Applied 'Ceramic Shield' on front display glass, 4 times stronger and intact
Rear glass remains the same, prone to breaking when dropped
Scratch resistance at average phone level... Scratches appear from Mohs hardness level 6 onwards
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro were dropped from a height of 1 meter onto the back, front, and side edges, followed by a 1.5 meter bonus drop test, resulting in the rear glass breaking. (Source: PhoneBuff)
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Thanks to Apple equipping the iPhone 12 series' front display with a ceramic shield that is four times more durable, it withstood drops well. The problem lies in the rear glass material, which is less durable than the front when dropped, resulting in more severe damage.
PhoneBuff, a smartphone review YouTube channel, conducted drop tests on the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, and in multiple drop experiments, the front displays of both devices did not break.
When PhoneBuff dropped the two devices from a height of 1 meter onto concrete with the rear facing down, cracks appeared on the iPhone 12's rear camera and body glass. The front display glass of both devices remained intact. When dropped from the same height with the side facing down, both the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro showed dents. The dents on the stainless steel material (iPhone 12 Pro) were more pronounced compared to the aluminum (iPhone 12).
The front screen remains intact even after drop tests on the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro. (Source: YouTube PhoneBuff)
When dropped from 1 meter with the front facing down, the front display glass did not break. In an additional test dropping from 1.5 meters with the front facing down, cracks on the iPhone 12's rear spread like a spider web. In contrast, the iPhone 12 Pro's rear remained intact.
This confirms that Apple’s application of ceramic shield material only on the front has indeed made it more resistant to drops and cracks. The iPhone 12 series adopted a squared-off design, and the side frame aligns horizontally with the display, allowing the metal to absorb some of the impact.
Although the risk of front display damage has decreased, the risk of rear glass damage remains, so using a case is recommended. The rear glass is made of Corning's Gorilla Glass, the same material used in the iPhone 11.
Testing the screen scratch resistance of the iPhone 12 Pro. Scratch marks appeared starting from level 6 hardness. (Source=YouTube JerryRigEverything)
The ceramic shield on the iPhone 12 series is strong against drops but weak against scratches.
YouTube channel JerryRigEverything conducted a scratch test on the iPhone 12 Pro and found that scratches began to appear on the front glass starting at level 6 on the Mohs hardness scale, with deeper scratches from level 7. The rear camera glass cover also showed scratches from level 6 and significant marks from level 7. The fact that scratches appeared from levels 6 and 7 indicates a durability level similar to that of typical smartphones.
Interestingly, the iPhone 12 Pro's stainless steel side frame proved to be more resistant to scratches. JerryRigEverything said it was "surprisingly difficult to scratch."
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