The iPhone 8 may not have received the kind of welcome every new iPhone gets when it goes on sale, but it sure did survive one of the most reliable durability tests on YouTube.
Zack Nelson, who posts durability tests and teardown videos on his YouTube channel "JerryRigEverything," unboxed a Rose Gold iPhone 8 and subjected it to his standard set of durability tests.
His usual routine consists of a scratch test, a flame test and a bend test.
Like most other flagship smartphones — such as Samsung Galaxy Note 8 — the iPhone 8's screen started showing visible scratches at level 6 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness.
Apple seems to have paid very good attention to detail as the mesh covering the earpiece is now made out of metal and won't tear easily.
Apple also claims to use a component of sapphire glass in the glass protection of the iPhone's camera lens. Although not as impressive as the all sapphire glass protection found on HTC U Ultra sapphire glass edition, the camera lens scratched at level 6, which means the camera bump on the back makes the iPhone 8 camera more prone to scratches without protection.
The iPhone 8's glass back — apart from aiding induced wireless charging — also protects the body-coloured paint inside and does not scratch as easily as the metal back of iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.
Zack followed the scratch test with a screen flame test and the iPhone 8's back-lit LED IPS display retained its burnt pixels upon cooling. Zack warned that it may damage the oleophobic coating that Apple applies on iPhone screens.
The final is the bend test, where the iPhone 8 shines the brightest. Unlike previous iterations such as the iPhone 7 Plus, the iPhone 8's high-grade 7000-series aluminium body reinforced with toughened glass front and back did not bend upon application of sufficient force.
Apple seems to have done a great job in making the iPhone 8 more durable than last year's iPhone 7. The iPhone 8 is very well made, and has great tensile strength that ensures it won't bend, let alone break, inside pockets — especially those of skinny jeans.
The iPhone 8 is on pre-order in India on Amazon.in, Flipkart and Reliance Digital with prices starting from Rs 64,000. The phone will go on sale on September 29.
