This is the place to torture iPhone and iPad the most severely

In an effort to combat some video makers who intentionally damage and destroy iPhones and other devices for the sake of views, Apple invited several popular YouTubers and industry research firms to visit one of its testing facilities.

Counterpoint Research was among the organizations invited to tour the facilities Apple uses to test replicating worst-case scenarios, including environmental factors, liquid or water, and drop testing.

After this tour, Counterpoint Research concluded that Apple could absolutely design products with better durability, but Apple and its competitors must balance protection with weight, material costs, and many other factors.

Challenges and Innovation

“We saw salt exposure tests and the device still worked for at least 100 hours. Another test involved high-intensity light exposure and exposure to dust from the Arizona desert to analyze what happens when fine sand particles get into the iPhone speaker or charging port,” Counterpoint Research described in a blog post.

A robot to test the insertion and removal of charging cables on a USB type C port multiple times. Photo: Jonathan Bell.

In addition to iPhones, some of Apple's testing at the facility also includes AirPods that involve creating artificial sweat and earwax patterns.

Accidentally dropping your device is one of the top three reasons why smartphones need repair. Therefore, protecting your mobile device with a case is one of the best ways to protect both the back and front glass, as most cases have a “bumper” that prevents the front glass from being directly impacted when dropped.

To further refine its testing procedures, Apple says it has developed a robot that “drops devices at different angles and even onto different surfaces, including grain, granite, and asphalt.” The company also puts its products through vibration testing, and the results of all of these tests are studied by Apple engineers.

In 2023, Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) conducted a study on the “survivability” of both iPhone and Android devices. Over time, about 60% of both groups of owners reported that their products worked normally without any issues.

Another 21% reported that their device had some scratches, but was still usable. 13% reported cracks in the glass but were still usable, while just 6% said their device was so badly damaged that it was unusable.

Counterpoint Research also found that Apple is “putting a lot of effort behind the scenes” to improve the durability of its iPhones and other products.

"The end result is that iPhones retain their value 40% higher than Android devices on refurbished smartphones. And when this is combined with at least five years of software and security upgrades, it results in Apple products being able to enter a second, or even third, life cycle quite easily," Counterpoint Research said.

The importance of durability

Not only the iPhone, other Apple hardware products are also commented by Counterpoint to possess similar performance and durability. The research firm also said that this is one of the reasons why the iPhone accounts for more than 56% of the global market share of refurbished smartphones.

In its report, Counterpoint said it was interesting to note that durability and repairability factors can sometimes work in opposite directions. Highly durable products may not necessarily be easy to repair, while devices that are easy to repair may still be less durable.

An Apple iMac undergoing a multi-rotation test. Photo: Jonathan Bell.

"The massive scale of testing, with at least 10,000 iPhones rigorously tested before launch, speaks volumes about the depth and scope of Apple's quality assurance efforts," Counterpoint noted.

Before being released to the public, Apple devices go through many stages of development and quality testing. Some important steps include testing for durability, water resistance, hardware, and many other processes.

Each stage has a different testing process. However, all follow a unified model, ensuring that the product is free of defects when it reaches the user.

Once the design is decided, information such as documents, schematic drawings and dimensions are sent to the supplier. They are checked multiple times to ensure that the components fit together, preparing for the durability testing phase (drop, water resistance...).

In specialized areas of the factory, drop-testing environments include slow-motion cameras and robots. To calibrate the equipment, engineers sometimes use plastic pieces that are the same size as the prototype design.

During this phase, the iPhone model was produced under the name Drop1, including important components such as the case, glass back. Some test devices had multiple colors in case of changing the color, material of the case.

Specialized equipment to test the water resistance of iPhone. Photo: @MKBHD/X.

Components in the Drop1 model such as the battery, camera and back are fake, made of metal. During the testing phase, they are dropped at specific heights and angles, recording and analyzing the results.

Other tests include dropping the model into a plastic tube with a metal barrier, and submerging it in liquid to test its water resistance. After the test is complete, the model is photographed for damage analysis. Severe structural or PVD damage is noted and sent to the relevant department.

The information in this phase is used to edit and update the next model called Drop2, which then goes through the same testing process.

Overall, Apple’s quiet efforts to test and improve product durability are bringing clear benefits, not only to users but also to the company’s own brand value in the global market. This also sets a new standard for other manufacturers in the smartphone industry.

Source: https://znews.vn/day-la-noi-tra-tan-iphone-ipad-khac-nghiet-nhat-post1566454.html