A study involving drops onto concrete and water dunkings, found that Apple was named and shamed in the top ten gadgets likely to break, four times. The research looked at the design and construction of the front, back and sides of each device, its weight, "grip-ability" and water resistance. Each device was dropped from a height onto concrete. All of that information was taken into account and each device was given a "breakability score", with higher numbers indicating a more fragile product.
The study showed that the iPad Mini was the most fragile gadget in the world, the iPad Air was in third place and the iPhone 5c in fifth position. In eighth place was the iPhone 5s. Samsung and Google products made up the rest of the list, each having three products in the top ten. Samsung fared worse, taking second and fourth slots with its Galaxy S4 and S3 respectively. However, Apple was clearly picking up the wooden spoon award, particularly since we are looking at most of the products it released in the last year.
Kevin Gillan, managing director of insurance firm SquareTrade Europe, which carried out the research, said: "We are all investing in more and more technology, so when we do we want to make sure that we are going to get our money's worth. By putting devices through tests that replicate real life situations, we want to help people make smart choices when it comes to choosing gadgets and ensure they are covered against accidental damage."
However it does mean that Apple’s build quality is manufactured from the same spin and self-delusion which created the reality distortion field.
The top ten list of most breakable gadgets in full:
1. iPad Mini - 7.5
2. Samsung Galaxy S4 - 7
3. iPad Air - 6.5
4. Samsung Galaxy S3 - 6.5
5. iPhone 5C - 6
6. Nexus 7.1 - 6
7. Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 - 5.5
8. iPhone 5S - 5.5
9. Nexus 7.2 - 5
10. Moto X - 4.5
