The iPhone SE (2nd Generation) was launched with a pretty low price tag of $399, but it still comes with Apple’s high standard for build quality. It has an aluminum unibody, scratch-resistant glass on both sides of the phone, and has an IP67 certification for dust and water resistance. But how strong the new iPhone SE really is? Let’s find out.

The iPhone SE has the same excellent build quality as that of the iPhone XR and the iPhone 11, but it comes in a smaller package. A 50-feet drop test by YouTuber EverythingApplePro shows if the low-cost iPhone would survive a drop from 50 feet above the ground when it has only a thin case on it.

The 2020 iPhone SE is shown covered in a thin plastic case that doesn’t wrap the sides of the phone. The case’s coverage is limited to the phone’s corners and the top as well as the bottom. After dropping the phone from a height of 50 feet for the first time, the phone survives exceptionally well. The screen isn’t cracked and works perfectly.

There are no cracks on the rear glass, and there is no dent on the frame of the phone. However, the phone did bend slightly, and a portion of the front glass of the phone separated from the frame to leave a thin gap. The iPhone SE 2020 was working perfectly, though. Even after the second drop, when the phone ejected from the case, it showed no dents, scratches, or shatter.

Coming to the durability test by popular YouTuber JerryRigEverything, the 2020 iPhone SE’s screen showed scratches appearing through a pick of Moh’s level 6 hardness. Deeper grooves start to appear when a pick with Moh’s level 7 hardness is used. The razor blade doesn’t damage the Touch ID fingerprint reader.

The YouTuber mentions that sapphire should scratch at Moh’s level 8 or 9, but Apple’s sapphire glass used to protect the rear cameras on iPhones starts to scratch with level 6 or level 7 picks. The phone’s SIM card tray and buttons are made using aluminum as well. And it takes a considerable effort and an extremely sharp object to scratch the phone’s metal sides.

It’s hard to scratch the phone’s earpiece that’s protected using a metal grill. Interestingly, Apple is using silver-colored screws as opposed to black screws in earlier iPhones.

Our Take

Thanks to Apple’s quality materials and top-notch engineering, we must say, the $399 iPhone SE is right up there with most high-end phones in terms of durability, fit, and finish. Although the phone has an older-looking design, it is more important for a phone to withstand drops, scratches, and scuffs that are a part of our daily lives.