Apple’s thin and light iPhone Air is built with a durable titanium frame, and it is highly resistant to bending. The device insurance provider Allstate Protection Plans shared the results of its annual iPhone drop test, providing insight into the durability of both the iPhone Air and the iPhone 17 Pro models.
- iPhone Air is 5.6mm thick and durable.
- Ceramic Shield 2 is used for both models.
- iPhone Air withstood 190 pounds of pressure.
- iPhone Air cracked during a back-down drop test.
- Allstate performs drop tests consistently each year.
- iPhones offer IP68 water and dust resistance.
The iPhone Air and the iPhone 17 Pro use Ceramic Shield 2 instead of glass for both the front and back, which Apple says is better able to hold up to drops and scratches. The iPhone Air has the titanium frame, while the iPhone 17 Pro has an aluminum frame.
In bend tests, the iPhone Air performed almost as well as the iPhone 17 Pro. The iPhone Air was able to withstand 190 pounds of pressure before it bent, while the iPhone 17 Pro withstood 200 pounds of pressure.
In face-down drop tests, the iPhone Air and the iPhone 17 Pro’s displays shattered from a six-foot fall. The iPhones remained functional, but the Ceramic Shield 2 material was too sharp to use with bare hands.
The iPhone 17 Pro’s aluminum frame protected it from damage during a back-down drop test, and it only received minor scuffs at the six-foot mark. The iPhone Air’s less durable design resulted in a rear panel crack when it was dropped, but it was still usable.
Last year, the iPhone 16 Pro Max display shattered and the device was unusable after a six-foot face-down drop. This year’s iPhone 17 Pro models are much more durable than the iPhone 16 Pro models, and that improved durability does carry over to the iPhone Air.
Allstate used to do dunk tests, but iPhone models have such good water resistance at this point that it’s no longer worthwhile. The iPhone 17 Pro models and the iPhone Air continue to offer IP68 water and dust resistance.
It looks like Apple’s claims of improved durability are accurate, though Ceramic Shield 2 is still a glass-like material that has the potential to break. In a real-life situation, the angle of an iPhone’s drop, the drop height, and the surface that it lands on will impact the outcome of a fall.
Originally reported by www.macrumors.com as “iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro Top Last Year’s Phones in Bend and Drop Tests” on 2025-09-23 21:22:00.
