Google Pixel 8 Pro Survives Drop and Scratch Tests, Outlives iPhone 15 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

Here's how the Pixel 8 Pro fares against concrete and sand in a new durability test.

Written by David Delima, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 10 October 2023 17:28 IST

Google Pixel 8 Pro Survives Drop and Scratch Tests, Outlives iPhone 15 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

Photo Credit: Google

Google's Pixel 8 Pro durability has been demonstrated in a YouTube video

Highlights

Pixel 8 Pro features a 6.7-inch LTPO OLED display
The screen has Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection
The Pixel 8 Pro weighs 213g and measures 8.8mm in depth

Google Pixel 8 Pro was launched last week as the search giant's latest flagship smartphone, alongside the standard model. The phone has a metal frame with glass on both sides. Days before the smartphones go on sale in India and global markets, YouTube users have been testing the smartphone's durability through "drop" and "scratch" tests. While these tests are not a definitive indicator of the ability of these phones to survive real world damage, the Pixel 8 Pro appears to beat the iPhone 15 Pro Max on the durability front.

In a recent YouTube video by PBKReviews, the Pixel 8 Pro was first dropped by a person holding Google's new flagship phone at the waist level. The phone's screen was aimed at the ground but the concrete appeared to do no damage to the Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protected display, aside from some scuff marks on the edges of the phone. The phone picks up some scratches on the corners of the metallic frame, when dropped from the same level as the person's head, but the glass on the front and rear panel remains intact.

When dropped from waist height with the rear panel facing the concrete, the Pixel 8 Pro gets scratches on the rear panel and the horizontal metallic camera module. The next test involves dropping the phone from the person's waist, but on its side. The impact to the frame does affect the smartphone — there's some damage to the display in the top left corner, but it continues to function normally.

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During the video, the Pixel 8 Pro is also subjected to a scratch test that involves placing the phone inside a Ziploc bag with sand, and moving the smartphone's display around on the surface of the sand. The Pixel 8 Pro picks up very small scratches on the display, but does not seem to be affected by the scratch test.

The YouTube user mentions that the Pixel 8 Pro survived the channel's drop test unlike the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which cracked during the drop test. Similarly, it is also claimed that Google's Pixel 8 Pro phone fares better in these tests than the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

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While the Pixel 8 Pro has not been put through Zack Nelson's (JerryRigEverything) bend test on YouTube, these early indications of durability are a good sign. Not only is the Pixel 8 Pro expensive — it costs more than Rs. 1 lakh in India — but Google has also promised to provide 7 years of OS, feature and security updates for the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro — strong build quality of these handsets could go a long way in ensuring their longevity.

Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Google Pixel 8 Pro

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Premium design, IP68 rating
Fun AI-infused software experience
Good quality cameras
Quality video recording
Impressive image editing software
Long-term commitment to software updates

Bad
Gets warm under load
Buggy camera app
Not made for gaming
Average battery life
Relatively slow wired charging

Read detailed Google Pixel 8 Pro review

Display 6.70-inch

Processor Google Tensor G3

Front Camera 11-megapixel

Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 64-megapixel + 48-megapixel

RAM 12GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB

Battery Capacity 5050mAh

OS Android 14

Resolution 1344x2992 pixels

More Google mobiles Google mobiles price in India

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Further reading: Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel 8 Pro drop test, Pixel 8 Pro scratch test, Pixel 8 Pro durability test, Pixel 8 Pro durability, Pixel 8 Pro build quality, Google Pixel, Pixel 8 series, Pixel, Google

David Delima

Email David Delima

As a writer on technology with Gadgets 360, David Delima is interested in open-source technology, cybersecurity, consumer privacy, and loves to read and write about how the Internet works. David can be contacted via email at DavidD@ndtv.com, on Twitter at @DxDavey, and Mastodon at mstdn.social/@delima. More