We've been dying to see how the new LG G6 stands up to wear and tear, with its near bezel-less display and glass construction, ever since the device was announced at Mobile World Congress 2017 in Barcelona.
It was put to the scratch, burn, and bend test, courtesy of one of our favorite YouTubers, Zack Nelson (aka JerryRigEverything). After being tested to the limits of smartphone durability, the LG G6 proved itself to be "literally one of the most solid devices" of 2017, in the words of Nelson.
Its aluminum and glass body construction and IP68 rating means that it is dust- and water-resistant. As previously noted on Gadget Hacks, this phone can be submerged in water for half an hour.
The size of the screen is also very generous for such a relatively compact device. Its 5.7-inch LCD panel has a resolution of 2,880 x 1,440, which carries an aspect ratio of 18:9 to make the screen occupy more space on the front of the phone. However, this fact did not seem to impact the device's durability at all.
But how exactly did it fare when tested by JerryRigEverything? Simply put, the device passed the examination with flying colors, as Zack scratched, burned, and bent it with gusto—just see for yourself below.
Scratch Test
The YouTube test demonstrated that the phone's metal frame is extremely durable and resistant to scratches. The fingerprint scanner is also scratch-proof, like the iPhone 7 and OnePlus 3. The use of Gorilla Glass 3 on the front offers a 40% increase in scratch resistance when compared to Gorilla Glass 5, which is why the 2013 version is utilized on a 2017 flagship phone. The 16-megapixel rear camera also uses a scratch-resistant camera lens, as demonstrated in the video.
However, Nelson's test also revealed that even the Superman of phones can have a weak spot. In the LG G6's case, it's the earpiece, which is made of a cloth-like material. After natural wear and tear, this piece of the device could easily come out.
Burn Test
The burn test really emphasized the LG G6's strength, as the screen easily recovered after being burned with a lighter for several seconds. Nelson explained to the viewers that this is because it employs an IPS display panel, which will recover from heat damage faster than an AMOLED display. Five have failed JerryRig's fire test so far, which proves that LG's latest offering is indeed a solid device.
The LG G6 also incorporates a copper heat sink and tubing to keep it cool and extend the phone's lifespan. The heat sink absorbs and dissipates heat from the motherboard via the additional thermal compound, and is diverted to the phone's aluminum frame.
Bend Test
However, it's really the bend test that demonstrates the real-world strength of a phone, and the LG G6 didn't bend at all when flexed from the front or the back. Impressive, considering how fragile and flimsy the HTC U Ultra was in that department, and even more so because the two devices use very similar build materials. Both were manufactured with scratch-resistant glass on the front (Corning Gorilla Glass 5, in the HTC model's case), both use a curved glass back panel, and both feature an aluminum frame, so we were expecting similar results.
But, of course, the LG G6 passed the test with flying colors. Where the G6 succeeded, however, the HTC U Ultra failed spectacularly—unlike it predecessor, the HTC 10, which was the winner of Nelson's smartphone durability award in 2016. In fact, Zack found that the HTC U Ultra sagged "like a soggy Twinkie" when subjected to the bend test.
It's clear from this scratch, burn, and bend test that the LG G6 will be a solid contender for the strongest and most durable phone in 2017. What are your thoughts on LG's build quality? Let us know in the comment section below, and if you're interested, check out JerryRigEverything's full video:
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