Samsung Galaxy S7 and iPhone 6s get dunked, dropped and bent in device durability face-off

The Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and iPhone 6s are shining examples of just how far smartphone design has come over the years, from the plastic heydays of the early 00s to the glass and metal-glad elegance of today's flagship devices.

Unfortunately, the transition from dull but durable plastic to more luxurious materials in manufacturing means that modern smartphones are more susceptible to life's mishaps, meaning an inadvertent fumble is more likely to result in a one way ticket to Smashedville – particularly if you don't invest in a smartphone case.

To demonstrate to what degree Samsung and Apple's latest devices could take a beating, warranty provider SquareTrade subjected the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge and the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus to a range of extreme stress tests that involved dropping, bending and "tumbling" the handsets, in addition submerging them in water.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge lived up to their IP68 promise after surviving 30 minutes in 1.5 metres of water. However, afterwards the audio was "permanently muffled and distorted" on the devices, according to SquareTrade.

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, which don't feature aquatic capabilities, didn't fare so well. While the iPhone 6s survived for the full half hour, it suffered water damage under the display and lost all audio, whereas the iPhone 6s Plus gave out completely after 24 minutes underwater.

Apple's devices did, however, perform better in SquareTrade's breakability tests, which aimed to simulate the repeated drops and tumbles that smartphones often take. In the so-called tumble test, the iPhone 6s was the only device to come out unscathed, whereas both the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge performed poorly in drop tests, with their screens shattering on the first and second falls respectively.

Following the tests, the devices were ranked on SquareTrade's Breakability Score on a scale of 1-10, with a higher number representing a higher the risk of breaking in an accident. The iPhone 6s was hailed the most resilient of devices with a breakability score of 4, followed by the Samsung Galaxy S7 (5), S7 Edge (6) and finally the iPhone 6s Plus (6.5).

Aileen Abaya, director of communications at SquareTrade, said: "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. 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."