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  • 기자명 Bonita
  • Tech & Bio
  • Published 2013.01.04 04:22

iPhone® 5 Case Protects Device From 100,000 Foot Free Fall From Stratosphere, Crashing Near Area 51

G-Form, a company known for its revolutionary impact absorbing Reactive Protection Technology (RPT) offering protection for both athletes and electronic devices, has gone to the extreme to introduce its new Xtreme® line of sleek protective cases. To show just how protective its thin and lightweight new iPhone® 5 cases are, the company tied one to a weather balloon for the ultimate drop test, a 100,000 foot free fall from the stratosphere.

While the case sent to space is designed for iPhone® 5, it can also accommodate the even more delicate iPod® touch 5, which the company used for this extreme demonstration. During its travels as the “world’s smallest space capsule,” the iPod® touch 5 endured -60° F temperature, high winds and maximum drop speeds, while recording video on its own camera.

During its 100,000 foot free fall, the iPod® touch reached terminal velocity and then slammed into a rocky mountainside near area 51 in the Nevada desert 41 miles from the launch site. G-form then recovered the device which, protected by the Xtreme® iPhone® 5 case, survived with zero damage and in perfect working condition.

G-Form’s XTREME case is built with the company’s proprietary Reactive Protection Technology™ (RPT™) which was introduced to the market last year. Now the newest Xtreme® line features a revolutionary 3-layer protective composite, which combines a tough polycarbonate outer shell, an inner RPT™ core, and a third shock-absorbing TPE layer. G-form did a similar stunt to demonstrate its RPT technology last year, protecting an iPad® in a free fall, but this year the company shows how its newest sleek and stylish composite iPhone® 5 case can now offer far more protection than competitors thicker and bulkier mobile cases.

This near-space drop commemorates the company’s launch of a wide array of products that will debut at CES Las Vegas in early January 2013, including models for iPhone® 4, iPhone® 5, iPod® Touch 5, iPad®, iPad® Mini, and Samsung Galaxy S III.

"People are blown away that we could send a device guarded with solely our sleek iPhone case up to 100,000 feet and then let it free fall without worry," said Thom Cafaro, VP of Innovations, G-Form. “With an ordinary case people might worry if they simply dropped it off of a table or while getting out of their car. This test just proves how confident we are that the new XTREME line will protect against anything.”

• Flight distance: landed 41 miles from launch• Launch site: Near Area 51 in Nevada Desert• Maximum height: Over 100,000 feet• Temperature Endured: -60 degrees • Retrieval: Used GPS tracking device and helicopter • Time from Launch to Landing: 1hour and 45 minutes

The build of these cases delivers the next advancement in protection technology, offering proven resilient protection, but with a more minimal form factor than ever.

Click HERE to view the 100,000 foot drop. This was filmed on a camera tied to a weather balloon until 60,000 feet where it shut down due to the cold conditions. The rest of the journey was recorded by a sports action camera, which was sent along for the ride, until that too shut down about mid-way through the free fall, also due to the extreme cold temperatures.

XTREME Cases for iPhone 4 and 5, iPad, iPad Mini, iPod Touch and Samsung Galaxy S III will all be fully available to ship by January 2013 at www.g-form.com

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