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I have a desktop that I put on the floor. I put my iPhone on top of the desktop, and accidentally I stumbled on the desktop and the phone dropped to the floor.

When I picked it up the screen was OK, the phone was still functioning as normal. And it appeared as if it never dropped. But what I worried is that it may suffer internal damage that I can't see from the surface.

Is my fear warranted?

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5 Answers

up vote 7 down vote accepted

The inside of an iPhone is all solid state and can tolerate being dropped. That said, you should thoroughly test the hardware on your phone to see if anything broke. This includes the screen, case, the touchscreen (make sure that touch and multitouch still works everywhere), the headphone jack, all the buttons, the camera and flash, and the dock connector. A bump could have misaligned or disconnected any of the above hardware.

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2  
+1 this is it. If the external things work (buttons, headphone jack, etc) then nothing is broken. Shaken it, if you hear something moving or lose, go to Apple. If no scratches or visible external damage, you’re safe. – Martín Marconcini Dec 2 '10 at 9:32
1  
I've dropped mine much farther onto asphalt, smashed it with a 30-lb chunk of ceramic, and dropped it onto carpets, desks, linoleum, and many other surfaces dozens of times (yes, I have butter fingers). Other than breaking the glass once (with the chunk of ceramic) it's worked flawlessly. Replaced the glass myself and it's very nearly as good as new. +1 for checking it thoroughly, but it's very durable, I wouldn't sweat it. – Matthew Frederick Dec 21 '10 at 14:16
up vote 1 down vote

Honestly my phone started acting up now and I've had it since they came out . I love my phone and I've had this bad habit of laying it my lap and forgetting about it as I get out of my truck . I've done this at least 10 times and it still functions properly

All I have to say is as dainty as I thought this phone would be it survived even my rugged harsh lifestyle.

And the thing I respect about it is that at least it breaks down bit by bit instead of leaving you with a brick after the first fall

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up vote 0 down vote

What kind of floor did it land on?
Carpet: no worries, the fall was too short to cause damage IMHO.
Hardwood: no worries but check to be sure (see Kyle's).
Concrete: potential damage. Check thoroughly.

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@torgengb, when you say potential damage for concrete, you are saying that it can cause damage to the screen/ surface, or the internal of the iphone? – Graviton Dec 2 '10 at 7:03
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@Ngu It's not really possible to impact damage the inside of an iPhone without any noticeable damage on the outside. Falling onto concrete might damage the inside, but you'd DEFINITELY see it on the outside. – Kyle Cronin♦ Dec 2 '10 at 7:24
I agree with Kyle's reply. – Torben Gundtofte-Bruun Dec 2 '10 at 7:40
up vote 0 down vote

FYI I dropped my iPhone 4 the day before I got my free case... The back glass shattered. What a lame design I thought. Apple store charged me 29 to put a new non breakable backside, and my receotion is better. If I wasn't a stock holder I would have raised my voice, as others reported, and got it free. The shattered phone, worked fine, though a full half of the back was shattered, but didn't lose any of the glass.

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up vote 0 down vote

I've dropped an iPhone 3G onto concrete from pocket height, two separate times. It miraculously survived both encounters with only superficial scratches. It's still running fine. Apart from the glass, those things are pretty solid.

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