Galaxy S20 Ultra performs well in torture tests
It can’t be a lot of fun being a smartphone maker these days. The glare of the media spotlight is incredibly intense, and any misstep is magnified with more intensity that Samsung’s own 100x digital Space Zoom. Not only do you have to worry about reviewers pulling your device apart proverbially, you have people who love nothing more than literally pulling them apart the moment they hit. And then there is that special category of mobile masochists who love nothing more than torturing these painstakingly made and beautiful devices with scratch tests and drop tests on top of everything else.
This time around, Samsung looks like it has prepared well for the latter category with its Galaxy S20 Ultra flagship holding up remarkably well. If you can bear to watch it, JerryRigEverything conducts his usual scratch test on the Gorilla Glass 6 coated S20 Ultra display among other brutalities. Unlike the Galaxy Z Flip, which Zach Nelson found couldn’t withstand much more than the plastic display on the Galaxy Fold (despite being made from a new form of ultrathin foldable glass), the S20 Ultra proved scratch resistant right up to level 6 on the Mohs scale.
Similarly, the chassis of the S20 Ultra is also extremely resilient. Although most people will put their smartphone in a protective case, it is good to know that it can still hold up hold up reasonably well should you happen to drop it. PhoneBuff found that the S20 Ultra held up better than the iPhone 11 Pro Max that it tested in terms of its all glass front and back but was more vulnerable to damage on its sides. This was put down to the fact that Apple uses stainless steel in this area where Samsung continues to use aluminum. Good to know the S20 Ultra is tough cookie, but it still might be worth investing in Samsung Care+ nonetheless.