Galaxy S21 vs. Galaxy S21 Ultra drop test By CNET

Are you kidding on the first drop today? I've got a brand new Samsung Galaxy, s21 and s21 ultra, let's find out how tough they are in another drop test. Joining me, as always, is Vanessa up in San Francisco. You ready for another drop test. Oh definitely, Chris Samson started out the year strong, launching not one but three new flagship phones within the first couple of weeks of 2021. , the s21, the s21 plus and the s21 ultra all sharing similar features but made with different materials. So, while the s21 plus and the s21 ultra have glass on either side, the s21 has plastic on the back, which is why today we're doing a double drop test.

Well, I'm not! You are Chris. It's been raining here, so that's why I'm inside right now, but I'm going to be going outside in a moment to drop these on the pavement, we'll start at hip height about three feet and then move up to six feet and beyond, if they're, still in good shape, and we'll take a look at the phones in between each drop to see how they're holding up now. One thing to keep in mind is that both screens are made with gorilla glass, Vitus corning's, most durable, gorilla glass yet, but that doesn't mean it's indestructible, as we found out with our note: 20 drop test, in fact this phone cracked at hip height, but that doesn't mean the s21s- will have the same fate, because a lot of factors go into the durability of the glass, obviously the drop, but also the thickness of the glass and the shape. So with that in mind, let's get started. Okay here we are outside it's a little wet out, but I think we're going to be all right.

We're gonna start with dropping the s21 face down from about hip height. Here we go in three two one, and before we take a look at that, let's drop the s21 ultra same thing, hip height, face down, let's go inside and take a look and see how they did. First up, here's the s21, oh, oh man, are you kidding on the first drop nope wow. I mean I was not expecting that I'm seeing some spider webs on the corner there and then a massive crack running through the entire middle of the phone, and if this was my brand new s21, I would be very pissed. Please tell me the ultra did better because the bar is set very low at this point.

It's definitely better than the other one. There's a little more scuffing around the black metal frame. I'm only seeing a couple of scrapes. Are there any actual cracks on the glass Chris there's just this one little crack down here, but it doesn't look too bad interesting. Can you scrape some of that debris off or is it permanent damage? Yeah? I can, it's in the paint not in the glass, so that clearly did not go so well Chris, but let's see what happens when we drop both of them on the back.

So I'm not expecting to see a ton of damage on the plastic back of the s21. But let's see what happens from hip height three two and while we're here, here's the back on the s21 ultra three two ones. Let's go check it out. Well, no surprises, but the back is holding in their just fine. So the plastic did not break shocking.

No, just like we thought a couple, little scuffs down here on the corner and this bottom corner. If we look at this top corner here by the camera bump see, we got a little of a scrape, but the lenses on the camera, no cracking no damage there. I do like that. They've put the lenses kind of inside the metal because it seems that the module itself is going to hold up better than previous ones. Yeah, this whole section feels very solid, so it and also like it would sort of behave independent of the rest of the back.

Now I wish I had better news about the next one here, no way. Oh my gosh. What is wrong with these phones? Chris? Oh my gosh. Now it looks worse down here on this corner because there's some definite, cracking and scraping here, but if I can show it to you, there are cracks running through the body here that beautiful matte glass is shattered. We take a look at the camera.

Bump looks like one little tiny speck right there, maybe where the paint came off yeah and a little tiny thing up here, at least it's only cosmetic. It looks like yeah exactly again, that's nice and strong, still functional and the cracks that I am seeing up here seem to be underneath. I can't feel them with my finger. We still just have this little tiny crack up here in the top corner, but it doesn't look any bigger, so Chris by definition, neither one of these phones has survived the hip height drop, but I don't think we're quite ready to be done yet the back of the s21 is in real good shape and on the ultra we just have this little crack at the top of the screen. So let's take them outside, go up to six feet and test those surfaces one more time.

First up the s21 six feet high back down three two one, and now the s21 ultra six feet up face down. Oh nice flat, one first things: first, let's look at the s21 and no surprise that back looks pretty much the same, not too much to report. Well, this scuff up on the corner must have been where it landed. First that got a little more pronounced, but it's still just on the metal frame. Yep, nothing, nothing creeping into the lenses, so you can go careless with the s21 because the back won't break, but that's not going to matter because the front we know what happens.

I give you the s21 ultra, oh my gosh wow, that is, that is quite some damage. I don't even it's like someone shot it with a BB gun or something wow, so many little pock marks the LCD is broken up here inside that now the flashlight is stuck on dang wow. Furthermore, I don't think in the history of our drops test Chris. Furthermore, I don't think I've ever seen a screen. Look this bad and that's saying a lot, because we've done a lot of these drop tests, and I've.

Never I've never been this shocked. Remember when we dropped it off the car, the hood of the car that one I mean that was to be expected right. I was surprised when I picked this thing up and saw how speckled it really is. Can you detect the glass coming off? Oh yeah for sure, like I that's normally, I would be running my finger over it, but I can definitely feel the yeah. Don't do that then splinters and things so yeah.

So it's I will pass it's not usable. Basically I mean I don't know if you put some plastic on top of it. No, no there's no sugar coating, it. You have to get a screen replacement at the very least, even the back. Those cracks that we had there started to become a little more noticeable and visible yeah.

Now Chris Samsung does not have the best track record when it comes to drop resistance. As we know, all you have to do is watch our previous drop tests, which you can find on CNET, but I was expecting more from these phones. I was too to be honest and I have to say I'm a little bummed because, as you know, I use a lot of these phones when we shoot other videos- and I was looking forward to using the camera on the s21 ultra, but I don't think that's going to be happening now. Needless to say, you need a case on these phones at the very least, a screen protector on the s21 and now this is the time when I tell you that these are not scientific tests, but we do try to mimic real world results by dropping them on pavement outside. Of course, your results are going to vary, but we want to know what you guys.

Think of these results. Were you expecting more? Let us know in the comment section below and also let us know what other phone you want to see us drop next, we'll see you next time see you later.

Source : CNET