What you need to know
- YouTuber Zack Nelson (JerryRigEverything) has put the Google Pixel 7 Pro through its paces.
- The flagship phone "barely" passed the durability test, according to Nelson.
- Google's latest handset sustained scratches on the camera bump and nearly snapped during the bend test.
The Google Pixel 7 series' camera bar is perhaps its most distinct design element, but it's also a scratch magnet. A durability test done by YouTuber Zack Nelson (JerryRigEverything) showed how the metal strip housing the camera at the back easily succumbs to wear and tear.
Nelson's standard torture test should deter you from putting a Pixel 7 Pro in a pocket full of coins or keys without first protecting it with one of the best Pixel 7 Pro cases. That's because the metal camera bump easily attracts scratches, even after a few minutes of taking it out of the box.
The Google Pixel lineup hasn't always been big on hardware, seeing as the search giant's main focus is traditionally on the software side of things. Nelson's latest durability test reinforces this point. The results led the YouTuber to predict that the Pixel 7 Pro will "aesthetically look pretty hammered" two years from now.
Further into the video, the phone begins to show signs of structural weakness. Putting pressure on the phone from the back appears to almost break the part near the antenna line beneath the camera bar. Bending from the front, on the other hand, does not appear to cause any serious damage, though you should use a protective case anyway.
The Pixel 7 Pro's screen also sustained scratches at level six of the Moh’s scale, with deeper grooves appearing at level seven, as do many of the best Android phones with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection.
Overall, the Pixel 7 Pro "barely" survived the test, as Nelson mildly puts it. Obviously, the metal camera bar is the weakest element of the phone.
The Pixel 7 Pro is a virtual you with Android 13 and all of Google's assistance. With significant improvements, a vibrant 120Hz display, and the polished hardware you've come to expect from a Google product, the new Pixel 7 Pro has taken its cameras to the next level.
