Apple Bent The Super-Thin iPhone Air With 60KG of Pressure, But That Wasn't Even The Breaking Point

After Apple dropped its thinnest iPhone, the iPhone Air, many have wondered: "Won't it snap the moment I sit with it in my pocket?"

Looking at the iPhone Air, it's perfectly normal to assume that it'd snap as easily as a twig. It's super thin at just 5.6mm, much slimmer than my index finger. For a more relatable reference, the iPhone Air is as thin as a single Oreo wafer or three stacked toothpicks.

A highlight of the iPhone Air is its titanium frame, which is not only stronger than traditional aluminium but is also reportedly more elastic. It can bend slightly and return to its original shape without permanent damage.

ProductNation's Creative Director, Umar, was invited to an exclusive media briefing where Apple put this durability to the test. He said other attendees were invited to bend the iPhone Air as much as they physically could.

"I pressed down so hard that my fingers were tingling after I released the phone. I managed to press it down with about 40kg of pressure. The Apple employee challenged me to add an extra 20kg to the 40kg I managed, bringing it up to sixty," Umar shared.

Then, the iPhone Air was placed in a large machine, with a thick, cylindrical metal rod is pressing down directly onto the centre of the phone. And from there, the phone was subjected to 60kg of force. That's as if a whole person stepped squarely onto the device.

But, the iPhone Air emerged completely undamaged. The Apple team set it on a flat surface, showing how it was still perfectly straight and free of any bends or deformities.

@productnationco What phone’s in his pocket? This was recorded using the Dual Capture mode on the iPhone 17 Pro Max! 🙂‍↔️ @apple #iphoneair #iphone17promax #dualcapture #iphone17 #iphone ♬ original sound - ProductNation 🇲🇾

But, It Turns Out 60KG Isn't Even The Limit

YouTuber JerryRigEverything stepped in to push the limits of that 60kg benchmark.

Jerry, like Umar, was able to get some slight bowing by pressing his thumbs into the centre of the screen with all his might, confirming that while it flexes, it doesn't crack and immediately returns to its original shape.

Using a crane scale and metal bars to concentrate the force, he was able to record exactly how much pressure it takes for the iPhone Air to finally snap.

By 55kg, he reported a slight ripping sound, though it wasn't immediately clear if this was the screen protector or something internal coming apart. Even at a whopping 90kg of pressure, the phone's screen was still functional.

The final breaking point, where the pressure was solely concentrated at the device’s weakest point, was an incredible 98kg (216 pounds). The front screen was shattered, though the back glass remained intact.

So, do you need to worry about the slimmest iPhone ever warping in your jeans?

JerryRigEverything had this to say, "If you're a 216-pound person, sitting on your phone, that weight is going to be distributed across the whole surface. Unless you've got buns of steel, I imagine your pants pocket would rip off before any damage happens to the new iPhone Air. So, feel free to sit on it as much as you like."

Watch the full video here: