Guy drops Samsung and Nokia phones from 1,000 feet — one familiar ringtone declared the winner

A YouTuber once decided to stage what he called the ultimate durability test, and the challenge was as simple as it was outrageous: take a brand-new Samsung Galaxy S20, the sleekest and most advanced phone of its time, and drop it from 1,000 feet onto solid concrete alongside a Nokia 3310, the chunky little brick that earned its reputation decades ago as one of, if not the, strongest, phones and then see which one managed to survive the impact. The video, posted 5 years ago by Christian from UnlockRiver, has since been watched more than 3.6 million times, and part of the appeal lies in the fact that everyone watching already had a hunch about how it was going to end.

Christian opened the box of the Galaxy on camera, peeling off the protective film to reveal the pristine screen, reminding viewers that this was one of Samsung’s best devices yet. Then, holding up the Nokia, he said: "This is practically the strongest phone ever created." With two drones ready to capture the moment, and the Galaxy itself set to record its fall, he prepared for the drop at 305 meters, roughly the height of the Eiffel Tower. After a dramatic countdown, both phones were released into the sky.

The devices plummeted for several seconds before slamming into the ground, and Christian’s voice was shaking with adrenaline when he ran to the scene. "Everything is completely in pieces," he said, holding up fragments, "That’s the back part of the Samsung Galaxy S20. You can see here the keypad of the Nokia 3310. Everything seems to be completely destroyed. There are pieces everywhere." Once they pieced the pieces back together, the Galaxy had shattered beyond recognition — its frame was bent and broken, the back cover torn off, and none of its parts showed the faintest sign of life.

"The back part is completely destroyed… It’s practically paper-thin, super fragile. If you do have this phone, make sure you have a case, because it’s essential," Christian explained to viewers. On the channel’s rating scale, the Galaxy earned an extreme durability score of just 3.5, one of the lowest ever given. But Nokia’s story was different. Its pieces had flown in every direction, and it took some time to find them all, but once Christian reassembled the phone, he placed a call to see what would happen. To his amazement — and to the delight of everyone watching — the ringtone came through. "Check this out, guys. The phone is still working. Everything works on a classic Nokia 3310. This right here is a living legend," he said.

What played out in the video proved what experts have often pointed out about modern smartphones for years. Devices like the Galaxy are designed to be thin, sleek, and packed with complex parts, but that very design often comes at the cost of durability. Research published in Sustainability notes that fragile displays, slim batteries, and lightweight casings can shorten a phone’s lifespan unless companies build in more repairability and resilience.

Fans weren’t surprised, and the comments turned the phone into a legend all over again. @CrazinessisAwesomeCIA commented, "Nokia didn't break, it just dissembled itself to protect the damn ground." @anishtripathy6259 added, "If u keep doing such tests with Nokia, earthquakes may be a common thing... Thanks to Nokia." @robmiller1724 wrote, "Someone needs to create a phone case made from old Nokia phones."

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