If you’re still having trouble deciding between the Apple Watch and Apple Watch Sport, there’s a new video that may make it a bit easier. Not too long ago, a video was released that tested the scratch resistance of the Apple Watch’s sapphire glass panel, but today the Ion-X glass found on the Sport model gets put through the same treatment. Will it hold up against the torture?
In the video below from YouTuber Unbox Therapy, the Ion-X glass from the Sport model gets tortured by keys, a knife, steel wool, and even sandpaper. It’s assumed that the Ion-X glass won’t hold up as well as sapphire, but these results are rather surprising. The Ion-X glass holds up great throughout three of the four tests mentioned above.
When the word “Ion” is mentioned, it’s easy to assume that this glass is nothing more than the “ion-strengthened ” glass that Apple mentioned as being used on the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, but this seems to be a bit stronger. I think it’s safe to say that while the Sport model doesn’t feature sapphire, the Ion-X glass may be more than enough for most people in day-to-day use.
The only test that it actually failed on was with sandpaper (and well, we don’t blame it). Check out the video below for the full scratch test of the Ion-X glass that’s being used on the Apple Watch Sport:
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORIQXujC2v8]
Of course, sapphire isn’t the only thing you’re missing out on if you decide to go with a Sport mode. There’s also the difference between aluminum and steel with the Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch respectively. If those elements aren’t important to you, it looks like you’ll be fine with the Apple Watch Sport and not have to worry about the display’s glass being scratched easily.
Only time and real-world usage can truly test the durability of the Sport model, but for now this test may prove that there’s nothing to worry about just yet. What do you think about the durability of the Ion-X glass used on Apple Watch Sport?
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
It doesn’t matter what *object* he scratches it with, only what that object is made out of. A key for instance can be anything from the softest brass to hard steel of various manufactures. The steel knife similarly could be one of at least three common formulations.
Most laughable of all is the “steel wool” which is actually a plastic scrubber and not steel wool at all.
The watch in the pic is not Sport.
The watch in the pic is not an Apple product period.
It’s just a fake watch to hold the real screen cover they got.
I wonder if once they start making replacement parts if for around $20 i could get a sapphire glass replacement for my Apple Watch Sport? Through the various comments i’ve read and images i’ve seen I don’t think the digitizer and screen are fused together like the iPhones are.
Yeah, that’s actually a brilliant idea.
I’ve been wondering this myself, here are both pictures from the supposed ion-x and sapphire parts.. they look like they are interchangeable.
http://i.imgur.com/SRPidul.jpg
Honestly though we are not going to get a replacement REAL sapphire part for $20. I’m not even sure if any real sapphire parts would be out there at all with how limited it is.
Your aware it’s not the really expensive natural sapphire aren’t you and is in fact mass produced stuff created in a factory?
The way Apple is pushing things, expect it to be more like $120…
And plastic vs ceramic on the back of the watch…
Lewis Hilsenteger – this is the iPhone 6+ bend guy. His bend till it breaks video was suggested to have been altered for a more ‘dramatic’ effect but he still managed to get more than 30 million views to pay for his broken iPhone 6+ .. and then some.
Sandpaper? If he could just bend the watch.. now that would be believable. /s
A scratch test? Don’t think people will be putting it in their pockets much. How about knocks and bangs, which is a whole lot more likely ^^
This is just the beginning. After April 24th, we’ll see watches in blenders, dryers, boiling water, falling from the tops of buildings, being subjected to arrows, flame-throwers, guns, and on and on and on.
Thanks, Internet! :)
What about a Particle Accelerator. Hit it with the nukes, Nuclear Particles.
I was led to believe that the Sport had sapphire.
Then you’ve done no reading on the subject whatsoever.
How many standard watches have people broken/scratched? I for one have never broken a watch itself, it’s usually the straps that get worn down to the point of ripping and breaking. I had a perfectly working watch with no strap once after wearing it to death. So I defo have no problems with the watch. Besides these tests are more relevant to iphones. I see too many people put their phones down ‘screen down’ on to dirty or corse surfaces. My wife crams her devices in to her handbag and wonders why she keeps cracking the screens. As for a watch, she would wear it not put it in her handbag so the crush or scratch tests a mute for the watch.
Apple’s Ion X glass has always been shit, the iPhones scratch so easily.. it is embarrassing. Just use Gorilla Glass Apple, it is so much better and while my iPhone screen always comes out of a contract looking like my Nans face, my Galaxy phone has no marks on it.
Sapphire sucks because it cracks so easily..
JUST USE GORILLA GLASS YOU FUCKS
Always? They have only used ion glass on the new iphone 6 and 6+. The previous were gorilla glass.
They have actually only labeled it as ion glass on the watch. Ion transfer (ION-X) glass is actually the same process Corning uses, not to mention nowhere has it been stated that the 6/6+ is Ion-X rather than Gorilla Glass.
Do you drop your watch a lot?
What do you people actually use your phones for? I always keep my iPhone in my pocket without an annoying glas protector. I keep coins and keys and whatever in my pockets with my iPhone. I also have little kids who like to grab the phone and are not really gentle when playing with it. I jet have to get one scratch in the glas let alone crack the glass.
Now to a watch. How often do you drop a watch? How often do you rub coins and stuff like that to the surface of a watch? In normal life actually never. If someone is doing an outdoor sport like rock climbing and wants to wear a watch while doing so it might be smart to consider this when buying any watch.
I always keep my iPhone in a slip-in case, in my pocket – I would never consider just putting it in a pocket with the usual litter found therein.
That way my iPhone 2G is still in real fine order, my iPhone 3GS is still mint, and my iPhone 5C is still as new. Some of you guys treat your expensive items real bad !
Has Apple used the Ion X glass on iPhones? No. They’ve always used one variant or another of Corning’s Gorilla Glass.
Knowledge is power, even for trolls.
Just an FYI Apple has used Corning Gorilla Glass since 2007(1st iPhone) for their screens. It’s been well established in multiple tests and press releases & most recently in a SJ biography.
Corning’s CFO just recently stated in regards to Gorilla Glass 4 “We are planning to launch Gorilla Glass 4 this week, in fact, tomorrow. And I can’t spoil the launch, but it does promise to have dramatically improved performance characteristics, and our customers have already been integrating this glass into some new products, and we have been shipping for a while.” Further “Flaws said Gorilla Glass unit volumes in the fourth quarter are expected to fall modestly sequentially following “very high shipments of Gorilla Glass in Q3 for some well-known new product launches.”
It’s quite possible the 6 & 6+ already have Gorilla Glass 4 considering the screen didn’t crack during the controlled bend tests conducted & the financials listed for Corning below for their quarter ending not long after Apple’s holiday quarter.
“Corning enjoyed higher Gorilla Glass volumes last quarter, which helped it overcome the negative effects of the price decline. The Specialty Materials segment that includes Gorilla Glass results saw revenue jump 10%, and Corning said strength in the Gorilla Glass business primarily drove the 18% sequential increase in net income.”
Apple has only ever labeled 1 product with “ION-X” glass which is the Apple Watch. Besides that if you are so unhappy with the performance of the iPhone why keep contracting to a new one or get a screen protector, maybe your precious Galaxy has so few scratches because your use of it is disproportionate compared with your iPhone use.
Last….WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE!
Oh man.. I must be seeing things. Note I said ion glass for the iphone 6, not ion-x.
http://i.imgur.com/kK84icz.png
You can call it “ion” or ion-x, it makes no difference. Ion-X is just apples label for the glass. It’s still an ion transfer glass, which even according to their own jobs creation webpage the likelihood its gorilla glass is all but spelled out for us. https://flic.kr/p/sgjpND that was taken from that page TODAY http://www.apple.com/about/job-creation/
Get real troll
…but does it bend?…or blend?
Though I must say the iPhone 6+ is the only iPhone I’ve had, and I’ve owned them all since version 1, the iPhone 6+ is the only one I’ve ever scratched, not just scratched, it’s actually tougher, and I don’t abuse them, normally kept in my pocket without a screen protector or case, hasn’t been dropped or anything other than normal use. So now I’m gonna pay for a replacement and immediately have it covered with a tempered glass protector. If this is ion-x, I don’t give much hope for my sport watch when it arrives 5/13 thereabouts.
Stupid spell checker! It’s actually gouged.