We’re not sure why, but this year during the Apple iPhone event, the company seemed to pay more attention to its choice of materials than ever. Apple highlighted various durability improvements, but is it just all marketing? Or do the new iPhones hold up well? In a new JerryRigEverything video, the YouTuber put the base iPhone 17 through a durability test to see how well it holds up to scratches.
iPhone 17 durability test – how does it fare?
The results might surprise you. The iPhone 17 durability testing revealed that Apple’s new Ceramic Shield 2 technology has apparently “broken the laws of physics” when it comes to scratch resistance. While previous iPhones would show visible damage at a level six on the Mohs hardness scale, the iPhone 17’s screen resisted scratches at level six entirely, with only minor marks appearing at level seven. But the real revelation came from testing the textured back glass with various metals found around the house.
JerryRigEverything tested everything from stainless steel razor blades to titanium rods, brass keys, and copper wire. He even tested it with 90% pure silver and gold coins. Based on his findings, thankfully, most everyday items that might scratch your phone actually just transfer material onto the glass surface. This means that it wipes away completely. This means that if you want to use your iPhone 17 without a case, you might actually be able to get away with it.
The materials that did scratch and leave permanent damage are stainless steel, bare aluminum, and bare titanium. These harder metals damaged the textured back glass in ways that can’t be cleaned off, even with isopropyl alcohol. Meanwhile, common pocket items like brass keys, coins, and copper wire left marks that disappeared with a simple wipe.
In addition to scratch resistance, the phone passed the bend test with flying colors. The aluminum frame showed only the tiniest flex when pressure was applied.
Mixed durability reports
That being said, while this test proves that Apple did a good job improving the durability of its iPhones, there have been some mixed reports in the real world. There have been multiple reports of the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models being more susceptible to scratches. This has less to do with Apple’s choice of ditching titanium for aluminum, but its design.
The larger camera bump makes it stick out more. Plus, Apple opted to do with sharper corners instead of chamfered edges, making it more prone to cosmetic damage. But overall, a recent drop test found the iPhone 17 Pro Max to be relatively durable. Would we use it without a case? At a starting price of $1,000, you can bet we won’t.
