Zack Nelson is our go-to guy when it comes to Scratch, Burn, and Bend Durability Tests. We’ve lost count of how many videos by JerryRigEverything we’ve seen. At first, we found them stressful but over time, we got used to all the scratching, squeaking, and hissing sounds. It’s a different test this time though. One that will prove or disprove if the Sapphire Edition of the HTC U Ultra really has a sapphire screen.
It’s not that people don’t believe HTC but the use of sapphire is interesting. Sapphire is one of the hardest minerals on Earth so we’re curious if the expensive price is really worth it. We’re confident that the phone would scratch on about level 8 or 9, just below the hardness of diamonds. That is high for a smartphone because most screens today scratch at level 6 or 7 on Mohs scale.
To compare, Zack Nelson brought out three items that have sapphire glass displays. The HTC U Ultra is already one. There is also premium watch from Tissot plus a sapphire defense curved hybrid screen protector from Zagg. The latter is a $50 screen shield that we also think is a bit overpriced.
Sapphire is definitely expensive but it is expected to be tough and very scratch-resistant. The HTC U Ultra Sapphire Edition costs €849 in Europe where it will be available first. It is more expensive than the €699 Gorilla Glass variant but note that the special version already comes with 128GB storage. Meanwhile, the screen protector from Zagg is the most expensive screen protector today at $50.
Watch the video below and see for yourself how each screen reacts to the pick:
The screen protector easily scratched at level 3 which is the same level a plastic scratches. It is supposed to be an “unmatched” scratch protection but obviously, it disappoints. Zack tried burning it and it did. Apparently, this “hybrid glass” only had trace amounts of aluminum oxide inside the plastic. False advertising? You be the judge.
The watch remained unscathed until level 8. As for the HTC U Ultra, it reached levels 8 and 9 before the screen scratched. Impressive. This makes the HTC U Ultra the most scratch resistant today according to JerryRigEverything.
