Can You Break A Phone From Just Putting Weight On It?

[LBO6051]

Ok, weird question I know, but I recently got a new phone (Galaxy A52s) and moronically within the first week, I managed to sit on it while forgetting that I had it in my back pocket.

Now I'm really worried that I did something that might have damaged it or some of it's internal components. From the looks of it the phone seems fine, and it looks like there are no cracks or anything, but I really want to know if putting sudden pressure on a phone like that can damage it in any way (even if it has Gorilla Glass), or if I'm maybe just worrying too much?

I really hope it's the latter, since I always get this feeling of having new things in their mint condition for as much as possible, and taking care of them as much as possible because I fear that a dent or even a scratch would ruin it and make me feel bad for not knowing how to properly take care of my stuff

 

[ocnbrze]

if it is working fine, then you are ok. weight on a phone can damage it. if you had a case, then there should be less worry.

 

[puppykickr]

You can actually bend the frame inside of some devices.

Normally this will only affect looks and dust/dirt/moisture resistancy if anything.

Yes, I too feel as you do about keeping things nice.

Unfortunately, life does not work that way.

Ever wash a car?
What happens?

Birds will fly from miles away just to poop on it.
It will rain, and you will need to travel down multiple dirt roads.

Clean the inside of the windshield and vaccum the carpet?
The next day every friend you have that smokes will come by and go for a nice, long ride with the windows up.
You will stop for coffee, which half of the passengers will spill in the car.

Keep in mind that phones are designed to be replaced every couple years, no matter the condition or appearance.

This all sucks, yes.

Relax and go with it, because nothing is going to change any of it.

 

[mikedt]

How heavy are you? Because the heavier you are the more risk of breakage probably, like say 130kg of blubber resting on a phone, could indeed cause damage.

 

[svim]

Your phone is not just a solid slab of plastic, metal, or glass. It's an assembled unit of all kinds of materials and components, all held together by various fasteners, glues, and adhesives. Sitting on your phone in a back pocket will eventually start weakening that assembly, whether it puts so much stress on the screen it cracks, and/or the outer casing begins to break, and/or internal parts get damaged and fail. Smartphones in general are not meant to be very flexible and bendable.

 

[Hadron]

Yes, you can break it, but if you don't see mechanical damage or distortion and everything is working then you haven't done so yet. Just don't make a habit of it.

Gorilla glass is unlikely to make any difference here. That stuff is designed to resist scratches and breakage (though there is always a trade-off between those two criteria, and the word is "resist" rather than "prevent"), but they never talk about its resilience against compression or bending. So there's no reason to assume it will protect against those more than any other glass. In fact when a new glass is claimed to be tougher the phone manufacturers often take advantage of that to use a thinner layer (reduces weight, reduces cost, and gives a clearer view of the screen), so you should not assume that it makes the phone stronger.

 

[LBO6051]

You can actually bend the frame inside of some devices.

Normally this will only affect looks and dust/dirt/moisture resistancy if anything

I'm curious, but is there a way for me to check if the frame has been bent? I can't see it with a naked eye, so maybe some small tool would help?

How heavy are you? Because the heavier you are the more risk of breakage probably, like say 130kg of blubber resting on a phone, could indeed cause damage.

Just 80kg (177 lbs). I would like to mention that I just sat down for a second or two on it, even if I wasn't resting on it, I fear that the full pressure from sitting even for a brief moment like that may have caused some damage or bend.

Your phone is not just a solid slab of plastic, metal, or glass. It's an assembled unit of all kinds of materials and components, all held together by various fasteners, glues, and adhesives. Sitting on your phone in a back pocket will eventually start weakening that assembly, whether it puts so much stress on the screen it cracks, and/or the outer casing begins to break, and/or internal parts get damaged and fail. Smartphones in general are not meant to be very flexible and bendable.

I haven't noticed any damage on any side, but same question as above, is there a way for me to test if the phone has been bent in any way?

Thanks for all the info guys, I apologize for asking such a dumb question, I guess I'm just trying to make sure that everything is alright since I don't want to lose a phone that I recently got.

 

[puppykickr]

I'm curious, but is there a way for me to check if the frame has been bent? I can't see it with a naked eye, so maybe some small tool would help?


Just 80kg (177 lbs). I would like to mention that I just sat down for a second or two on it, even if I wasn't resting on it, I fear that the full pressure from sitting even for a brief moment like that may have caused some damage or bend.


I haven't noticed any damage on any side, but same question as above, is there a way for me to test if the phone has been bent in any way?

Thanks for all the info guys, I apologize for asking such a dumb question, I guess I'm just trying to make sure that everything is alright since I don't want to lose a phone that I recently got.

Basically, if you cannot see damage, don't worry about it.

What if it were damaged, anyway?
What would you do about it?

 

[svim]

Tolerances inside a smartphone often involve fractions of a millimeter (micrometers) so just eyeballing if your phone is bent out of shape isn't likely. If you see the front glass is developing hairline cracks or the outer casing has little stress faults than you know there's probably a problem. Otherwise, don't worry about it. The push to make phones more durable over the years have resulted in phones that are much more durable (add an exterior casing can be an additional benefit). Just don't forget that phones are tougher to damage now, but they're not designed to be intentionally abused.

If the back pocket of your pants really is the only viable place to keep your phone and you do opt to just keep sitting on it, there will be a cumulative effect where eventually there will be an resulting effect. Could be minor and your phone's functionality isn't affected in any way, but do note that the battery inside is something to be wary of. A smartphone battery is definitely not a flexible item. Bend it or puncture it and even though it's relatively small there can be nasty resulting consequences. There's actually a good amount of energy inside, where power is used or stored in an interactive exchange of various chemicals (lithium being a primary one). If your A52s battery does get physically damaged, in a worst case scenario there could be enough heat from short that there's fire. But the odds are more likely to be a messy, thick goo oozing out so given your phone is pretty much sealed inside the capillary effects will draw that gunk into all kinds of places. Basically just treat your phone with some respect, it'll last longer and run better.