The Unbreakable iPhone? Video Captures 14,000-Foot Fall and Remarkable Survival
Since the original iPhone model was released, we’ve seen numerous drop tests where the device is dropped from a height of up to 20 feet and inevitably cracks. However, in a recent TikTok post, skydiver Hatton Smith shared an unusual experience where his iPhone fell out of his pocket while he was jumping from 14,000 feet. Surprisingly, he didn’t notice it was missing until he landed on the ground.
The post, titled “What happens when you leave your iPhone in your pocket when you go skydiving?” raises a couple of questions, namely, how long did it take Smith to find his phone after it fell, and was his phone covered by an active AppleCare Plus subscription?
The video starts with Smith jumping out of the plane, with the iPhone slipping out of his pocket mid-air. In a subsequent clip, we see Smith and his friends on the ground as they search for the device. One of his friends comments that the phone looks like Excalibur as it is half-buried in the muddy ground. However, when Smith picks it up, everything seems to be working perfectly fine.
It’s uncertain which iPhone model Hatton Smith was using – it was something between an iPhone X and iPhone 12. However, he had a Catalyst case on it, which helped to protect the edges of the phone as it plummeted at speeds exceeding 100 mph during the freefall.
Furthermore, the muddy ground where the iPhone landed likely contributed to its survival. If it had hit a hard floor or concrete, things could have turned out differently. One comment on the video by Lexi pointed out that there is no middle ground when it comes to iPhones. They are either indestructible or crack from a minor fall on a carpet.
While Apple has been making strides to enhance the iPhone’s crack resistance, it’s always a good idea to invest in a reliable phone case or at least have an active AppleCare Plus subscription.
