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\u201cOne of the most important pieces of feedback we provide to the design team is on what\u2019s known as the design margin of the product,\u201d Ajay says. \u201cFor example, we ask, \u2018How many more drops can this phone take? If 90% of users drop their phones a certain number of times a year, how can we build something that survives even more than that?\u2019 And these decisions are especially important as we build phones to last even longer.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the team could dream up any kind of test, they root their testing in practical scenarios. \u201cWe test for things like high altitude \u2014 what happens to our phones at 14,000 feet, for instance, because if there\u2019s an unpressurized aircraft that\u2019s transporting our phones, we don\u2019t want them to break,\u201d Ajay says. \u201cBut testing what would happen if a phone fell out<\/i> of a plane \u2014 for curiosity\u2019s sake? Sure, it’s a fun test to think about, but that\u2019s not a use case that happens often enough worth designing an entire product around.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, the practical tests the teams conduct could<\/i> help our devices survive more outlandish scenarios, if (and when) they come up. That might explain how the two Pixel phones survived their time in the snow. The team tests how our devices survive at temperatures ranging from -30\u00baC (-22\u00baF) to 75\u00baC (167\u00baF), for instance, to help see what will happen when you accidentally leave your phone out in the sun on a hot summer’s day, or subject your Pixel to rapid temperature changes when you leave your toasty home for the frigid outdoors in the winter.<\/p>\n
Similarly, while snow isn\u2019t on the testing docket, the Pixel 6a that Andrew left outside for six months was certified (with an ingress protection rating) for water and dust resistance. “So the phones are relatively sealed from the elements, the snow cover kept them relatively protected, and the charging circuit was most likely disabled, saving the battery,” Ajay says. “Our phones aren’t designed<\/i> for that scenario, but everything else they’re tested and designed for might help them survive.”<\/p>\n
So, should we all start throwing our phones at walls or leaving them in the wilderness? \u201cI wouldn\u2019t recommend it,\u201d Ajay says with a laugh. \u201cWe don’t want to let people feel like they can do anything<\/i> with our products, but it\u2019s amazing to surprise them when something bad does happen, and yet their phone survives. That moment when they pick up their phone and they don\u2019t see a broken display or the camera works \u2014 that\u2019s where the delight is.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n