Roskachestvo named the most reliable smartphones on the American market

More often than not, our devices are fragile things. Finding an “unbreakable” phone is not easy.

Roskachestvo, together with international consumer testing institutes, has ranked shockproof and waterproof phones on the American market. The experts tested 167 phone models from 21 brands, including the Apple iPhone, Samsung, Huawei and others. Tested in an accredited laboratory and includes three main phases, two for shock resistance and one for water resistance.

Criteria for choosing a secure smartphone

Case Material. Often high-strength polycarbonate or plastic is used to make the case, which can withstand the strongest shocks. The manufacturer can specify the materials of which the device is made, on the package. If you buy online, you can find this information on the manufacturer’s official website or in the product description in the online store. But this information alone doesn’t guarantee that a smartphone won’t shatter after a few drops. You will not be able to check the durability of the phone before buying: the seller will let you hold the device in his hands, but he will not let you drop it.

Display. Shock-resistant models are usually equipped with improved glass that can protect the display from damage, while preserving the sensitivity of the sensor. But even in this case before buying there is no way to check if the display is really not scratched or cracked after several drops.

Degree of protection against moisture and dust. And this is a more reliable indicator that water and dirt will not disable the smartphone. The degree of protection is determined by the international code IPXX. The first digit of the marking indicates the protection against dust, and the second digit of the code refers to the class of moisture resistance:

• 5 – a small amount of particles gets inside, but does not affect the operation of the device.

• 6 – the smartphone is fully protected against dust penetration.

• 7 – the phone will work after short-term immersion in water to a depth of not more than 1 m.

• 8 – long immersion is possible – up to 30 minutes.

Accordingly, the maximum level of protection will be indicated by the code IP68.However, this does not mean that a smartphone with such protection can be buried in the sand or left in a filled bathtub for several days. Protection suggests short-term and minor contact with moisture and dirt. No smartphone can withstand long-term and serious stress and contact with water.

As with any other smartphone, you should not rely only on one criterion of reliability. Even if you need a super rugged device, you will use it for other functions: to shoot something on the camera, read and search information on the Internet, listen to music and watch videos. Choose a rugged phone that performs well on other parameters that are a priority for you.

How smartphones were tested for durability

Tests Roskachestvo gives a unique opportunity to check the shock resistance of a smartphone, that is, to do what you can not do before you buy it. An accredited lab tests smartphones for durability in three main steps: two for shock resistance and one for water resistance.

At the first stage, the mechanical strength of smartphones was determined: the screen and the rear camera were scratched with a special fiberglass stick. In the second stage, the phone’s durability under powerful mechanical effects – bumps and drops was determined, the so-called “drum test” was carried out. The smartphones were placed in a special rotating mechanism, which provided a drop height of 80 cm. During these rotations, the smartphone had to survive 100 consecutive drops from almost a meter high.

Among the tested smartphones you can find quite a rugged device. Nevertheless, “unbreakable” phones do not exist. No matter how strong your smartphone is, you should not subject it to additional shock in the form of bumps and drops. Then it will serve you longer.

Stanislav Polubinsky, Director of the Department of Analysis and Project Management of Roskatchestvo:

“In the current rating you can find only six models that completely failed the durability test, getting 0 points: such phones completely crashed and lost functionality. Rugged smartphones, which even without scratches passed the test for 100 drops, on the market there are, but not many of them

“Brick Smartphones.”

Blackview BV9500 is one of the most durable smartphones that Roskachestvo has tested in 5 years. However, it is quite bulky and heavy device: it weighs a third of a kilogram – 365 g with a diagonal of 5.7 inches. After 100 drops we did not have a scratch. Also BV9500 has an excellent water resistance: the device has a degree of protection IP68 and after immersion in water for 30 minutes, it works without any problems.

In addition, a big plus of this smartphone is its battery. The phone is able to work without charging up to 60 hours – this is a record Roskachestvo for the duration of the test.

Conclusion: Blackview BV9500 will suit unpretentious users who need a shock-resistant device for basic tasks, as the camera of the smartphone does not take high quality photos: pictures are smeared, detail is lame.

For everyday use, may suit, for example, Honor 9 Lite. Despite the lightweight 149g and compact size diagonal 5.65 inch , it did well in the “drum” test: after 100 drops the screen was only a few scratches. True, after the water resistance test, the Honor 9 Lite did not work for a while, but after drying the device, all was normalized.

Conclusion: Honor 9 Lite is not only rugged, but also lightweight phone, with navigation and basic sensor support and will be suitable for extreme or travel.

Phones are better protected from moisture than from bumps and drops

To test the resistance to moisture, each smartphone was placed for five minutes in a special stand, which created the effect of rain. One, two and three days after the test, their performance was evaluated. The smartphones, claimed to be waterproof, were additionally kept in water for 30 minutes at a depth of 1 meter.

Stanislav Polubinsky:

“With water the smartphones handled much better: none received 0 points and did not fail completely. Some models have experienced failures and problems, but in general, moisture is not as dangerous for a smartphone as bumps and falls from a height”

Remember that smartphones with the claimed high protection assume short-term and minor contact with moisture and dirt. This does not mean that they can be placed in the sand, or immersed in water for long periods of time.

Conclusion: The smartphones we tested would not fail in extreme situations. Choose shock-proof smartphones if you think that during sports or travels the device may fall. And pay attention to moisture protection if your smartphone will go with you to the beach, to the rafting or to the pool.