Once you get your hands on Samsung's new flagship phone, there are many new features you'll want to enable on your Galaxy S20. But the very first thing you should do is get a case to protect your new S20 model.

Extended warranty provider SquareTrade found this point home when it conducted drop tests on all three of Samsung's new models. The Galaxy S20 proved to be particularly susceptible to damage and was rendered unusable in both of SquareTrade's drop tests; the Galaxy S20 Plus and Galaxy S20 Ultra performed well in drop, bend, and tumble tests, but neither phone was unscathed.

"Our tests revealed that the 'bump' design of the new giant camera housing is more susceptible to damage when dropped," said Jason Siciliano, vice president of marketing and creative director at SquareTrade, said in a statement accompanying SquareTrade's test results." Given the price of the Galaxy S20 phone and the cost of repairs, it should probably be treated with care like a high-end camera, not a cell phone, and a case is a must."

The $999 Galaxy S20 received a breakability score of 81 from SquareTrade, indicating a moderately high risk of breakage; the $1,199 S20 Plus and $1,399 S20 Ultra have only a moderate risk of breakage with breakability scores of 71 and 70, respectively.

These scores are not comparable to the iPhone 11 Pro, which was the most durable iPhone when SquareTrade tested it last fall. iPhone 11's score of 73 is almost identical to the scores SquareTrade showed for the Galaxy S20 Plus and Galaxy S The iPhone 11 Pro Max's fragility score of 85 is higher than the Galaxy S20's rating.

The higher breakability score is due to the glass material that handset makers are favoring in their recent high-end handsets. The camera arrays on the back of phones are also larger and protrude slightly from the back, increasing the chance of damage in the event of a drop.

SquareTrade's drop tests of the Galaxy S20 20 family definitely confirm this: all three models shattered when dropped on the sidewalk, both upward and downward, although the degree of damage varied. when dropped downward from 6 feet, the S20's screen shattered, rendering the phone unusable. On the other hand, when dropped from the back downward, the S20's back panel cracked and the camera housing shattered.

The S20 Plus suffered shattered upper right and lower left corners when dropped face down, but the camera housing survived the fall from the back; SquareTrade found that the S20 Ultra suffered hairline fractures when dropped face down, but when dropped from the back the back and camera housing were shattered and rendered unusable.

In a SquareTrade bend test, the S20 bent at 184.6 pounds of pressure, cracking the screen. (The iPhone 11 Pro Max did not bend until 230 pounds of pressure was applied.) The S20 Plus and S20 Ultra bent at 170.8 and 200.7 pounds of pressure, respectively, but both models were still usable, Square Trade said.

SquareTrade also shattered the front and back of the Galaxy S20 by placing the phone in a tumbler for 60 seconds, cracking the OLED screen; the Galaxy S20 Ultra cracked on the front and back and the screen failed, requiring repair after the tumble test. Only the S20 Plus came out of the tumbler with a cracked front and shattered back, but still usable.

You'll be happy to know that water is unlikely to bring down the Galaxy S20; all three models worked even after being submerged in 5 feet of water for 30 minutes.

If you do have to repair your Galaxy S20, SquareTrade says the new phone is as repairable as Samsung's previous models, which the company rates as medium to difficult to repair. In favor of the Galaxy S20, the new model has same screws for all fasteners, which SquareTrade says should simplify repairs.

If anything, SquareTrade is a reminder that accidents happen, and no matter how much care a phone manufacturer takes in its design, a drop to concrete usually ends badly for most smartphones. If you're thinking of paying more than $999 for the new Galaxy S20, we recommend investing in some kind of protective product, such as a Galaxy S20 case, Galaxy S20 Plus case, or Galaxy S20 Ultra case.