In response to concerns about the durability of the Black iPhone 5's back shell, iFixIt has posted a video pitting a black iPhone 5 against a 2 year old with a set of keys.


Again, this video shows more purposeful abuse to the iPhone 5 than in daily usage, but they do compare it to an iPhone 4S glass backing. As expected, the glass back is not as susceptible to blemishes as the iPhone 5 with the same amount of abuse.

Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

mrxak Avatar
174 months ago
Apple can't win. They use a hard material like glass, people slam them on the ground and cry about the glass breaking. They use a softer material like anodized aluminum, and people key the thing and cry about little scratches.

I prefer the glass, but oh well, nobody understands how good glass is until they see the alternative. This is like people complaining about the paint job on their Bentley after they drove it through a barrier into a ditch.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
deekon Avatar
174 months ago
To be fair, NOTHING is safe from a 2 year old with a set of keys.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
spiderman0616 Avatar
174 months ago
Is this seriously what we are resorting to now for news clicks? If you gouge a 2 year old a set of keys and have her bang the crap out of an iPhone, it scratches. SCUFFGATE.

I'm seriously worried for humanity.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
inscrewtable Avatar
174 months ago
This is shocking and made me wonder about the build quality of my iMac, sure enough I pushed it off the desk and the 27" behemoth hit the wooden floor with a sickening crunching sound, now it's broken. If it wasn't for this iPhone exposé I'd never have thought to check.

Later I'll be putting an electric drill to my Gibson and seeing if my arm can withstand a pass under a circular saw.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iParis Avatar
174 months ago
I don't mind it getting scratched that much. To me the device looks like it will hold together really well.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TonyC28 Avatar
174 months ago
Milf
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Verizon New

Verizon is Down: iPhones Show 'SOS' Mode Due to Network Outage [Resolved]

Wednesday January 14, 2026 10:18 am PST by
Verizon is experiencing a major outage across the U.S. today, with hundreds of thousands of customers reporting issues with the network on the website Downdetector. There are also complaints across Reddit and other social media platforms. iPhone users and others with Verizon service are generally unable to make phone calls, send text messages, or use data over 5G or LTE due to the outage....
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

New Leak Reveals iPhone 18 Pro Display Sizes, Under-Screen Face ID, and More

Wednesday January 14, 2026 7:09 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro models are still around eight months away, a leaker has shared some alleged details about the devices. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo this week, the account Digital Chat Station said the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will have the same 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes as the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Consistent with previous...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Thursday January 15, 2026 10:56 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another eight months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models, as of January 2026: The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID...
maxresdefault

Google Gemini-Powered Siri Will Reportedly Have These 7 New Features

Tuesday January 13, 2026 7:52 pm PST by
Apple and Google this week announced that Gemini will help power a more personalized Siri, and The Information has provided more details. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. As soon as this spring, the report said the revamped version of Siri will be able to… Answer more factual/world knowledge questions in a conversational manner Tell more stories Provide...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, Macs, and More

Thursday January 15, 2026 11:19 am PST by
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store. The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the United States, according to the company's website. Most of the values declined slightly, but some of the Mac values increased. iPhone ...