Apple iPhone 6s Plus vs Galaxy S7 Edge drop test: Which smartphone is stronger?

Two of the biggest players in the smartphone market, the Apple iPhone 6s Plus and Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, have been pitted against each other in a drop test video to see which handset is tougher – an essential watch if you're about to drop your own cash to buy one.

As mobile phones become bigger, thinner and lighter dropping our precious devices is one of our biggest concerns, especially considering the amount of money they cost. With the iPhone 6s Plus costing from £619 and the newly unveiled Galaxy S7 Edge priced at £639 us consumers want some sturdiness for the cash. So how much punishment can these handsets actually handle?

One YouTube user called EverythingApplePro has got his hands on an early review unit of the S7 Edge and took it upon himself to put it against the 6s and repeatedly drop the devices on a concrete floor to test their damage threshold – so you don't have to find out the hard way.

iPhone 6s Plus vs Galaxy S7 Edge: Which smartphone is stronger?

Despite their waif-like designs both smartphones are far more robust pieces of kit than you'd imagine. The first test simulates the common hip-height slip from the hand that sends the phone plummeting to the ground, landing on its end. Both phones fall with some force but both are barely damaged; no smashed screen, just a scratch on the metal chassis. Do this to any iPhone prior to the 6 and you'll be making a teary call to your insurance company.

Next the YouTuber performs a horizontal drop from the same height as before that sees the phone land on its back and front. Again, despite slapping onto the concrete surface neither suffer any damage.

Dropped from ear height, 10ft and 20ft

However, when the stakes are raised by a few feet in a test to simulate dropping from ear height as if you were on a call the first cracks begin to appear. The Apple 6s Plus is unscathed, but the rear of the Galaxy S7 Edge shows one crack streaking across its shell. When the horizontal drop happens from ear height the whole back casing of the Edge is shattered – but the display is still in perfect condition.

The tester then climbs a ladder and drops the phones from a height of around 10ft directly onto their screens. The iPhone laughs at the test, showing no signs of damage, but the Galaxy Edge isn't so hardy as its Gorilla Glass display shatters. The screen still works, so the LCD is well protected but compared to the iPhone 6s Plus there only one winner. Then the test goes nuclear as he climbs a set of stairs and lobs the phones from a height of around 20ft and the iPhone still brushes it off.

The call for tougher iPhones has clearly been answered by Apple with its flagship being made from an all-new 7000 series aluminium casing and display glass made from a dual-ion process that it claims is tougher than anything else on the market. We're impressed and will certainly give smartphone owners some peace-of-mind as they can clearly take the odd knock – anything more and you might want to consider going Apple.