New tests conducted in the European Union have revealed an unexpected weakness in Apple’s latest iPhone 17 series. Despite significant improvements in battery technology, the new iPhone is less drop-resistant compared to its competitors.
According to the new European standards, smartphones are classified based on durability and repairability. In the tests, the iPhone 17 Pro Max received a “B class” rating, indicating that the phone can withstand approximately 180 drops. While this is twice as good as the previous iPhone 16 Pro Max model (90 drops, “C class”), it still lags behind rival devices.
For comparison, flagship devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and Google Pixel 10 Pro XL earned the highest “A class” rating, enduring up to 270 drops. This means that, in daily use, the iPhone 17 is more prone to damage. Even the slim iPhone Air showed the same result—a “B class” rating (180 drops).
Regarding repairability, the iPhone 17 is not a leader either. It received a “C class” rating, similar to Samsung, but weaker than the Pixel (“B class”).
However, the iPhone 17 Pro Max performed excellently in battery tests, earning an “A class” for energy efficiency with a runtime of 53 hours, outperforming its competitors. One important note: the iPhone battery is rated for only 1,000 charge cycles, which is half the lifespan of Samsung’s batteries that can last up to 2,000 cycles.
It is worth mentioning that Apple has strongly criticized this testing methodology. The company argues that the drop test results are inconsistent and that testing only five devices is insufficient for an objective evaluation. Apple recommends testing a minimum of 30 devices.
