One of the popular beliefs about iPhones that have been going around for a very long time is that iPhones are fragile. We think it started all the way back around the iPhone 4 which came with a glass back and dropping it at the time meant having a cracked back for sure.
Over the years, Apple has tested and released various iPhones with different shapes and materials but has not been very successful in shaking off the “fragile” tag. But like all other negative narratives about the iPhone (the small battery life issues, absence of trendy specs), Apple has been slowly and steadily working on changing this one as well.
A tougher iPhone?
In 2020, Apple launched the iPhone 12 series with Ceramic Shield, a toughened glass made by the same company that makes the famous Gorilla Glass used on many Android smartphones, Corning. With this addition, Apple decided it was time to highlight just how strong iPhones have become.
With toughness front and centre, Apple launched a commercial featuring the iPhone 12 last year called, “Relax, it’s iPhone 12”. A woman in the ad is seen struggling to get a grip on her iPhone 12 and juggles it as she tries to get a hold of it. The phone eventually falls (on dirt, not on concrete though) but because it is an iPhone 12, the phone manages to survive the fall without even picking up scratches.
Can survive adult as well as toddler life
To emphasise the toughness of the iPhone13 series, Apple has taken a slightly different route and instead of showing how the phone can survive adult life, it has highlighted how even in the hands of a very (very) active toddler, the phone can live on just fine.
The ad “Toddler Resistant” has been showcased on Apple’s Twitter account and has appeared on some channels but is still not on YouTube. It has been shot, interestingly, in a very Instagram-friendly “square” format. In it, a toddler is seen bashing the iPhone 13 quite thoroughly, with rapper Leikeli47’s “Chitty Bang” playing in the background. The kid dips the phone in water, thumps it against different surfaces, drops it, steps on it and after the chaos, the adult in the commercial just picks up the phone, puts it back in the pocket without even checking for any damage highlighting the fact that they know the phone would be all right even after taking all the beating.
No longer ‘fragile’ iPhone…
It is obvious that Apple wants to break away from the “fragile” tag and move to the ‘strong and sturdy’ side of phones. But no matter how hard smartphones may try, especially the ones with glass backs, iPhone or Android, we do not think we can move to a case-less phone world just yet. We think we still would use our smartphones with protection with tempered glass on the front and a case on the back.
…but there’s still a case for a case
This is because even though companies tell you their phones come with tough-ened/est glass protection, without a case, your phone is often just a bad fall away from having a cracked glass for a display or back. And even if it does not break, scratches and smudges do take away the nice new feeling away from the phone. All of it is just a risk not worth taking.
The need to protect our (i)Phones may also stem from the fact that they come with a hefty price tag and getting back glass or front replaced can again leave you with a deep hole in one’s pocket. Apple may be trying to change the “fragile” narrative, which is a major plus considering many people used to skip buying an iPhone because of that reason alone. But no matter how “toddler proof” iPhones may become, we are still not using them without cases.
Case closed.
