These flimsy velcro cases didn’t even stop the battery thing most of the time.

When I was at a kid, I was helping a neighbour in the pits at a motorbike drag race event and a lady walking past dropped her phone and it did this, burst into pieces like a frag grenade and I laughed so hard, not trying to be mean, just amused by the energy with which it self destructed. She was flustered and started yelling at me while picking up the pieces and putting it back together. As she walked off she tried to put the phone in the back pocket of her booty shorts, but missed the pocket, dropped it again, and it once again exploded into pieces. I burst out laughing again and had to run around the bike trailer because she started chasing me, but the trailer was parked on grass and her heels dug in as she turned the corner around the trailer and she took a tumble, shoes flying off while I was trying to apologise through laughter and then I was doubled over dying from laughing so hard. I wasn’t trying to be a dick at any point but she was having a very bad day. I was about 14 at the time. I hope she’s doing ok.

You wanted them to come apart from impact. It helped diffuse some of it.

I had one of these. I tossed it on a fabric folding chair on a third story balcony and it bounced right off, over the rail and hit the pavement, where it “exploded” apart into exactly those 3 pieces. The pieces all but flew away from each other.

I nearly jumped over the balcony trying to grab it, but instead followed a sane way down. Picked up all 3 pieces, put them together and the phone turned right back on. Light scuffs on the back, but no worse for wear. Used it for years after.

I still have it. I wouldn’t be suprised if it powered on to this day, decades removed from any charger.