Marques Brownlee is a pretty well-known personality in making tech videos, yet even more for his identity as a vast iPhone literal fanboy. Now, let’s head into the test labs of Apple and see the extraordinary lengths to which plural technologies and it—go to make each iPhone—that meet top-tier criteria for durability.
Waterproofing Woes
I recently got to visit some Apple labs where they durability test new iPhones before they come out, and learned a few things (🧵THREAD)
#1: Have you actually seen how they water test phones for IP ratings? (video) PIC.TWITTER.COM/QH3HFMLMDN
— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) May 29, 2024
It began with a Level 1 gentle drip tray, in which an iPhone was casually sprinkled with water as one might experience during an unexpected drizzle of rain. Imagine your iPhone taking a shower all around 360 degrees. It rained at Level 2: a continuous, low-pressure jet spray from all corners of the iPhone, even to the bare minimum, ensuring the ports and buttons were completely tested.
#2: There’s an entire room of machines for water and ingress testing
Level 1: A drip tray simulating rain, no real pressure. IPX4
Level 2: A sustained, low-pressure jet spray from any angle. IPX5
Level 3: High pressure spray from a literal firehose. IPX6
Level 4: Locking the… PIC.TWITTER.COM/5R38I6QVMW
— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) May 29, 2024
Real action picks up from Level 3, where the iPhone is placed directly under the high-pressure fire hose spray. Marques continued with a little sense of humor: “It’s like your phone is fighting a hurricane.” But the pièce de résistance actually was Level 4 — locking the iPhone underwater and adding pressure to simulate deep-water immersion at maximum for a great deal of time. An IPX8 rating tests the potential at which an iPhone can deal with everyday mishaps to make sure it can live through scenarios far beyond that.
Drop Test Drama
#3: Apparently Apple has also bought and programmed and industrial robot to be their own drop test machine – to simulate hundreds of different drop angles onto different materials
Then they hit it with some ultra bright lights and a high speed camera to watch them back in… PIC.TWITTER.COM/ESNJBVQRBO
— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) May 29, 2024
This was followed by the high-tech drop test robot, an industrial wonder programmed to simulate hundreds of drop angles upon various materials. It can even simulate the unfortunate moment your iPhone slips from your hand and endures a vicious fall. “It was like watching a superhero take a punch, with the titanium frame just bending and wobbling on impact,” said Marques.
Inspection by Apple engineers on the resilience of the iPhone to capture every feature in slow motion is done with the use of ultra-bright lights and high-speed cameras.
Vibration Nation
#4 Ok this one was hard to capture on camera – it’s literally shaking everything at computer-controlled frequencies. They can program in the frequency of a certain motorcycle engine or subway car to simulate how well a device will hold up to sustained exposure to that frequency… PIC.TWITTER.COM/K981NZQHHK
— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) May 29, 2024
The vibration testing chamber was another highlight, shaking iPhones at computer-controlled frequencies. “Ever wondered how your iPhone would fare on a bumpy motorcycle ride?” Marques mused. This chamber can mimic the vibrations of a motorcycle engine or a subway car, simulating real-world conditions to ensure the iPhone can withstand prolonged exposure to various frequencies. It’s like putting your iPhone on an endless rollercoaster to make sure it doesn’t fall apart.
Durability vs. Repairability
$5 – Talked to John Ternus – Head of Hardware Engineering at Apple, and it was interesting hearing straight from the top why the iPhone is harder to repair. Take a listen PIC.TWITTER.COM/O9QSQOX4SP
— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) May 29, 2024
Marques also had the chance to chat with John Ternus, Apple’s Head of Hardware Engineering. Ternus shared insights on the balancing act between making iPhones durable and ensuring they can be repaired. “It’s a challenge,” Ternus admitted. “We strive for a middle ground where the iPhone is both tough and somewhat accessible for repairs.” Apple has been making strides in this area, gradually softening its stance on repairability without compromising on durability.
#6 Thankfully Apple is still softening their stance on repair – basically sliding slightly on that durability vs repairability spectrum PIC.TWITTER.COM/OA3F4JEOQE
— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) May 29, 2024
Strength in Numbers
#7: Connecting the durability test machines the real world: They may test 10,000+ pre-release phones while testing before the phone comes out PIC.TWITTER.COM/8JBHMXEPDY
— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) May 29, 2024
One of the most staggering revelations was the sheer volume of testing. Apple tests over 10,000 iPhones before a new model is released. Each of these devices goes through the same grueling tests to ensure they perform flawlessly in real-world scenarios. This massive testing effort highlights Apple’s commitment to delivering high-quality, durable products to its customers.
And with each of those tours, Marques Brownlee would tell of the extraordinary lengths Apple goes to in the name of iPhone durability. That extraordinary behind-the-scenes look left him and then his audience, walking away with a newfound appreciation for the unseen efforts going into every iPhone. This attests to excellent quality and innovation with Apple since, with an iPhone in your hand, you hold a product that has been thoroughly and rigorously tested, not just to survive the everyday rigors but far beyond.
