iPhone 16 Pro Max fails the scratch test! YouTuber scrapes over the new Camera Capture button on Apple’s £1,200 phone – just DAYS after it went on sale

Apple’s new iPhone has only been on the market for three days, but people are already experiencing problems with the expensive device.

A new one video from YouTuber JerryRigEverything shows that the £1,200 iPhone 16 Pro Max – the most expensive of the four new models – fails the dreaded scratch test.

The painful images show that the device’s new camera button scuffs easily, despite being coated with sapphire crystal – a hard, scratch-resistant material.

Pressing the button once brings up the camera app and lets you take photos. The button even provides haptic feedback, just like a video game controller.

Thankfully, the iPhone 16 Pro Max performed better in the dreaded bend test, unlike its predecessor, the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max – which has a larger battery, bigger screen and more storage than the other cheaper iPhone 16 models – starts at £1,199 / $1,199

JerryRigEverything, whose real name is Zack Nelson, is known for running a series of durability tests on new phones, including scratch, bend, and fire resistance.

Whether it’s a new iPhone, a smartwatch or a headset, the selected device is scratched with various pointed tools, starting with the softest and working through to the hardest.

The YouTuber then notes the hardness level at which the device starts to show scratches, so consumers can decide whether or not to purchase the device.

On the iPhone 16 Pro Max, the record button starts to show signs of damage at level 5 of 9.

That’s a bit surprising, since pure sapphire “won’t scratch until eight or nine,” according to JerryRigEverything.

To investigate, the YouTuber takes out his gemstone tester: a handheld device that can detect amounts of gemstones like sapphire.

JerryRigEverything’s gemstone tester gives a low reading when pressed against the record button, which Apple says contains sapphire

The capture button, located on the edge of the phone on the right side of the screen, needs to be pressed once to open the camera app and take photos

Surprisingly, the device gives a low reading when pressed against the record button, suggesting that there is not much sapphire in the button.

“You can see that even with my gemstone tester, the sapphire knob barely registers as a gemstone on the digital readout,” says JerryRigEverything.

For comparison, when he compares the gemstone tester to the pure sapphire of his Tissot watch and a large block of sapphire, “the measurement goes through the roof.”

MailOnline has contacted Apple for comment regarding the amount of sapphire in the new iPhone range.

The iPhone 16’s display is also made of Ceramic Shield glass, which is four times stronger than other types of display glass.

In footage that may be painful for iPhone enthusiasts, JerryRigEverything easily scratches the phone’s glass and sleek titanium frame.

Apple’s new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus come in many more pastel and vibrant colors than previous models

After holding a cigarette lighter to the screen, JerryRigEverything tries the bend test – which last year’s iPhone Pro Max failed.

He grabs the device between both hands and tries to break it open in the middle, like a baguette. But the phone holds up impressively.

He says: “The iPhone 16 Pro Max has virtually no flex – there are no cracks, creaks or bends this time around, much better than last year.”

of apple The new devices don’t come cheap: the standard iPhone 16 model with a 6.1-inch screen starts at £799 / $799, and the Plus model is 6.7-inches and costs £899 / $899.

The most expensive models (Pro and Pro Max) have 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays and cost £999/$999 and £1,199/$1,199 respectively.

The iPhone 16 is powered by new A18 chips, which are designed to handle intensive AI-related tasks, namely Apple Intelligence, Apple’s much-touted suite of AI features.

Apple Intelligence, which includes a version of the smart assistant Siri integrated with ChatGPT, won’t arrive until iOS 18.1, available from next month.