An iPhone 17 Pro has survived an incredible fall from more than 100,000 feet above the ground, setting a new Guinness World Record during an extreme durability test in Sweden. It’s remarkable to think that an event where an iPhone 17 Pro survives 100000-foot fall could even be possible.
Mobile accessories company RHINOSHIELD carried out the record attempt in partnership with UK-based aerospace company Sent Into Space. The team conducted the experiment in Kiruna, Sweden, where they used a high-altitude balloon to carry the smartphone toward the stratosphere.
The iPhone 17 Pro reached an altitude of 30,607 metres, or approximately 100,418 feet, before beginning its journey back to Earth. This height is more than three times the normal cruising altitude of a commercial passenger aircraft. It is also more than three times the height of Mount Everest.
The smartphone was protected by RHINOSHIELD’s AirX phone case throughout the experiment. The company designed the test to show how the case could perform under conditions far more extreme than a normal accidental phone drop, and to see if an iPhone 17 Pro survives 100000-foot fall in real-life conditions.
The experiment tested more than the case’s ability to protect the phone from impact. During its journey into the stratosphere, the iPhone faced very low temperatures and extremely low air pressure.
According to details from the test, temperatures reportedly dropped to between minus 40°C and minus 60°C. Atmospheric pressure at the highest point was also around one percent of the normal pressure found at sea level.
The team did not reportedly use any extra heating system or protective equipment for the phone. The AirX case served as its main protection during the record attempt.
After reaching the target height, the phone began a free fall that lasted around 25 minutes. It eventually landed in a natural area in the Swedish wilderness, proving just how an iPhone 17 Pro survives 100000-foot fall with the right protection.
The project team used GPS tracking equipment to find the iPhone after it returned to the ground. Once recovered, the device underwent an inspection to check whether it had survived the fall.
The iPhone 17 Pro remained operational despite falling from more than 30 kilometres above Earth. The team successfully switched it on and off, made calls, used its touchscreen and took photographs in an extraordinary example of how an iPhone 17 Pro survives 100000-foot fall.
Reports also said the phone’s exterior showed no major damage. The protective case had no visible damage after the fall, highlighting its ability to handle the extreme test.
A Guinness World Records adjudicator examined the recovered device and confirmed the achievement. Guinness World Records officially recognised RHINOSHIELD and Sent Into Space for the “Highest drop of a mobile phone in a phone case onto natural landforms.”
The record focuses on the performance of the protective case rather than suggesting that an iPhone 17 Pro without protection could survive the same fall. RHINOSHIELD said it developed the AirX case to provide strong protection against impact. The company also uses a mono-material design that aims to combine phone protection with easier recycling.
The experiment takes smartphone drop testing to an entirely new level. Phone cases usually undergo controlled tests from heights of only a few feet or metres. This latest attempt carried a smartphone to the edge of the stratosphere before dropping it onto natural land.
The successful recovery showed that the iPhone 17 Pro and its protective case could survive extreme cold, low pressure and a fall from more than 100,000 feet while remaining functional. In summary, the way an iPhone 17 Pro survives 100000-foot fall has set a new benchmark for durability tests.
The Guinness World Record also gives RHINOSHIELD an unusual way to demonstrate the durability of its AirX case under conditions that users would never face during normal daily use
