Allstate Protection Plans is out today with the results from its iPhone SE 3 drop test. Interestingly, while the latest budget iPhone lacks the Ceramic Shield found on the iPhone 12 and 13, it was able to withstand a direct drop on its screen without cracking. However, the whole device didn’t turn out to be that durable.
In a bit of tricky marketing, Apple says the iPhone SE 3 features “the toughest glass in a smartphone.” While at first many would expect that includes the extra Ceramic Shield protection found on the iPhone 12 and 13 screens, it turns out that’s not the case for the SE 3.
But in Allstate’s iPhone SE 3 drop test, that didn’t cause decreased durability as the new affordable iPhone survived its first face-down 6-foot drop onto a sidewalk with “only minor scuffing.”
Allstate says that’s the same result it saw when dropping the iPhone 12 and 13 on their screens. And it saw the same with the first drop of the SE 3 on its side from 6 feet, just minor scuffing.
However, when the iPhone SE 3 was dropped on its back, the glass cracked on the first fall, which the iPhone 12 and 13 were able to withstand. With the same glass being used on the back of all of these models, the SE 3 back cracking could have just come down to the luck of the impact.
But Allstate believes it could have to do with the flat sides of the iPhone 13 offering more protection than the rounded edges of the SE 3.
While the iPhone glass may be the “toughest ever” a good case offers worthwhile peace of mind.
- Best iPhone SE 3 cases for launch day: Deals, new colorways, and more
No surprise here, but when it came to the water-resistance of the SE 3, Allstate’s test showed it withstood the one-meter dunk for 30 minutes without any issues (outside of temporarily muffled audio that resolved after an hour).
