Interestingly, the handset doesnt physically snap in half like other likewise delicate gadgets in previous toughness experiments, however the performance of its display screen is ruined beyond repair work. For what its worth, the screen itself is safeguarded by a basic Gorilla Glass 5 coating, the volume rocker, power button, and mute switch are all made from metal, and the in-display fingerprint scanner stands up to a fair bit of scratching.
Instead of doing that, the OnePlus Nord catastrophically breaks after a number of flexing attempts, which means back pockets are to be prevented at all times and difficult protective cases utilized in most daily circumstances. Obviously, thats typically encouraged even when dealing with significantly tougher phones made from genuine metal and glass, so if you like the specifications and cost of the Nord 5G, you shouldnt consider this evident structural weakness an outright deal breaker.
In case you were wondering why
OnePlus avoided to buzz up the seemingly exceptional design of the Nord 5G both prior to and during its virtual launch event, that might be since the construct quality is in fact not as impressive as it looks. While the phone does rock a glossy glass back, its frame is only made to look like metal with the old silver-paint-over-plastic technique.
You understand how the 5G-enabled OnePlus Nord sounded a little too excellent to be real in the lead-up to its
main announcement last week? Well, while the economical handset did unsurprisingly show to be real (and truly fantastic in terms of the theoretical value used at a basically unequalled cost), it turns out that specific sacrifices needed to be made in order to keep this bad kid so incredibly inexpensive and technically advanced.
In addition to the obvious stuff that is missing from
When compared to the high-end, the 6.4-inchers list of features
OnePlus 8 or
8 Pro 5G, like a newer main imaging sensor, faster processor,
cordless charging, or water resistance, a significant and rather unanticipated compromise has been revealed in Zack Nelsons traditional JerryRigEverything sturdiness test video.
Thats right, the OnePlus Nord 5G combines premium-looking glass with … premium-looking however cheap-feeling plastic, which is not naturally a bad thing, specifically in this specific handsets price bracket. The genuine problem is the uncommon fragility of the phones frame, which isnt always linked to the usage of plastic. Weve seen plenty of devices built this method or even entirely made from plastic pass Nelsons intense durability tests with flying colors in the past.
Thats right, the OnePlus Nord 5G integrates premium-looking glass with … premium-looking but cheap-feeling plastic, which is not inherently a bad thing, specifically in this particular handsets rate bracket. The genuine issue is the uncommon fragility of the phones frame, which isnt always linked to using plastic. Weve seen plenty of devices built this way or even totally made from plastic pass Nelsons grueling sturdiness tests with flying colors in the past.
