OnePlus 15 Holds Up in Jerry Rig Everything’s Torture Chamber

Zack Nelson of Jerry Rig Everything puts his phones through the wringer like a seasoned mechanic tucking up a new motor, looking for weak points with tools that tell him in no uncertain terms how they’ll stand up to the daily grind. When it comes to the OnePlus 15, this includes dragging a razor blade over its surfaces, twisting it in a vice, and even waving a flame in front of the screen to see how it reacts.

First, there’s the display: a 6.8-inch panel with a 165Hz refresh rate under a sheet of Gorilla Glass Victus 2. Nelson’s testing equipment glide over the surface without leaving a scratch, up to Mohs level 5, and keys and coins in your pocket pose no threat. However, when you go to level 6, little scratches begin to form, the kind you might only see if you hold it up to the light after a long day in your pocket. By level 7, the grooves get much deeper, requiring a closer look to remove. The front camera lens is made of the same glass, and it’s impressive how well it stands up to this kind of abuse. Many screens would have been beaten to submission by this stage, but not this one.

Flip the device over and look what happens with the Sand Storm finish: it replaces the glass with a panel composed of a plastic reinforced with fibers, saving you 4 grams and a lot of potential anguish if you drop it. Don’t get me wrong, Nelson thinks that’s a wise decision to prioritize durability over pure craftsmanship. A quarter will create apparent scratches, whereas a utility knife will leave trails that persist. Over time, those coins in your pants may be doing some serious work, transforming that smooth finish into a scuff-hell. Other hues, such as Infinite Black and Ultra Violet, choose for the glass back, which is probably a smart thing because they won’t take much of a beating but will shatter if dropped. Strangely, OnePlus does not include that information in the specifications, forcing buyers to consider their options themselves.


On the edges, you’ll find an aluminum frame treated with micro-arc oxidation, which Nelson claims is the strongest coating he’s ever seen on a phone. It’s 3.4 times more durable than normal aluminum, and 1.3 times stronger than titanium, so it feels almost like soft-touch glass under your fingers. When tested with a blade, it causes surprisingly little damage, with only subtle murmurs of wear rather than substantial incisions.


Cameras warrant their own special kind of scrutiny, especially when three 50-megapixel modules are crammed together in a hump that’s exactly the right size to cause an issue. However, they are all wrapped in glass coverings, and the main, telephoto, and wide-angle lenses, as well as the dual-tone flash, all pass the scratch test. The images are clear, with no haziness or loss of focus. Furthermore, the Sand Storm model’s plastic back does an excellent job of cradling the camera bump when you bend the phone, preventing it from getting out of whack. Overall, it’s the high-quality optical protection that sets this phone apart from the competition.


Heat enters the picture with the burn test, which involves running a butane flame over the screen for a full minute. Amazingly, the display performs admirably: no flickering, consistent colors, and not a single pixel is burnt. It’s a far cry from what you typically see with phones, which tend to contort or go black at this stage, but the OnePlus 15 sits there looking serene, as if it’s been set on fire all day. That kind of durability is closely tied to its IP69 classification, which effectively ensures that dust and even high-velocity water jets will not knock it down a peg. So get it wet, soak it well, and it will bounce right back, everything inside protected by a mix of gaskets and the unmistakable red rubber ring around the USB-C connector.


Next comes the bend test, which is the ultimate stress test. Nelson grips it from the back first, applying a significant amount of torque that would undoubtedly distort a weaker design. But the OnePlus 15 is no slacker; it rests as sturdy as a rock, with the chassis secured solidly. Turn it on its side, and you’ll notice that the screen holds up surprisingly well – there’s only a tiny degree of give, just enough to lift the camera bump slightly off the plastic. To top it all off, there are no creaks or split seams. The IP69 classification remains valid, and the water resistance is still strong. Glass-backed models would most certainly demonstrate equal strength, though we can’t help but think a tumble might be a touch more risky for them.



Now it’s time to disassemble it and see what’s going on inside. To get to the good stuff, you have to pop off the back. Eight Philips screws on the bottom and ten on top, all of which are happily standard and all too happy to come loose with a screwdriver. The plastic panel easily lifts out, and there are no ugly shards to cope with, unlike some of its glass counterparts. When you remove the NFC pad and the triple LED flash, the dual-cell battery is ready to be discovered, a 7,300 mAh silicon-carbon stack with tabs that come free with no effort. It’s a true powerhouse, easily tripling what some of the other top-tier flagships offer – so you can definitely expect to go a few days between charges.
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