New iPad vs. iPad 2 in a screen-to-screen drop test

We all know who’s going to win in an iPad versus iPad 2 drop test -- gravity, of course. But which generation holds up better in a face-to-sidewalk meeting?

With a stack of iPads old and new, the good folks at SquareTrade happily took on this question. They dropped the new iPad and its older sister, iPad 2, from several different heights with the screens facing up and facing down.

In the drop from waist level face up, the iPad 2, you see from the real-time and slow-motion replay, survives intact, despite a good thud.

Its second drop is face down. You can hear someone in the background giving an audible wince upon impact. The “oooo” is justified. The screen gets trashed.

Guess what happens on the third drop from shoulder height? Yup, the screen shatters. A small chunk of glass flies off. Ouch.

Then it was time to check out how the newer, heavier version handles impact. First, the new iPad met the sidewalk face up. No problem.

What about face down? Even from waist height, the damage was fairly extensive. “Only a small portion of the screen survived,” one of the testers said in the video.

From shoulder height, the damage appears to extend beyond the screen, with severe cracking along the body of the iPad underneath the shattered glass. The whole screen was about to come off after the drop, the testers said.

Drops and spills happen. Personally, I’m a safety girl and a vocal proponent of cases. I’m just too clumsy to let my expensive devices go undressed. We’ll take a look at some of the cases available for the new iPad soon. (Of course, your older iPad cases won’t fit the new one perfectly. That’s the nature of the ecosystem.)

By the way, kids, don’t try this at home. Even though the folks responsible for this test sell extended warranties to help you with your ailing iPads, they won’t cover your personal homage to their video. I’m willing to bet AppleCare doesn’t do drop-test coverage either.

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Original source: New iPad vs. iPad 2 in a screen-to-screen drop test