                                  All things should be treated well to show respect to the person who bought it, and all care should be given to the phone so not to break.

                                  So if you know someone who is like that, don't ever give them anything. Not even if they beg and cry. Let them earn and buy themselves.. see if it hurt if they drop their own hard earn cash.

                                    imRGZ, 12 Sep 2017Metals gets dents and glass breaks no matter Gorilla glass ... moreI know and I put a case on every phone I will use. But even with a case it is still a nightmare.
                                    Screen protector + case is very important.

                                      • ?
                                      • Anonymous
                                      • PA7
                                      • 12 Sep 2017

                                      Expected result from OS legend maker. no offense, hardware manufacture more than enough, I need new OS

                                        Where is essential phone review GSMArena