Weapons grade tech
A gadget being ‘military grade’ doesn’t mean it can drive a tank
You may have comes across the term ‘ Military Standard MIL-STD- 810G Tested’ when browsing new tech, but do you know what it means? Well, in 1965 the US military devised a series of tests to evaluate the durability of essential equipment. These hardcore tests have since been commandeered by the tech world. They focus primarily on a product’s drop and shock limits, but also include extreme temperature, humidity and durability. V- Moda’s armoured Crossfade 2 Wireless headphones (£300, v-moda.com) wear their MIL-STD- 810G badge with pride – they’re unphased by big drops, the SteelFlex headband is practically indestructible, and the cables can withstand one million bends before giving up the ghost. worried, though, because a hefty layer of sapphire crystal glass and a tough titanium/steel bezel proves to be more than enough protection. As it should be for a £600 timepiece.
Use the force
The smartphone drop is probably the most common occurrence in tech. With an increase in edge-to-edge screens and glass rear panels for wireless charging the danger of broken glass is increasingly real. Addressing the epidemic, Motorola’s Z2 Force Edition modular smartphone sports extra armour – the Android handset has a 7000 series aluminium unibody design, but it’s the ‘guaranteed’ shatterproof Moto ShatterShield screen that’s really intriguing. I drop the phone on its front, back and corners from increasingly uncomfortable heights and also chuck it around the room to really test that ShatterShield screen. Whatever I dole out, the Motorola handles with ninja-like composure. Finally, it’s time for the big one…
As I peel back the sleek packaging on a brand-new iPhone X, it dawns on me that I could be about to make an incredibly expensive mistake. After all, the cost of replacing the 5.8-inch Super Retina display without the luxury of AppleCare+ could set me back almost £300. To keep the phone in one piece, Tech21 has supplied an Evo Check iPhone case and Evo Glass screen protector. The Evo Check case provides three layers of protection thanks to an impact-cushioning outer shell, a skeletal frame that spreads the energy of the impact, and a Flexshock system that dissipates the remaining energy. Tech21 claims your iPhone X in its case (it also makes options for other smartphones, such as Galaxy and Pixel) will survive a drop from three metres. Let’s see if that’s true…
I kick off at a conservative 1.5 metres, which is still high enough to total an un-cased phone. The iPhone meets the ground without issue. Two metres? Nothing to see here, folks. My hands are getting clammy as I climb the ladder again, taking the iPhone X up to three metres. The phone takes an age to hit the deck, but when it lands it’s clearly unphased by the ride. A £65 investment (for the case and screen protector) to shield your £999 phone? This Tech21 kit is a no-brainer.
For now, the clumsiest among us must find ways to protect our gadgets. With waterproofing common on most modern smartphones we can only hope that integrated drop-proofing will become the rule rather than the exception on high-value tech. In the meantime, perhaps keep your phone away from the edge of the table, yeah?
it dawns on me that i could be about to make an incredibly expensive mistake
next month
Golf: it’s a gentleman’s game. Well, until T3 gets involved.