Cringe as the world’s thinnest smartphone gets it in durability test

Zack Nelson, the man behind the popular tech-focused YouTube channel JerryRigEverything, has just subjected the world’s thinnest foldable smartphone to his less-than-friendly durability test.

Oppo’s Find N5 caused quite a stir when it was unveiled in February, with Digital Trends’ hands-on review claiming that the handset “nails every part of this form factor.”

So, did the Find N5, which is just 8.93mm thick when folded, suffer much in the hands of Nelson? The short answer to that is “yes,” but then no phone really comes out unscathed during the YouTuber’s durability tests, which include a good deal of scratching, plenty of scraping, a spot of burning, and, last but not least, some spirited bending.

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You can watch the video (top) to see how the Find N5 dealt with the hardness picks, and how much it enjoyed being scraped up and down by a box cutter. You’ll also learn how well it handles a naked flame, and having grit poured over it.

But it’s the bend test that will really catch your attention. Nelson was surprised — as well as disappointed — to find that the Find N5 suffered internal display damage on the very first bend, administered while the phone was closed.

The YouTuber noted that while many of the other foldables currently on the market passed this initial bend test, the Find N5’s main display lost pixels in a thin line both horizontally and vertically.

The next bend test is always the hardest to watch when it comes to such handsets, as it involves bending the phone in the opposite direction to which it should be. But impressively, as Nelson applies some serious force with his bare hands, Oppo’s incredibly thin foldable remains in one piece — thanks to its strong titanium hinge.

But after a few more bends, the interior display is totally cooked. The exterior screen, however, continues to function, giving Find N5 owners some hope that their phone might still work should they accidentally mangle it in some unspeakable way.

Tech nerds can enjoy the rest of the video as Nelson completely dismantles the Find N5, revealing its innards while pointing out some interesting design decisions that helped Oppo to achieve the super-slim design.