What does MIL-SPEC drop protection mean?

 What does MIL-SPEC drop protection mean?

      MIL-SPEC or MIL-STD concepts are among the most popular when it comes to military protection for the phones, tablets, and cases we use every day.

      However, despite what many people believe, the inclusion of this insignia does not mean that the military uses and/or tests it.  Not even that they are more resistant

      Not only does no one believe such a characteristic, and this forces us to ultimately trust the manufacturers, but we also do not know the terms of these tests.

  If you're looking for devices with military protection, or if you fail to own a device that you want to protect against potential strikes, you've likely read about this particular protection, otherwise known as MIL-SPEC.  In fact, we are talking about one of the most important certifications in its field, a certification that plays this role not only in technology.

  So what does MIL-SPEC drop protection mean and why is it important?

  Well, the truth is that if you're behind a very durable or resistant product, whether it's a phone or tablet, or covers developed for them, you've almost certainly read about various typical terms in the industry, such as the MIL-SPEC or MIL-STD concepts.

  What does MIL-SPEC mean?

  These terms may seem fancy, but they are actually very straightforward.  What MIL-SPEC and MIL-STD mean is that the product has been designed to meet the specifications of a long document detailing the MIL-STD-810G standard.  It may seem complicated to you.

  Namely, the document in question is 800 pages long and details numerous tests ranging from solar radiation to an "acidic atmosphere".  However, when it comes to protection on our phones and tablets, the main focus is on their resistance to drops.  In the end, this is how they get corrupted.

  MIL-STD-810G is the latest version of the document, updated in 2012. Before that, manufacturers tested with the MIL-STD-810F standard.  If you've seen the latter on a recent phone, tablet, or case, you should probably avoid it, as it was passed to an old standard about 10 years ago.

  MIL-STD Test Explained

  Although it is often associated by default, the MIL-STD test has nothing to do with any type of military.  As mentioned earlier, it actually comes from a publicly available document, which describes the testing procedures that are performed on this class of products.

  In other words, it doesn't mean that when you see MIL-STD-810G mentioned on a rugged phone or a box that some military agency has tested the device.  It just means that, in theory, they passed the tests.

  The problem, in the end, is that the MIL-STD-810G badge does not necessarily mean that a manufacturer has tested a product.  All this entails is that the manufacturer intended the product to survive those tests.  But, as we will see below, no one endorses it.

  What does the MIL-STD-810G test include?

  As mentioned in the document we talked about, these tests consist of testing 26 falls, ensuring that each team falls that many times on its face, edges, and corner.  Likewise, this should be done on a 2-inch-thick plywood on a concrete base, which is meant to mimic the properties of the ground where it can fall.

  Anyway, just to be clear, there is no government agency or military body that really regulates how manufacturers handle these tests.  This makes them lose a bit of reliability, of course.

  Can you trust the manufacturers' word about testing?

  Given that there is no administrative body that tests phones, tablets, cases and other products, to make sure that they actually meet these tests, we have to trust the manufacturers.

  Of course, the level of trust between the customer and the manufacturer will depend on the requirements of the user, as well as on the background of the brand.  Our only alternative left is to be guided by your information and warranty.

  UAG, or Urban Armor Gear, is one of the companies operating in this sector.  As for the data he gives us about his experiments to check the resistance of devices and accessories, we have the following:

      UAG products are specially certified military grade by NEBS accredited testing laboratory.  To achieve this certification, the device must be dropped 26 times from a height of 48 inches on each face, corner and back.

      The device should function properly after testing without damaging the screen.

  Now, even when the Urban Armor Gear gives us many details about its tests, we still don't know what kind of surface it performs, and that ultimately limits us.

  Anyway, as we said, other manufacturers are much tighter about it.  A matter of trust.

  And what about IP ratings

  On many powerful phones and tablets, you'll see IP ratings like IP57 or IP68, which refers to another type of certification, so-called "ingress protection," a series of standards designed by the International Electrotechnical Commission, which are not related to the MIL-SPEC test or  MIL-STD.

  The most durable devices are already equipped to navigate in countless challenging conditions.  So it makes sense for manufacturers to try different tests, such as the MIL-STD-810G drop test.

  For its part, the IP rating assumes that the computer is water and dust resistant.  Although, by virtue of its name, it will be under certain conditions.  In addition, the manufacturer will not refund your money if you immerse your smartphone in water, and when you remove it, it no longer responds.

  conclusions

  In short, we at MIL-SPEC or MIL-STD standards have some of the most interesting when it comes to sourcing items from the market that guarantee greater durability against eventualities such as accidents.  A product of these should be more prepared for such incidents than an IP-certified product.  Even when incorporating technologies like Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection, to name a few.