This year, Allstate Protection Plans/SquareTrade is celebrating our 25th anniversary as a company. And for more than half of those years, we’ve dropped, bent, dunked, tumbled, and folded the latest devices as part of our Breakability campaign.
We don’t do it just for fun (although it is pretty fun). We do it to test the durability of our devices when it comes to everyday accidents and mishaps. Is the screen strong enough to stand up to a sidewalk fall? Is the housing waterproof enough to survive a 30-minute dunk in five feet of water? Are bigger phones more or less vulnerable to damage?
Here’s some of what we’ve learned over the years:
Liquid Damage: From Major Risk to Minor Worry
In the early smartphone years, liquid damage was probably what we worried about most. Without water resistance technology, even a minor spill or a quick accidental drop in the sink could wreak major havoc.
We conducted a study in 2012 where liquid damage accounted for 18% of smartphone damage. And in a 2015 Breakability Test, the iPhone 6 struggled when we dunked it in less than a foot water for just 10 seconds. 
But just four years later in a 2019 Breakability Test, we used our DunkBot to submerge the iPhone 11 in 5 feet of water for 30 minutes, and it was functional afterwards.
Thankfully, because of construction and material advancements that have led to dramatic increase in water resistance, liquid damage has become far less common today. In fact, phones have become so good at standing up to liquids that we’ve retired the DunkBot from our regular testing.
The Foldable Phone: Don’t Call It a Comeback
Remember the days when it seemed like everyone had a foldable phone? They entered the market as early as 2008 with Nokia’s Morph concept phone.
Then, for a while, it seemed like we had moved on from flip phones. But in 2019, foldable devices like the Samsung Galaxy Fold staged an impressive comeback.
You could be forgiven for thinking that foldable smartphones wouldn’t hold up as well to all we put our devices through today. They have hinges, after all, and screens that are bent thousands of times per year. But actually, foldable phones are proving to be surprisingly durable.
According to our testing, devices like the Galaxy Fold can endure up to 200,000 folds, or roughly three years of regular use, with only minor issues.
So, if you’re curious about a foldable phone but worried about the screen, rest assured phone engineers have accounted for your concerns.
Bendgate: Can Slim Phones Stand Up to the Pressure?
In 2015, Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus made headlines when people complained that the phone bent easily. Specifically, when users put their phone in their back pocket and then sat down.
This incident, dubbed “Bendgate,” made people question whether the increasingly thin phones could also be as durable as we need them to be. So naturally, that year we introduced a BendBot to our Breakability Tests. BendBot revealed that the Samsung Galaxy Edge cracked under the same pressure as the iPhone.
The Hardware Evolution: Tougher, but Not Indestructible
There’s no doubt that the materials that make up our phones have gotten more durable over time. Many new phones feature space-grade aluminum and ceramic glass to help withstand drops and scratches.
Yet, despite these advancements, today’s smartphones aren’t unbreakable. In some of our recent drop tests, even flagship devices like the Samsung S24 Ultra with its titanium frame and Corning Gorilla Armor shattered after we dropped it from 6 ft.
Similarly, the iPhone 16, despite its aluminum sides and ceramic shield, sustained cracked screens and scuffed corners during our latest Breakability Test.
Bigger Phones, Bigger Problems
Today, we watch more movies, shows, reels, and videos on our phones than ever before. In response, smartphone screens have steadily increased in size.
Early smartphones typically featured screens around 4 inches. Meanwhile, today’s models, such as Samsung’s Galaxy line, boast displays as large as 6.8 inches. While bigger screens are great for watching movies and shows, they also present durability challenges.
Another issue with larger phones is that holding and using them with one hand is more difficult, and this has led to an increase in accidental drops.
In a survey we conducted in 2024, we found that 78% of users have dropped their devices while using them with one hand.
Breakability Tests Are Here to Stay
Since IBM introduced the world’s first smartphone in 1994, they have changed our lives more than we ever could have imagined. Now, they’re TVs, wallets, keys, cameras, photo albums, and of course, phones.
And while smartphone durability has improved, no device has survived our DropBot.
So, now that our phones are more important to us than ever, and more expensive than ever, we’ll keep performing our Breakability Tests to help make sure you’re informed about how the latest phones hold up to everyday life.
