Galaxy S21 drop test results are in — do you still need a case?

Galaxy S21 driblet exam results are in — do you all the same demand a instance?

Samsung Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21 Plus, Galaxy S21 Ultra phones lined up showing damage following drop testing

(Paradigm credit: Allstate)

Samsung's Galaxy S21 phones correspond the current top-of-the-line in the Android world despite the company making some cuts to evangelize a welcome $200 price drop beyond the board.

However, Samsung didn't skimp when information technology came to screen protection using Corning'southward new Gorilla Glass Victus, which is meant to be more scratch-resistant and able to withstand a drop of up to just over vi feet. Well, Allstate Protection Plans' (APP) put this durability claim to the test with a series of controlled driblet tests to illustrate what might happen if you lot become case complimentary with your new Milky way S21.

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All three phones were subjected to a face-down drop test from six feet and a back-down drop test from six feet, conducted past a car to limit variability. Each device was then thoroughly studied to assess any superficial or functional damage.

Face-downwards drib test

Marked improvement was expected in the face-down drop test compared to the Galaxy S11 lineup given the new display protection, but that wasn't borne out by the testing.

The Galaxy S21 took the least harm of the three with a cracked screen and slightly raised drinking glass, but was still functional. Adjacent up was the Galaxy S21 Plus with a malfunctioning screen that was both cracked and loosened. The Milky way S21 Ultra followed the old adage, "the bigger they are the harder they autumn" with the display completely dead later a single drop with cracked and loose glass.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus showing display damage from face-down drop test — (Epitome credit: Allstate Protection Plans)

Back-downwards drop test

Regardless of how yous feel about the premium look of drinking glass versus plastic on a flagship smartphone, there was little incertitude that plastic information technology would bear witness more durable, and this test thoroughly proved that with the Milky way S21 coming out virtually unscathed compared to its pricier glass-backed siblings.

The Galaxy S21 showed some relatively small-scale superficial damage and no functional impairment. The Galaxy S21 Plus and Galaxy S21 Ultra both had shattered rear panels with spiderwebbing extending across most of the dorsum of the phone. Notably, though. across all iii devices, the cameras remained intact and functional following the drop, suggesting the new Contour Cutting photographic camera housing has delivered more an aesthetic upgrade.

These results largely mirrored what we saw with APP's testing of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro dorsum in October with the less expensive model winning the 24-hour interval there, too. It seems nearly likely that this can exist attributed to the weight difference as you move upward the line, with more cameras, larger displays and larger batteries, the scales tip in favor of the smaller phones in a driblet test.

Now, for the most part, this is only a good reminder that a example is a solid investment to protect your telephone. Improved or not, there are limits to what a device that is largely made of drinking glass can handle. However, if you insist on going caseless and are waffling betwixt the Galaxy S21 and Milky way S21 Plus, which have few feature differences, I would definitely suggest because these results advisedly.

Sean Riley has been covering tech professionally for over a decade now. Most of that time was as a freelancer covering varied topics including phones, wearables, tablets, smart home devices, laptops, AR, VR, mobile payments, fintech, and more than. Sean is the resident mobile practiced at Laptop Mag, specializing in phones and wearables, you lot'll find enough of news, reviews, how-to, and opinion pieces on these subjects from him here. But Laptop Mag has besides proven a perfect fit for that broad range of interests with reviews and news on the latest laptops, VR games, and computer accessories forth with coverage on everything from NFTs to cybersecurity and more.