Every time a new Galaxy flagship is unveiled, experts put it through all kinds of tests. The most painful of those tests are undoubtedly drop tests, and the first one for the Galaxy S24 Ultra is now online on the YouTube channel PBKreviews.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra brings several changes to the design: it has a titanium frame and the display is now flat. The display is also protected by the new Gorilla Glass Armor, which has four times better scratch protection than (unnamed) competing protective glasses and 75% lower reflectivity compared to previous Gorilla Glass iterations, including Gorilla Glass Victus 2 that protects the back of the S24 Ultra.
On paper, the Galaxy S24 Ultra should be able to survive drops and scratches better, but was that the case in practice? Well, it's kind of a mixed bag: while the titanium frame turned out to be impressively resistant to scratches, the display developed a small crack on the very first face-down drop from waist height.
The display developed another crack on consecutive drops, though it continued to operate without issues. In fact, the cracks it developed were pretty minor, revealing how the lack of curves on the edges of the display glass ensures better drop protection. Gorilla Glass Armor's enhanced scratch protection also shined when sand was rubbed across the S24 Ultra's display.
Surprisingly, the back of the phone escaped unscathed with no cracks on either the rear panel or the camera lenses, though it seems the phone only fell on its back once so this may not be the most scientific test as far as the durability of the S24 Ultra's rear side is concerned.
It will be interesting to see how the Galaxy S24 Ultra, especially its titanium frame, will fare in the JerryRigEverything durability tests, which give phones considerably more torturous treatment. Of course, whatever the results, it's always a good idea to use a case, as it helps avoid the costs that are associated with repairing a smartphone glass or display and also helps you get better value should you ever decide to sell your current phone.
