For a number of years, as part of the durability testing, there’s been a lot of heavy-handed use of mobiles. That peaked in 2015 when some sites built custom machines to continually build pressure phones “bending” them until they broke. Yes, the ROG phone 5 has failed a durability test with JerryRigEverything and for a phone that is likely to cost AU$1800 or more, that’s a disappointing result, but I’d argue it doesn’t really matter.
The tests involve not just overly rough use, but outright abuse of the phones with tests involving:
- Taking to the screen directly with sharp objects
- Running a Stanley knife down the edge of the phone
- Exposing the screen to 30 seconds of direct flame
- Bending the device
Take a quick look for yourself below, but I would ask: Surely, while it’s possible if you sit down with the device in your pocket and on a bad angle, you may put some pressures on the device. Surely if you’re putting that much pressure on your phone, you’d notice?
These tests are designed to test the limits of a device, not whether they’ll stand up to daily use by average users. In this case, the ROG phone 5 isn’t aimed at the average user. This is a niche phone for a buyer who is likely passionate about gaming and highly likely to take extreme care with their very expensive new phone.
