What you need to know
- Zack Nelson, the YouTube personality who runs JerryRigEverything, put the new OnePlus Open through its paces in a durability test.
- The OnePlus Open survived the test, which the Pixel Fold failed.
- However, the OnePlus Open still has a few durability concerns, like an inner screen that scratches easily.
OnePlus Open, the latest foldable to debut in North American markets, seems to be the best of both the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and the Google Pixel Fold. But in order to be crowned the king of foldables, the OnePlus Open needs to hold up well over time. Well, if you want to gauge how the OnePlus Open fares, you'll be happy to know that Zack Nelson just gave it the JerryRigEverything durability test.
There are a few reasons why this durability test is a big deal for the OnePlus Open. First, it's worth mentioning that this is OnePlus' first folding phone. However, since OnePlus borrowed some tech from parent company Oppo, it has a leg up on other first-generation foldables.
There's also the fact that the OnePlus Open merely features an IPX4 water resistance rating. That means it has no certified protection against dust ingress, which could be concerning in a phone with a hinge and other moving parts. The "4" in that rating also signifies that the OnePlus Open is splash-proof and isn't protected against water submersion.
But with all that said, the OnePlus Open managed to survive Nelson's grueling durability test. It's the same one that saw the Z Fold 5 survive and the Pixel Fold fail.
Nelson started with the scratch test, which saw the Open perform on par with other smartphones on the outer display. On the Moh Scale of Hardness, the outside glass was lightly scratched at level six, with deeper cuts at level seven. The inner glass — which is more like plastic — didn't fare as well, though. It scratched with just the press of a fingernail, showing the feebleness of folding "glass."
Although the OnePlus Open doesn't have any official dust protection, it did survive Nelson's dust test. This test involves Nelson spreading dirt and debris across the phone and in the hinge and then seeing if the hinge and display still work properly. For not having an IP rating against dust, the OnePlus Open impressively survives.
The most important test, especially on a folding phone, is certainly Nelson's bend test. He's managed to tear non-folding phones in half, and infamously destroyed the Pixel Fold in its durability test.
But alas, the OnePlus Open did not break when faced with a lot of force. The hinge flexed beyond 180 degrees, stretching the plastic display out a bit. However, the Open's display still functioned. The smartphone also managed to still open and close functionally, albeit looser than before.
So, the OnePlus Open definitely quenched some fears by surviving Nelson's durability test. It still remains to be seen how the Open holds up over time, though. There have already been a few reports of Open display failing on social media early after its launch. And if other foldables have set an example, the real issues may start to surface months or years after the phone's debut.
The OnePlus Open is one of the most impressive foldable phones available today, thanks to its unique design and impressive Hasselblad-powered camera system. You may worry about foldables being fragile, but OnePlus' rigorous testing ensures you shouldn't have much to worry about.
