With the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra going on sale today (January 31), many people will be wondering how durable this $1,300 flagship really is. It appears that Zack Nelson of JerryRigEverything has the answer.
Samsung has spoken in detail about the durability of this next generation of Ultra phones, namely the new Corning Gorilla Armor Glass used on the display, and the phone's titanium chassis. Overall, the Galaxy S24 Ultra fared quite well in JerryRigEverything's torture tests.
Nelson uses a series of mineral picks, rated on the Mohs scale of hardness, to judge how strong the Galaxy S24 Ultra's display is. He found the screen on the Galaxy S24 Ultra showed slight markings at a 7 on the scale, and deeper scratches at an 8. For reference, the typical score on the channel is scratching at level 6 for recent smartphones, marking the S24 Ultra as a notable step forward in display toughness.
Lines are left on the Galaxy S24 Ultra by the level 6 pick. However, after examining the marks with a microscope, Nelson concludes that these are caused by material from the pick rubbing off and attaching to the display, rather than the glass actually being damaged.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra's screen is also shown to withstand the heat of a lighter for several seconds before leaving a mark on the screen. Also, the fingerprint sensor underneath the screen was capable of reading users' prints even under several layers of scratches, thanks to Samsung's using ultrasonic sensors instead of the typical optical ones.
Nelson found that the Galaxy S24 Ultra's titanium bezel scratches at Moh Grade 6. He also notes that the buttons do not appear to be comprised of the same material and are likely aluminum inserts.
It's unknown what grade of titanium Samsung has used for the Galaxy S24 Ultra's body, as titanium grades reflect the durability of the metal. For reference, the iPhone 15 Pro uses grade 5 titanium, which was a big deal when it was announced. When JerryRigEverything durability tested the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the back glass broke when he bent the phone, but the handset passed Consumer Report's rigorous drop test.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra managed to maintain its shape while being bent from both sides, with only a slight kink in the frame remaining. The screen did not pop or crack while the phone was being bent either, even with the scratches that had been inflicted in earlier tests.
The video focuses primarily on the resistance of the screen and camera glass but does mention the effectiveness of the display's anti-glare function as well. This was a lesser-mentioned aspect of the Gorrila armor and it is pretty impressive. When comparing the reflection of the studio lights the Galaxy S24 Ultra showed considerably less glare than the Galaxy Note 10+ that Nelson uses as his regular device, which means the phone will be much better in direct sunlight than other, more recent phones.
Overall, it appears that the Galaxy S24 Ultra is as tough as Samsung promised. This is great news for customers picking up a new device today after pre-ordering, or buying it now it's openly available. However, it's still worth putting this phone in one of the best Galaxy S24 Ultra cases just to be safe. We also have a simple list of things that you can do to protect your new phone as well.
