Although it was a debatable upgrade from the OnePlus 10 Pro, the OnePlus 10T made a good first impression on us earlier this month. Now that we know, the OnePlus 10T’s durability isn’t exactly the best in its class, like the OnePlus 10 Pro.
Today, JerryRigEverything published one of his renowned durability tests in which cellphones are put to bend, burn, and—most importantly—scratch tests. The majority of devices successfully pass these tests most of the time, but the OnePlus 10 Pro earlier this year was a notable exception.
In a bend test, the 10 Pro broke in half in a matter of seconds due to what seemed to be a structural weak point beneath the camera module. A well-built smartphone shouldn’t be able to split in half with just your bare hands, even if it’s typically not recommended to put any phone under that type of stress.
The OnePlus 10T’s durability test revealed that the story is essentially the same.
The back panel of the phone works like sandpaper on a razor blade due to its distinctive glass design, and the display scratches at level 6 on the Moh’s scale with deeper marks at level 7 on the scale. The FHD OLED display bears a permanent mark from the flame test, however this is not unusual. Despite some uncertainty regarding whether the frame was constructed of metal, this test clearly demonstrates that it was made of plastic. The plastic frame supports the unique 360-degree cellular antennas used by OnePlus.
The bend test is where the OnePlus 10T really surprises because it snaps in the same way as the OnePlus 10 Pro.
Under relatively light pressure, the frame directly beneath the camera module fractures and breaks. If you bend it past that point, the glass will crack much more, and the damage won’t get any better. In the video, Zach shows how easily he can physically disassemble the phone with just his hands, detaching the screen from the body and even removing the cameras.
It goes without saying that no phone should be put through this kind of suffering, yet it happens very infrequently that a smartphone fails this test so miserably. When put through this, the Galaxy S22 Ultra holds up without breaking. And the Pixel 6 Pro doesn’t either. Also easily passing is the Nothing Phone 1, which costs less than the OnePlus 10T. Even the foldable Galaxy Z Flip 3 performs far better in the same test because it doesn’t crumple like a dry leaf.
In response to the OnePlus 10 Pro’s rejection, the OnePlus 10T will now be available in North America.
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