Azernews.Az

by Alimat Aliyeva

New mandatory durability and repairability tests introduced by the European Union have revealed a surprising shortcoming in Apple’s latest flagship, the iPhone 17 Pro Max — its resistance to physical damage still lags behind major competitors, Azernews reports.

While the iPhone 17 series boasts notable improvements in battery life and energy efficiency, the device was rated Class B for durability, withstanding only 180 standardized drop tests. This is a significant improvement over last year’s iPhone 16 Pro Max, which survived just 90 drops and received a Class C rating — but still not enough to compete with rivals.

By contrast, both the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and Google Pixel 10 Pro XL achieved a top-tier Class A rating, each surviving 270 drops in EU-standardized tests. These results suggest that, in everyday use, Apple’s flagship is more likely to suffer damage from accidental falls than its Android-based counterparts.

The new EU rating system not only evaluates drop resistance, but also assigns a repairability score, reflecting how easy it is to disassemble and service the device. Here too, the iPhone 17 received only a Class C, equal to Samsung’s flagship, while Google’s Pixel 10 Pro XL scored better with a Class B.

Interestingly, the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air also received a Class B durability rating, matching the Pro Max, despite its more fragile appearance.

Where the iPhone 17 series shines, however, is in battery performance. The iPhone 17 Pro Max was awarded a Class A rating for energy efficiency and clocked in at an impressive 53 hours of battery life — surpassing both Samsung and Google. Yet, there’s a catch: Apple’s battery is designed for only 1,000 charge cycles, compared to 2,000 cycles in the Galaxy S25 Ultra. This means Samsung's battery could potentially last twice as long before noticeable degradation.

Apple has publicly criticized the EU’s new testing methodology, arguing that the definitions of drop and vibration scenarios are too vague, the results lack reproducibility, and that testing only five units is not statistically meaningful. Apple has called for a minimum sample size of 30 devices to ensure more accurate and fair comparisons.

Still, with durability and longevity becoming increasingly important to environmentally conscious consumers — especially in Europe — the new EU classification system could start to influence purchasing decisions just as much as camera specs or processor performance.