YouTubers can't stop destroying the iPhone 12

James Pero Oct. 29, 2020 Culture Apple's claim that the iPhone 12 is more resilient than predecessors has prompted reviewers to indulge in extreme stress-testing.

You may have heard about the iPhone 12's new "Ceramic Shield," a hardened glass that allegedly offers 4x the drop resistance of previous glass used in the iPhone 11.

In hearing about this new and improved glass, you may have also wondered just how well the lauded "Ceramic Shield" actually holds up to seemingly fatal drops. NurPhoto/NurPhoto/Getty Images

As it turns out, you're not alone. With the release of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, a bevy of reviewers has picked up hammers, climbed to the top of ladders, and suspended iPhone 12s in various substances, all in the name of finding out just how tough Apple's new smartphone really is. MobileReviewsEh on YouTube

Some of the tests are just downright brutal...

JerryRigEverything on YouTube

The drops

Naturally, YouTubers took Apple to task on its claims of increased drop resistance with one of the simplest tools: gravity, dropping the the 12 and 12 Pro from varying heights and onto a range of surfaces.

EverythingApplePro on YouTube

TechSmartt on YouTube

As it turns out, Apple's Ceramic Shield does actually seem to offer added protection when it comes to the types of drops one might encounter on a normal basis. Just don't try testing that durability while cleaning your gutters.

The scratch

While Apple didn't necessarily tout increased scratch resistance as one of the benefits of the improved glass on the iPhone 12, reviewers have taken it upon themselves to claw their way to a consensus nonetheless.

Some tests used dedicated scratch kits...

Others just went for it...

If YouTube scratch tests are any indication, the iPhone 12 seems to get scratched at about the same level as previous models (about a 6 on the Mohs Hardness Scale). That's good news for the screen protector market. Shutterstock

The hammer

Unsurprisingly, a hammer did the trick when it comes to breaking the iPhone 12's Ceramic Shield. Light taps cracked the corner of the screen while more forceful swings, well... you can watch for yourself.

The hammer test yielded a nice look at the phone's steel body at least

The water

This "dishwasher experiment"

XtremeGamez on YouTube

It's not all hammers and concrete drops, though. Some reviewers have also put the iPhone 12's water resistance to the test via some pretty serious trials. EverythingApplePro on YouTube

"iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max have a rating of IP68 under IEC standard 60529 (maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes)" Apple Shutterstock

Unsurprisingly, the phone has stood up to most tests. Even the more extreme ones like... Nikias Molina on YouTube

While some tests are pretty superficial (you hopefully won't be subjecting your iPhone to fire any time soon), the YouTube consensus seems to be pretty clear. Glass phones are still just that, glass, and if you apply enough force, they're gonna crack.