Watch: Google Pixel 6 Pro is shockingly durable in new torture tests

News
By published

The Pixel 6 Pro can take a beating

pixel 6 pro in hand on beach
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

If you’re concerned that the Pixel 6 Pro looks a touch on the fragile side, the YouTuber JerryRigEverything can officially set your mind at ease. 

After subjecting the phone to the worst torture a handset can go through, the Pixel 6 Pro has come out relatively unscathed — or at least, in no worse shape than the majority of other phones on the market (and better than the foldables.)

In the 6-minute video, the YouTuber subjects the Pixel 6 Pro to the usual scratching, bending and burning you’ve come to expect. Using his array of increasingly aggressive tools, JerryRigEverything was able to scratch the glass display at level six on the Mohs hardness scale, with deeper grooves and level seven. Pleasingly, the underscreen fingerprint reader continues to function, even after that area of the screen has been aggressively scratched. 

Further scratch tests on the case prove that Google has switched from the plastic veneer used on the Pixel 5 to metal — except for a small plastic section at the top. As explained by 9to5Google, the regular Pixel 6 doesn’t have this, as it’s there to accommodate mmWave 5G, which is only on the Pro model.

One area that made us particularly concerned was the bend test — and not just because it’s stressful watching someone trying to snap a $899 smartphone. The concern was that the protruding camera bump would essentially separate the phone into two halves, making it easier to crack. 

Those fears turned out to be unfounded, though, with the Pixel 6 Pro holding strong. “The Pixel 6 Pro doesn’t seem very structurally affected by that large cross-panel camera bump,” concludes JerryRigEverything. “The build is solid with no cracks, bends or kinks.” 

There was one area where the Pixel 6 Pro failed, but if you ever find yourself in a situation where this is being tested in person, you’ve probably got bigger problems than a damaged phone. When he put a cigarette lighter to the Pixel 6 Pro’s LPTO OLED display, the phone endured a permanent scar after about 15 seconds. 

The screen still worked, however, and while some phones pass this test with no cosmetic damage, JerryRigEverything did concede that this test is “inconsequential” in the greater scheme of things. 

In short, it sounds like you can buy the Pixel 6 Pro with the confidence that you won’t have to handle it with extreme caution. But you may still want to invest in a Pixel 6 case, just to be on the safe side. 

Alan Martin
Alan Martin

Freelance contributor Alan has been writing about tech for over a decade, covering phones, drones and everything in between. Previously Deputy Editor of tech site Alphr, his words are found all over the web and in the occasional magazine too. When not weighing up the pros and cons of the latest smartwatch, you'll probably find him tackling his ever-growing games backlog. He also handles all the Wordle coverage on Tom's Guide and has been playing the addictive NYT game for the last several years in an effort to keep his streak forever intact.