The updated sleek design avoids Bendgate 2.0, but drop damage remains a costly risk for consumers
BRISBANE, Calif., Sept. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Apple’s new iPhone Air, its thinnest model yet, passed bend tests, but still shatters when dropped, according to Allstate Protection Plans’ latest Breakability Test. The independent evaluation used robotic testing equipment to evaluate how the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro withstand everyday accidents.
The iPhone 17 lineup features Apple’s biggest physical redesign in years, including a new rectangular camera housing on iPhone Air and 17 Pro models, designed to accommodate more advanced camera systems and 4K video recording in the Pro models plus other major components in iPhone Air. With iPhone Air’s ultra-slim profile, Allstate Protection Plans set out to test whether the device would be vulnerable to both bending and breakage.
Allstate Protection Plans’ Breakability Drop and Bend Tests of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air can be viewed here and includes the following results:
Drop test results: How the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro performed
Facing the Allstate Protection Plan’s DropBot, which drops devices 6 feet onto a sidewalk, both iPhones showed improved durability when dropped back-down but still suffered significant damage when dropped face-down.
- Face-down drop tests (6 feet): Both iPhone Air and 17 Pro shattered after one face-down drop from 6 feet. While both models remained fully functional, the damaged Ceramic Shield 2 front displays were too sharp to use with bare hands. Both iPhones would need their front screens replaced to be usable again.
- Back-down drop tests (6 feet): iPhone 17 Pro survived one back-down drop from 6 feet with only cosmetic damage, including minor scuffing on its camera housing and along frame edges. iPhone Air cracked across its rear panel after one back-down drop but was otherwise fully functional. These results are a big improvement from previous glass-back iPhone models, and most likely due to the new Ceramic Shield rear panels on iPhone Air and 17 Pro.
No Bendgate 2.0: iPhone Air survives the BendBot
iPhone Air’s slim design raised concerns of another Bendgate, which plagued iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge devices. But BendBot, which applies controlled pressure to measure breaking points, discovered bending isn’t an issue.
- iPhone 17 Pro bent at 200 pounds of pressure and was fully functional after our bend test. iPhone Air bent at 190 pounds of pressure and was also fully functional after our test. Though both models bent at fewer pounds of pressure than iPhone 17 Pro Max (240 pounds), they were still well above industry standards for bend durability and the stresses most users would encounter in everyday use.
- Though iPhone Air is 35% thinner (0.22-inch depth) than iPhone 17 Pro, it was nearly just as durable in our bend test. This may be due to added reinforcement from its rectangular camera housing and titanium frame.
Drop damage is costlier than ever
Smartphones have become the single device people use to capture, store, and share their lives. In fact, 82% of Americans say their phone has replaced their digital camera.1 With the iPhone 17 Pro starting at $1,099 and repair costs reaching up to $749 without AppleCare, and the iPhone Air starting at $999 with repairs as high as $699, protecting these devices is more important than ever.
“Apple avoided another Bendgate, but gravity still wins,” said Jason Siciliano, vice president of marketing at Allstate Protection Plans. “While iPhone Air impressed, and the Ceramic Shield rear panels of both iPhone Air and 17 Pro are the most durable we’ve tested in years, both iPhones still shattered when dropped face-down. If you’re spending more than a thousand dollars on a phone, a case, screen protector, and protection plan are smart investments.”
Watch the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro take on the DropBot and BendBot in our full results video, and explore AllstateProtectionPlans.com to keep your new devices protected from real-world damage.
About Allstate Protection Plans
For almost 20 years, Allstate Protection Plans has transformed the extended warranty industry with service innovation and an obsessive focus on the customer experience. Today, Allstate Protection Plans is trusted by over 150 million customers in addition to major retailers and mobile operators in North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia. Allstate Protection Plans are available for mobile devices, furniture, appliances, electronics, and more than 20 other product categories. Allstate Protection Plans is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Allstate Corporation.
Contact: Ian Twinn, [email protected]
|
1Allstate Protection Plans Mobile Mythconceptions Survey Methodologies and Data Sources – May 2023 |
SOURCE Allstate Protection Plans