iPhone that fell from hole in Alaska 737 MAX flight is found, still open to Mail (twitter.com)

Article summary

An iPhone was found on the side of the road, still in airplane mode with half a battery, after falling from a 16,000-foot altitude during an Alaska Airlines flight. The phone was open to a baggage claim screen and had a broken-off charger plug still inside it. The phone's survival was attributed to its durability and possibly landing on softer soil. The incident sparked interest and discussion about the phone's ability to withstand such a fall.

Main themes

• iPhone durability
• terminal velocity
• auto-lock settings
• technical vs non-technical users
• real-world scenarios
• security vs convenience
• problem-solving and reasoning
• smartphone design and testing

What commenters say

• Some commenters were surprised that the iPhone survived the fall, while others argued that it was not unexpected given the phone's durability and the possibility of landing on soft soil.
• The terminal velocity of a smartphone was discussed, with estimates ranging from 9mph to 20-40mph, and some arguing that the calculation is complex and depends on various factors.
• Some users disable auto-lock on their phones, either for convenience or for specific use cases like navigation or testing, while others consider it a security risk.
• The discussion also touched on the topic of technical vs non-technical users, with some arguing that technical users are more likely to disable auto-lock, while others claimed that non-technical users may also do so without realizing the implications.
• The incident highlighted the importance of considering real-world scenarios and edge cases when designing and testing products.
• Some commenters joked about adding a 'catastrophic decompression/fall from altitude' option to phone settings, while others discussed the trade-offs between convenience and security.
• The phone's screen protector was also noted as a possible factor in its survival, and some commenters discussed the pros and cons of using screen protectors.
• The calculation of terminal velocity was seen as a useful exercise in problem-solving and reasoning, but also acknowledged to be complex and dependent on various factors.