Galaxy S21 drop test: it broke on the first drop

I had high expectations for the new Samsung Galaxy S21 phones phones that have entered our drop test, although Galaxy phones are not yet the most durable in our previous tests. The S21, S21 Plus and S21 UltraThe curved screens are not as pronounced as previous models, and all the screens are all covered in the strongest Gorilla Glass. But let’s just say that my hopes were optimistic, and if you’re considering going idle with your new Galaxy S21, you might want to read on.

Although the three Galaxy S21 phones look similar, the back is of different materials. The S21 Plus and Ultra have glass on either side, while the back of the regular S21 is made of plastic. Because this difference can affect the durability of the phone, we decided to test both the $ 1,200 (£ 1,149, AU $ 1,849) Galaxy Ultra and the $ 800 (£ 769, AU $ 1,249) Galaxy S21 at the same time.

There are many factors that include the durability of the screen, including the shape and thickness of the glass that the manufacturer decides to use. We know from our previous Note 20 Ultra drop key that even the strongest Gorilla Glass (Victus) does not fit sidewalks, and the screen cracks on the second drop from hip height. But that does not mean that the S21 screen will share the same fate: the two have different designs and the thick metal casing that protects the camera looks firmer than the glass module on previous Galaxy phones.

For our drop test, CNET senior video producer Chris Parker dropped a brand new Phantom Violet Samsung Galaxy S21 and Phantom Black S21 Ultra onto a concrete driveway.

Fall 1: Pocket height (3 feet), screen side down

Falling out of pocket or hip height is one of the most common causes of cracked screens, especially if your phone lands on a rough surface like a sidewalk. We start all our tests at this high point.

Galaxy S21: broken screen

The top left corner of the phone opposite the camera hit the ground first, then the bottom corner and then the entire right side of the phone. This caused it to bounce back a bit and end up with the screen side down on the floor.

The lower left corner of the glass broke with some larger cracks remaining to the outside, including a large dome-shaped one that ran through the center of the screen.

Galaxy S21 Ultra: a small tear

The initial impact of the fall appears to be relatively evenly distributed as the phone falls to the floor, while the top edge of the screen hits the sidewalk just a little earlier than the rest. It then jumped into the air again, turned around and landed on the screen side up.

The top edge of the metal frame on the S21 Ultra looked like silver sand particles where the paint was scraped, but the screen looks OK. That is, until we notice a small crack in the upper left corner of the phone. It was small enough that it probably would not bother you if you continued to use the phone, but it was still damaged and after just one drop was not the ideal scenario.

Fall 2: pocket height (3 feet), back to bottom

To test the durability of the back, Chris drops the phones from the same height with the screen facing up. Of course, we did not expect the plastic to break on the S21, but we wanted to see what damage it would do and how the camera would hold up to the fall.

Galaxy S21: Minor scratches

The top half of the phone first falls to the ground, then the bottom edge, causing it to jump into the air and complete a few turns before landing on the sidewalk again with the back facing up.

If you did not have a few small scratches on the bottom, there was, as we expected, hardly any damage to the plastic cover.

The camera was also in good condition, with no visible damage to the module or any of the three lenses chopped in the metal casing. Unlike previous Galaxy models where the entire camera hump is covered with glass, the module on the S21 is mostly metal and only the lenses are glass.

Galaxy S21 Ultra: broken back

The phone slammed almost flat on the floor, bounced a little and turned on its side so he could land with his back to the top.

The glass on the S21 Ultra did not survive. It had multiple fractures emanating from the lower left corner and running up the entire back of the phone and a few loose pieces of glass coming from the corner where it hit.

The camera module on the other hand survived relatively unscathed, except for a few small fingers on the metal casing.

Fall 3: 6 feet back to bottom (S21), screen back to bottom (S21 Ultra)

Both phones were cracked at this point, but we decided to drop it for the last time on the side that suffered the least damage.

Galaxy S21: pick on the camera module

The weight of the camera module should play a role in the landing, as this is what broke the fall again. When the camera first slams, the phone bounces on the other side and does a few times in the air before sitting the screen side up on the floor.

As expected, the back of the phone was still in good condition, but with a few more pronounced scratches to the bottom. The upper left corner of the metal camera module, which broke the trap, also had noticeable scratch marks. But the lenses remained intact.

Galaxy S21 Ultra: Fully broken screen

The phone ends up almost completely flat, bounces up a bit and only then hits the face again.

The small crack at the top corner has multiplied with an entire crack web covering almost the entire front of the phone. Some were deep enough to penetrate the screen and obscured a portion of the OLED panel. The screen still responded to touch, but there were small shards of glass coming off it, so you would not want to keep using it, not even with a screen protector on top. The cracks at the back also continued to grow, although it was not nearly as severe as the front.

A second opinion

Allstate Protection Plans conducted a similar drop test on all three Galaxy S21 models with similar results. The screens shatter after the first drop (in this case from 6 feet). The back of the S21 Plus and S21 Ultra also broke after the second fall of the same height (back to bottom).

The collapse

Although our tests are by no means scientific, your results may be completely different if you dropped your phone, but our Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Ultra cracked at the first drop, which was disappointing. The S21 has an edge over the Ultra, as the rear is unlikely to break even if you drop it multiple times. But you still have to put a case on it to protect the screen, and I would consider investing in a screen protector as an extra layer of protection, as the repair of the S21 screen starts at $ 200. The silver lining is that the camera modules on both phones, which are more expensive to repair, look sturdier than in previous modules, thanks to the new metal casing.

We contacted Samsung for comment on our results, but we did not hear it during publication.