iPhone XS Max Is Durable As It Is Expensive

There's no arguing that the iPhone XS pushes the envelope of how much you'll need to pay for to get a top of the line smartphone this year. And the iPhone XS Max pushes that envelope to the point of bursting. With a phone that reaches four-digit price tags, you'll probably want to be reassured that your expensive investment won't break apart in the first five months of use. YouTube channel JerryRigEverything puts the largest iPhone ever through its usual battery of durability tests to see if it's exactly that.

Zach Nelson is obviously no fan of the iPhone and it's not from a durability standpoint. While the iPhone 6 Plus did end up on his shelf of fame, Apple has cleaned up its act since then. Nelson is mostly unimpressed with how, as he describes it, Apple creates problems and charges consumers for the solution.

He is, however, impressed with how Apple continues to use stainless steel frames instead of the usual aluminum found in the competition. It is more durable and more scratch resistant, though it will still scratch, just not as easily. That said, steel also conducts less heat so while it feels more cold to the touch, it may offer less heat dissipation.

Despite Apple's marketing, the iPhone XS Max's screen is just as scratch resistant as any recent iPhone. That is, it is glass that scratches at a level 6 with deeper grooves at a level 7. And that sapphire crystal lens cover for its cameras? Still not sapphire.

As much as he might hate to admit it, the iPhone XS Max is one durable and unbending smartphone. At least from JerryRigEverything's usual tests. Nelson does note that, like any other smartphone with a glass back, that back could crack with a wrong fall, and Apple will charge you $599 to replace that, much more than a screen replacement.