OnePlus Nord Put Through Stringent Durability Tests; Does It Survive?

OnePlus Nord Undergoes Durability Tests

One of the first tests that Zack Nelson of JerryRigEverything puts the OnePlus Nord through is the scratch test. The phone is scratched at multiple levels and at levels six and seven on the Moh scale, the OnePlus Nord begins to reveal the scratches with deep marks.

The test also reveals a plastic buffer layer between the front glass and the phone's frame for additional protection, which is a plus point for the OnePlus Nord. The scratch test also reveals that the efficiency of the optical fingerprint scanner remains untouched.

After the scratch test, the phone is put through the durability test, which reveals the true colors of the smartphone. For one, the OnePlus Nord doesn't have a metal frame. Instead, OnePlus has embedded a silver anodized coating to create an illusion of a metal frame, "but it's just plastic under the paint," the video reveals.

That being said, the power button and the switch are made from metal. Also, the back panel of the OnePlus Nord is made of glass, the test confirms. Another plus point for the phone is its SIM tray that comes with ingress protection for additional safety.

Next, the OnePlus Nord undergoes the fire test. Here, the pixels on the phone begin to go white after about 20 seconds of continuous flame and never fully recover from the exposure to heat. Lastly, the OnePlus Nord is put through the bend test that highlights its structural instability. The phone succumbed right after the first pressure was applied.

A loud snap confirms after more pressure is put on the phone, right at the frame of the OnePlus, near the volume buttons. What follows next is the display rupture, rendering the phone impossible to use. At the same time, the glass at the rear and front panels do not get any cracks, but since the display is gone, the phone is quite useless.

OnePlus Nord Scorecard

At the end of the JerryRigEverything's durability test, the OnePlus Nord is rendered quite useless. But before we judge the device, let's remember a few key factors. Firstly, the OnePlus Nord is a mid-range device, one of the few smartphones developed by the company for this price range. This indicates that a few compromises had to be made to meet this aggressive price point.

Despite the display cracking, the front of the rear glass frames is still holding the phone together, which is a huge plus point. Throughout the test, we've seen that many vital parts are holding on, despite intense pressure. "The OnePlus Nord isn't going to break all on its own," Nelson says, which summarizes that the phone is good for normal use, even better with a hard case.