iPhone 16 Pro Max fails the scratch check

Apple’s new iPhone has only been out for three days but already people are encountering problems with the pricey device. 

A new video from YouTuber JerryRigEverything shows the £1,200 iPhone 16 Pro Max – the most expensive of the four new models – failing the dreaded scratch test. 

The painful footage reveals the device’s new Camera Capture button grazing easily, despite being lined with sapphire crystal – a hard, scratch-resistant material. 

The button can be pressed once to bring up the camera app and take photos, and even delivers haptic feedback, much like a video game controller. 

Thankfully, the iPhone 16 Pro Max fared better in the dreaded bend test, unlike its predecessor, the iPhone 15 Pro Max. 

During the YouTuber’s dreaded scratch test, JerryRigEverything scratched with a variety of pointed tools, starting with the softest and progressing to the hardest. iPhone 16 Pro Max’s capture button starts to show signs of damage at level 5

The iPhone 16 Pro Max – which has bigger battery, display and storage capacity than the other cheaper iPhone 16 models – starts from £1,199/$1,199

JerryRigEverything, whose real name is Zack Nelson, is known for performing a series of durability tests on new phones including scratch, bend and fire. 

Whether it’s a new iPhone, a smartwatch or a headset, the selected device is scratched with a variety of pointed tools, starting with the softest and progressing to the hardest. 

The YouTuber then notes the level of hardness at which the device begins to show signs of scratching, helping consumers decide whether or not to buy. 

With the iPhone 16 Pro Max, the capture button starts to show signs of damage at level 5 out of 9. 

This is somewhat surprising, as pure sapphire would ‘only scratch at eight or nine’, JerryRigEverything says. 

To investigate, the YouTuber pulls out his gem tester – a handheld device that can detect quantities of gemstones such as sapphire. 

JerryRigEverything’s gem tester gives a low reading when pressed against the capture button, which Apple says contains sapphire 

The capture button – located on the edge of the phone to the right of the screen – needs to be pressed once to bring up the camera app to take photos

Shockingly, the device gives a low reading when it’s pressed up against the capture button, suggesting there’s not much sapphire in the button at all. 

‘You can see that even with my gem tester the sapphire button barely registers as a gemstone on the digital readout,’ JerryRigEverything says.

In comparison, when he puts the gem tester against pure sapphire on his Tissot wristwatch and a big brick of sapphire, the ‘reading goes off the charts’. 

MailOnline has contacted Apple for comment about the amount of sapphire in the new iPhone series. 

iPhone 16’s screen also uses Ceramic Shield glass for its display, supposed to be four times tougher than other display glass types.

In footage that may prove excruciating for iPhone lovers, JerryRigEverything proceeds to scratch the glass and the phone’s sleek titanium frame with ease. 

Apple’s new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus come in much more pastel and vibrant colors than previous models

After putting a cigarette lighter against the screen, JerryRigEverything then tries the bend test – which last year’s iPhone Pro Max failed.

Grasping the device between two hands, he tries to crack it down the centre like a breadstick, but impressively the phone withstands the pressure. 

He says: ‘The iPhone 16 Pro Max has hardly any flex – there are no cracks, creaks or bends this time around, much better than last year.’ 

Apple’s new devices don’t come cheap – the standard baseline iPhone 16 model which has a 6.1-inch display starts at £799/$799 and the Plus model is 6.7-inch, costing £899/$899. 

The most expensive (Pro and Pro Max) models have 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays, costing £999/$999 and £1,199/$1,199 respectively. 

iPhone 16 is powered by new A18 chips, which are designed for intensive AI-related tasks – namely Apple Intelligence, Apple’s much touted suite of AI features. 

Apple Intelligence – which includes a version of smart assistant Siri integrated with ChatGPT – will only arrive with iOS 18.1, which is set to become available from next month.