Just a few days ago, OnePlus officially unveiled its first phone with a bezel-less display: the OnePlus 5T. Soon after the launch, media and consumers began comparing it to other flagship phones such as the iPhone X, Galaxy Note 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and Google’s Pixel 2. OnePlus phones have always offered value for money, offering premium features and specs at affordable prices. But how durable is the Chinese company’s latest flagship? YouTube channel JerryRigEverything conducted the OnePlus 5T durability test to find out just that.
OnePlus 5T durability test shows it is incredibly sturdy
The thorough OnePlus 5T durability test shows that the company hasn’t compromised with the phone’s build quality. Zack of JerryRigEverything starts the torture test by scratching the phone’s bezel-less display. The scratch test measures rigidity of the handset’s display. The OnePlus 5T screen is protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5. The glass shows signs of scratching only at the 6th level on the Mohs scale. Deeper scratches appear at level 7.
It means the OnePlus 5T display scratches at the same level as other premium flagship smartphones in the market. Zack then picks up a razor blade to see how good the paint job is. The smartphone’s rear panel, which is made of anodized aluminum alloy, is prone to scratching. However, the rear-mounted fingerprint reader is immune to scratches.
The fingerprint sensor is made of an “invincible” ceramic material that makes it resistant to scratches. The dual camera setup on the back as well as the 16-megapixel front-facing camera are seen resisting scratches to a large extent. It means the screen, cameras, and the fingerprint reader will remain safe even if you put the phone in the same pocket containing keys and coins.
Unfortunately, the volume rocker, the mute slider, and the metal frame are not as scratch-resistant as the display or fingerprint reader. In the next step of the OnePlus 5T durability test, Zack tries to burn the display using a lighter. After about 20 seconds, you could see a white spot on the screen. He also conducted a cruel bend test, which the OnePlus 5T passed with flying colors. The phone’s unibody aluminum design prevents the phone from bending.
Zack added that the OnePlus 5T is “an incredibly full-featured and useful phone,” though it lacks water-resistance and wireless charging capabilities. The company more than makes up for the lack of these features by offering the phone at affordable prices. If you were looking to buy a new phone, the OnePlus 5T durability test would encourage you to consider OnePlus’s latest flagship.
OnePlus 5T features and specifications
The 5T retains many of the same technical specifications as the OnePlus 5, which was launched in June. It offers 6-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with an 18:5 aspect ratio. There is no physical home button, but the phone isn’t completely bezel-less like the iPhone X or Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8. It still has thin bezels at the top and bottom as well as on the sides, though the bezels are smaller than other flagship devices such as the Google Pixel 2 XL.
The OnePlus 5T has an incredibly fast Face Unlock feature besides the rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. The Face Unlock uses about 100 points of measurement on the user’s face for authentication. The phone includes a 3,300mAh battery with Dash Charge support. It gives users 100% charge in just 90 minutes. It offers dual SIM support and runs OxygenOS on top of Android 7.1.1 Nougat.
The OnePlus 5T is powered by an eight-core Snapdragon 835 processor with a clock speed of 2.45GHz. It comes in two variants: one with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage, and another with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. On the back panel, the phone has a 16-megapixel primary sensor with an f/1.7 aperture, and a 20-megapixel secondary sensor. OnePlus claims it has added a new “Intelligent Pixel Technology” that captures more light to take better pictures in low-light conditions. The device has a 16MP camera on the front for selfies.
OnePlus 5T pricing and availability
The OnePlus 5T goes on sale in India on November 21 via Amazon.in, where it will be available exclusively to Amazon Prime members. India is one of the largest markets for OnePlus. The worldwide sales will begin on Tuesday, November 28th. The device will be available only in Midnight Black color across the globe. It has a starting price of $499 for the 6GB/64GB variant. By comparison, the iPhone 8 Plus costs $799 and Samsung’s Galaxy S8 Plus costs $825.
