Back in late November, iPhone case maker Urban Armor Gear sent an iPhone into space using a weather balloon, and in early January, the site shared a video depicting the iPhone's journey to the stratosphere in an Urban Armor Gear case.


The iPhone soared 101,000 feet into the atmosphere, and was subjected to 70 mile per hour winds and temperatures that dropped to -79 degrees Fahrenheit. Though turned on at launch, the iPhone later shut off and froze due to the cold weather.

Urban Armor Gear hooked the iPhone up to a weather balloon rig that also included a GPS locator and two GoPro cameras for filming. Upon descent, the iPhone and the flight rig withstood 150 RPM rotation speeds, and at landing, the rig broke while the iPhone managed to remain unscathed.

"Our cases already meet military drop-test standards, but now we can officially say that they are space tested as well," said Steve Armstrong, co-founder of Urban Armor Gear. "The fact that the iPhone survived its space adventure and returned fully functioning showcases our commitment in providing our customers world-class, or in this case out of this world, protection for their premium devices."

The iPhone was protected by an Urban Armor composite case which promises military-grade protection, but it did not have a screen protector and still managed to come out undamaged. After landing, the iPhone powered back on and was fully functional, demonstrating the durability and solid construction of the device.

Top Rated Comments

5t3f4n Avatar
129 months ago
Can't believe they didn't use a Space Gray model.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Anonymous Freak Avatar
129 months ago
100,000 feet isn't space!!!

The international definition of "space" is 100 km (about 61 miles, 328,000 feet.) The US Air Force used to use 50 miles (264,000 feet.)

Also, I'm a bit surprised at how warm it is at 101 K feet up. I thought the temperature would be much closer to absolute zero than just -50. You can find that temperature at sea level near the poles.

Um, even in orbit around the dark (as in: unlit by the sun; separate from "back") side of the moon it doesn't get that close to absolute zero. The dark side of the moon (no atmosphere, no solar radiation for 14 days,) gets as cold as -243 F (-153 C.) Still well above absolute zero.

There are craters near the north pole of the moon that are permanently in shadow, so never receive any solar radiation. They can get as low as -413 F (-247 C,) colder even than Pluto. Still noticeably above absolute zero (which is -459 F, -273 C.)

So, especially right above the Earth's surface, where there is still measurable atmosphere (thin, yes, but it's thick enough for jet engines to work, and airfoils to provide lift and control, as evidenced by the fact that the SR-71 jet-powered spy plane could fly that high,) means it shouldn't be surprising that it isn't "near absolute zero."

In fact, it is often WARMER at 100,000 feet than at lower (but still high) altitudes. The standard model is that air temperature at 100,000 ft. is approximately 100 degrees (F) cooler than the sea level temperature directly underneath. But between 35,000 feet and 85,000 feet, it is often 130 degrees (F) cooler! So as you travel up, it gets colder and colder as you reach 35,000 feet, then stays about the same until you reach 85,000 feet, then starts to warm up as you get to 100,000 feet.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/weather/wstdatmo.htm
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JayLenochiniMac Avatar
129 months ago
Moot because they didn't include a control (another iPhone sans the case).
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
octothorpe8 Avatar
129 months ago
Wow, this case is strong enough to protect a phone from a slowed-down drop onto soft dirt! Great.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jayducharme Avatar
129 months ago
Wow, this case is strong enough to protect a phone from a slowed-down drop onto soft dirt! Great.

And actually, the drop consisted of only a few inches when it detached from the clamp after the rig hit the dirt. This really is a much better ad for GoPro.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
redscull Avatar
129 months ago
I feel like they lucked out it landing in a mud puddle instead of hitting that wooden fence.

Also, way to go GoPro. They kept recording even though the iPhone had to shut itself off. Their investors should take note; Apple doesn't have anything in their league regarding extreme conditions video capture.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

General Black Friday Deals 24 Green Tinsel

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now: AirPods, iPads, and More

Friday November 22, 2024 5:28 am PST by
Black Friday 2024 is less than one week away, and as always the next few days will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals. Right now, this includes big savings on popular Apple products like AirPods, Apple Watch, MacBook Air, iPad, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small...
anker new xmas 1

Anker Kicks Off Massive Black Friday Sale With Up to 50% Off Sitewide, Free Gifts With Purchase, Mystery Boxes, and More

Thursday November 21, 2024 7:53 am PST by
Anker today kicked off its big Black Friday sale, which is set to run through December 9. This sale includes notable discounts on portable chargers, USB-C hubs, cables, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Anker. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. There are a few bonus offers during this event as ...
Apple 2024 Black Friday Shopping Event feature

Apple Announces 2024 Black Friday Event, Offering Up to $200 Gift Card

Thursday November 21, 2024 5:10 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 29 through Monday, December 2 in many countries, including the U.S., Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the U.K., and others. During the event, customers can get an Apple gift card with the purchase of an eligible product. In the U.S., for instance, Apple is including gift ...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 With Apple's Own 5G Modem 'Confirmed' to Launch in March

Tuesday November 19, 2024 12:12 pm PST by
Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues recently traveled to Asia to meet with various electronics manufacturers and suppliers. In a research note this week, outlining key takeaways from the trip, the analysts said they have "confirmed" that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previo...
silo tv show apple tv plus

Apple TV+ Releasing Next Week's 'Silo' Episode Early

Friday November 22, 2024 7:25 am PST by
The next episode of Apple TV+'s award-winning sci-fi series "Silo" will be released early. Apple previously announced that new "Silo" episodes would be released on Fridays, but the third episode of the second season will instead be released on Wednesday, November 27. Apple has likely bumped up the date so that people can watch the episode during the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday,...
at t turbo indicator iphone 16 pro max v0 8hrh7w5f3w1e1

AT&T Turbo Indicator Showing Up in iPhone Status Bar for Subscribers

Wednesday November 20, 2024 3:42 am PST by
AT&T has begun displaying "Turbo" in the iPhone carrier label for customers subscribed to its premium network prioritization service, according to reports on Reddit. The new indicator seems to have started appearing after users updated to iOS 18.1.1, but that could be just coincidence. Image credit: Reddit user No_Highlight7476 The Turbo feature provides enhanced network performance through ...
beats snow

Black Friday Deals Hit Beats Headphones With Up to 52% Off

Thursday November 21, 2024 12:05 pm PST by
Beats is joining in on the Black Friday discount frenzy, with up to 52 percent off select headphones, earbuds, and speakers on Amazon. You'll find many of the same prices at other retailers like Best Buy as well. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. This sale...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock

iOS 19's First New Feature Has Leaked

Friday November 22, 2024 6:22 am PST by
iOS 19 is not expected to be announced until June 2025, but the software update's first major new feature has already leaked. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman this week reported that iOS 19 will introduce a "more conversational Siri" powered by "more advanced large language models." He said this upgrade will make Siri more like OpenAI's ChatGPT, allowing the assistant to "handle more sophisticated...