iPhone 14 Pro Max and Galaxy S22 Ultra drop tested — here's the results

There is no doubt that all smartphones are vulnerable to damage, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max is not an exception. What is the durability of Apple's latest superphone?
In a drop test involving two devices with dual-glass faceplates, neither is going to emerge unscathed. That's especially true when you're dropping both devices from almost 5 feet onto concrete. A drop test between the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra will reveal whether Apple's materials are more durable.
On paper, the iPhone 14 Pro Max has an advantage over the S22 Ultra. Unlike Samsung's curved screen and stainless steel body, it has a flat display instead of its curved metal body. Moreover, as an exclusive version of Gorilla Glass, Ceramic Shield is featured on the front of iPhone 14 Pro Max, making it the toughest smartphone glass ever. The iPhone 12 introduced it, and it seems to have gotten better since then. As expected, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is made of premium materials, with both the front and back being protected by Gorilla Glass Victus Plus.

Drop Test 1: Back-facing drop

First tests with a backward drop did not bode well for the iPhone 14 Pro Max. A dual-ion glass back is used instead of a Ceramic Shield, which does not appear to be as strong as a Ceramic Shield. S22 Ultra is not unscathed, but its damage is less severe than the iPhone's back.
Although the sapphire glass covering the camera cracked from the drop, it had no noticeable effect on the quality of the images. Apparently, the camera on the 14 Pro Max protrudes a bit more than the one on the 13 Pro Max, according to PhoneBuff.

Drop Test 2: Corner drop

The corner test comes in Apple’s favor. Despite both phones suffering damage to their corners, the S22 Ultra appeared to have deeper dents and chips. It didn't do the iPhone's back glass any favors, however, with the glass cracking and coming away from the affected corner after the corner drop.

Drop Test 3: Face drop

The face drop managed to give Ceramic Shield time to shine. There were shattered screens on both the 14 Pro Max and S22 Ultra. While the iPhone's damage was restricted to its top right corner, Samsung's screen was much worse off, with more cracks covering more of it.

Final drop: Front on steel

There were some pretty brutal drops, especially the final drop, which went straight to steel. There are now a few dead pixels and a substantial number of cracks on the S22 Ultra, which have a lot more damage than the S22. Despite being confined to the 14 Pro Max's corner, the cracks are more numerous and widespread.
As was the sapphire glass on the camera, the rear glass was even worse. Due to that, there was some flaring in the camera, particularly in the front-facing selfie camera.

Galaxy S22 Ultra vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Which is tougher?

Although it's clear that Ceramic Shield outperformed Gorilla Glass Victus Plus in this contest, PhoneBuff declared it a tie. There's no point in stressing about it, in the grand scheme of things.
Additionally, PhoneBuff tested a second iPhone 14 Pro Max, which was outfitted with a protective case. No damage was done to the phone, and the case itself only appeared to have minor scratches. It's worth remembering that no matter how durable your phone is, it'll still be no match for a case to protect it.