Another OnePlus smartphone fails to survive a bend test

Durability is something that we often take for granted the it comes to our smartphones. Apparently, this should not necessarily be the case, at least with OnePlus.

Today, the newest device from OnePlus, the OnePlus 10T, was subjected to one of the classic durability tests - a bend test. JerryRigEverything, a popular YouTuber that routinely “tortures” smartphones for entertainment purposes, posted the results of the former in a video. And it does not look pretty.



The OnePlus 10T failed miserably the bend test, snapping right underneath the camera module of the device, which is apparently a structural weak point. The worst part - the smartphone broke down under pressure exerted solely from the YouTuber’s bare hands. The results were first covered by 9to5 Google in a dedicated article.

Two things are worth mentioning. Firstly, most smartphones are not designed with the intention of being able to sustain that sort of pressure. However, this does not change the fact that the vast majority of smartphones tend to retain their structural integrity after being bent with bare hands.

Smartphones like the Galaxy S22 Ultra and the iPhone 13 Pro passed the same bend test easily. Even foldables which are, admittedly, much more delicate devices do not usually break down entirely. The results speak to an overarching problem i.e. lacklustre build quality.

And this seems to be a recurring theme when it comes to OnePlus. The OnePlus 10 Pro suffered a similar fate to that of the 10T when subjected to the same bend test. One is a coincidence, one plus is a pattern (please forgive the bad pun).

Many still recall the original “bendgate”, when Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus triggered a media fiasco after failing to survive a bend test. Apple quickly took note and vastly improved the durability of the subsequent models. It seem OnePlus is not so receptive.