In brief: It's launch day for Apple's new batch of iPhones and predictably, the torture test videos are slowly tricking onto YouTube. It's difficult to glean concrete conclusions at this early stage of the game but we should be able to gather a more solid understanding over the coming days and weeks.

Apple's iPhone XS and XS Max are finally finding their way into the hands of eager buyers willing to part with a minimum of $999 for the opportunity. It's not uncommon for new phone owners to put their prized possessions directly into a protective case or at the very least, handle them like delicate flowers.

For a select few, however, purchasing a new iPhone is little more than a race to see who can destroy it first (and reap the YouTube ad revenue rewards). For the crew over at TechSmartt, that meant taking a trip to Australia to be among the first in the world to get their mitts on the new handsets and put Apple's durability claims to the test.

TechSmartt dropped the iPhone X (last year's model), the iPhone XS and the iPhone XS Max from an unofficial pocket height, head height and around 10 feet onto a tennis court. All three devices escaped the pocket height test relatively unscathed save for some very minor scuffing around the edge on the iPhone XS.

At head height (around six feet), the screen on the iPhone X incurred a significant screen crack. The iPhone XS suffered no real visible damage but the iPhone XS Max ended up with a sizable scuff across the top and some scratches on the screen.

The 10-foot drop pretty much finished off the iPhone X as the rear glass was heavily shattered and further damage was taken on the front. The iPhone XS survived the drop with no cracking at all but the same couldn't be said about the iPhone XS Max as it landed on its corner and the front glass was ruined.

Keep in mind that these are far from what we'd consider "scientific" tests. TechSmartt dropped each device from about the same height and held them in roughly the same position when doing so. Furthermore, the same device was dropped time and again meaning by the third test, each phone had already been dropped twice and potentially weakened.

Those seriously concerned about the durability of the new iPhones should wait for additional durability tests to hit the web before making any conclusions.