What to Know about Extending the Life of Your New Smartphone

(StatePoint) The latest model smartphones are a big financial investment, whether you opt for the Apple iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus. But there’s good news for those with butter fingers. Water-resistance is the new industry standard, reveals a new study.

The study from SquareTrade, a protection plan provider for smartphones, tablets and other devices, uses a range of robots to drop, tumble, dunk and bend devices to see how they live up to everyday activities, and this year, a new “surf test” was added to the mix — pro surfer Kai Lenny took each phone out on the waves to test water-resistance.

Want to protect your new smartphone? The study results offer some key insights:

• Water resistance: The iPhone 7 generation with an IP67 rating claims water resistance in “up to a depth of 1 meter for up to 30 minutes.” While both phones survived tests of this claim, they did suffer some audio muffling afterward.

“The iPhone 7 generation is the first to compete with water resistance,” says Steve Abernethy, executive chairman at SquareTrade. “After putting them to the test, there’s no doubt the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus aren’t scared of going for a little swim.”

So while all this can give you some peace of mind around pools, puddles or even ocean waves, you will still want to take precautions around water.

• Strength: In the bend test, the iPhone 7 bent at 170 pounds of pressure, the iPhone 7 Plus bent at 180 — both matching the previous 6s generation. Good news for those who like to store their phones in the back pockets.

• Tumble resistance: After 30 seconds in SquareTrade’s “TumbleBot,” the iPhone 7 was scuffed on its corners and cracked on the camera lens, similar to the iPhone 6s. The 7 Plus only suffered a small crack, and fared far better than the 6s Plus.

• The sidewalk always wins: A broken screen is still the leading cause of smartphone damage. Both phones shattered on their first facedown drop. By the second drop, the iPhone 7 bricked and wouldn’t turn back on. The third drop for the 7 Plus resulted in major screen malfunctioning rendering it unusable. After three corner drops, the iPhone 7 screen cracked and split, the 7 Plus screen shattered. So hold on tight.

Whatever phone you own, a strong sturdy case paired with a comprehensive protection plan is key. To learn more about affordable plans that cover drops, spills and malfunctions, visit squaretrade.com.

Whether you’re clumsy or simply prone to handing your smartphone over to pro surfers, the world is full of risks. Learn the strengths and weaknesses of your model so you can adopt sound habits that keep your phone in good condition and be sure to safeguard your expenditure.