Yesterday finally saw the unveiling of OnePlus' new flagship, the OnePlus 6, and already the handset has had its durability put to the test via a series of scratch, burn, and bend examinations, courtesy of YouTube channel JerryRigEverything.
Unlike its OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T predecessors, the OnePlus 6 is covered on the front and back with Corning Gorilla Glass 5, but the company has assured consumers that the phone's all-glass design doesn't raise questions over its durability.
After peeling off the pre-applied screen protector, Zach Nelson begins the scratch test. The glass starts showing damage at level 6, with deeper marks appearing at level 7, which is pretty much what was expected.
While the phone's notch might be the cause of some arguments among Android fans, it appears pretty resistant to damage, with both the front-facing camera and speaker grill coming out intact following attacks from Nelson's blade. The OnePlus 6's metal, painted frame, which helps it survive falls, doesn't fare as well in the scratch test. But the back of the phone, including the "invincible" fingerprint scanner and camera, comes out unscathed.
The OnePlus 6 also stood up well to the burn test, lasting around 20 seconds at the mercy of a lighter's flame before the pixels permanently died. While that's to be expected from an AMOLED panel, what's surprising is that despite there being some flex in the frame, no cracks or kinks were present after a significant amount of force was applied when bending the phone. Nelson believes this is partly due to the plastic lining between the glass and the metal frame.
Overall, it's a good showing from the OnePlus 6, which goes on sale worldwide on May 22 and starts at $529.