Nothing launched its first smartphone, the Nothing phone (1) last month following months of hype. The phone has been met with a lot of positive reactions for its experience-oriented approach and unique design, but remains plagued by various hardware-related issues for many. This includes a green-tint issue on the display, dust accumulation and even problems with the Glyph light strips. However a new video suggests that the phone is hard to break.
YouTube creator Zack Nelson is known to conduct durability test for many popular smartphones on his channel JerryRigEverything on YouTube. In one of his recent videos, Nelson can be seen testing out the Nothing phone (1), trying to scratch, bend and break the phone.
While the phone did not make it out of the test unscathed, it remained very much usable even after Nelson tried to break it in two after bending it halfway. The sides of the phone and display panel, however, picked up scratches quickly, but these were only at level 6 and above. The Gorilla Glass enforced display panel is impervious to scratches by small pointy objects up to level 5, so things like keys shouldn’t be able to damage it.
The frame of the phone is made up of aluminium (not the hardest metal out there) and while it is much more durable than a plastic frame, it can easily pick up scuffs and paint can chip off quickly on impacts.
However, the point of a rigid, damage endurance test is to check if the phone remains functional in case of an emergency, like post an accident. It is here that the Nothing phone (1) shined, just bending a little near the antenna strips, but not breaking.
Many smartphones often break in two when folded forcibly. Nelson also showed this happening to the OnePlus 10 Pro, which pretty much snapped in two.
It’s great to see a premium mid-range device like the Nothing phone (1) come with solid build-quality, but the company is yet to fix quality control issues with its units. That said, once buyers end up replacing any defective units with those that have no tints or dust, they can rest assured that the phone won’t fold or break easily.
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