SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - March 14, 2016) - SquareTrade®, the highly rated protection plan trusted by millions of happy customers, has once again shone the spotlight on the durability of the latest smartphones as it puts the Samsung Galaxy S®7 and S®7 edge through its Breakability tests. With Samsung making a big splash about the water-resistant capabilities of its new phones1, SquareTrade sought to uncover whether these would prove to be the "splash dunk" advantages needed to overtake rival, Apple. SquareTrade Labs found both the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge to be water-resistant, but they still stumbled when it came to screen durability. The iPhone® 6s, with its ion-strengthened glass, proved to have the sturdiest screen of all.
Always up for a challenge, SquareTrade Labs added two new robots for the latest round of Breakability tests: the Deep Water DunkBot and the TumbleBot. The Deep Water DunkBot submerges phones under five feet of water for 30 minutes. To mimic the repeated tumbles that smartphones often take, SquareTrade also created the TumbleBot, which continually drops devices in an enclosed chamber at a rotational speed of 50 revolutions per minute for 30 seconds.
See SquareTrade's full Breakability video, with its new Deep Water DunkBot and TumbleBot, here.
SquareTrade's Breakability test results revealed:
1. Water resistant? Yes. Waterproof? No. The S7 and S7 edge both survived 30 minutes under water, but their audio was permanently muffled and distorted. The iPhone 6s lost all audio and suffered water damage under the screen, while the iPhone® 6s Plus malfunctioned at 10 minutes and died at 24 minutes.
2. The iPhone 6s is a tumble master. The iPhone 6s was the only phone to survive the tumble test unscathed. The S7 and S7 edge both suffered significant damage to their back panels, while their front screens had minor cracks. The iPhone 6s Plus' screen completely shattered.
3. Sidewalk resistant? No. Dropped on their corners from six feet high, the S7 cracked after four falls, while the S7 edge was completely unusable after seven. Dropped facedown, the S7 shattered on the first fall, while the S7 edge shattered on the second.
4. Bend issues persist for Samsung. In our bend test, the S7 edge performed the same as its S6 edge predecessor. Not only did the phone crack at 110 pounds of pressure, but it also reached catastrophic failure at less than 170 pounds. The S7 withstood 170 pounds of pressure -- the same as the iPhone 6s.
"Samsung's new phones may hold up to an impressive amount of water, but we've found that they still struggle to keep up with the iPhone when it comes to screen durability," said Aileen Abaya, director of communications at SquareTrade. "So while the S7 and S7 edge may be perfect for underwater adventurers, those of us who are clumsy or accident-prone should still be careful about drops and tumbles."
SquareTrade's Breakability Score fills the gap left by traditional reviews. SquareTrade carries out a stringent set of tests on new phones and awards them a rating. This Breakability Score is based on a number of factors: from physical characteristics to the results of SquareTrade's drop, dunk, bend and tumble tests. The higher a device scores on a scale of 1-10, the higher the risk of it breaking due to an accident.
For more information on protection plans for today's most popular smartphones, please visit http://www.squaretrade.com/smartphone-warranty.
About SquareTrade
SquareTrade is a highly rated protection plan trusted by millions of happy customers for its fast and exceptional service. SquareTrade protects mobile devices, laptops and tablets, and other consumer electronics and appliances from malfunctions, accidental damage and life's frequent mishaps. Unlike old-fashioned warranties, SquareTrade is designed for today's consumer and uses innovative technology to deliver a zero hassle claims process. SquareTrade has more than 230,000 fans on Facebook, consistently wins industry awards and receives thousands of 5-star reviews for its legendary customer service. Top retailers around the world offer SquareTrade, achieving significant sales growth and happier customers. Privately held, SquareTrade's investors include Bain Capital and Bain Capital Ventures. SquareTrade is headquartered in San Francisco and London. For more information, go to www.squaretrade.com.
SquareTrade and the SquareTrade logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SquareTrade, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners, who are not affiliated with SquareTrade and do not endorse its products and services.
1 http://www.samsung.com/us/explore/galaxy-s7-features-and-specs/
Attachment Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/3/9/11G086947/SamsungS7_Breakability_Scorecard_ENGLISH-84e8d099fc84a88fae73a4f6e54055b1.pdf
Contact Information:
Press Contact:
Aida Zepeda-Torres
aida@squaretrade.com
405-474-7385
