Apple’s thinnest iPhone, the iPhone Air, has just faced one of the harshest durability trials—JerryRigEverything’s infamous bend test. At only 5.6mm thick, many feared the ultra-slim design would revive memories of the iPhone 6 Plus “Bendgate” saga. But thanks to its titanium middle frame, the slimmest iPhone held up impressively—at least until JerryRigEverything pushed it to the limit. In his latest durability test, the iPhone Air went through an unusual round of torture, and the result might surprise you.
The durability run began with scratches. Apple’s new Ceramic Shield 2 glass held up impressively, resisting marks until level 7 on the Mohs hardness scale. That’s a step above most phones, including Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra with Gorilla Armor 2, which showed scratches at level 6. Nelson even joked, “Apple ruined my line,” since his go-to scratch commentary didn’t quite apply here.
However, not every claim lived up to expectations. Apple’s much-touted anti-reflective coating didn’t perform as well as promised. Under bright lighting, it showed more glare than Samsung’s older Galaxy S24 Ultra, leaving a small dent in Apple’s otherwise strong display performance.
Then came the big moment—the bend test. Apple has been promoting the Air’s grade 5 titanium frame as being twice as rigid and 60% more elastic than aluminum. When Nelson applied pressure from the back, the frame barely budged. Bending it from the front produced some flex, but the phone quickly returned to shape without permanent damage.
Of course, Nelson pushed things further. Using a crane scale, he applied up to 216 pounds (about 98kg) of force, which finally cracked the front glass and bent the frame beyond recovery. Even then, the back glass didn’t shatter, and the phone remained operational.
The iPhone Air has proven that being thin doesn’t have to mean fragile. With a titanium frame and stronger Ceramic Shield 2 glass, it easily shrugs off normal daily abuse and puts fears of a “Bendgate 2.0” to rest. The only real disappointment is the anti-reflective coating, which doesn’t live up to Apple’s marketing. Still, durability-wise, the iPhone Air stands as one of the toughest devices in Apple’s 2025 lineup.
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