Huawei P20 Pro durability test reveals an unfortunate flaw

Against all odds, Huawei has made a big grab for the smartphone market by appealing to photography lovers with its Huawei P20 Pro and its three cameras. Its mix of premium specs, high-end camera components, and AI-assisted features may make some in the US wish the smartphone was indeed available in the market. But while the Huawei P20 Pro may indeed rank as one of the top smartphones of 2018, one question remains unanswered: how long will it last under the wear and tear of everyday use? JerryRigEverything's Zack Nelson tries to find out.

Nelson applies his usual scratch test to the screen and finds that it performs just as well as Corning Gorilla Glass, despite not being Corning Gorilla Glass. That is, it started scratching with a Mohs level 6 pick. He ominously says, however, that has a serious implication in a different test.

That test is the once infamous bend test. Ever since the disastrous iPhone 6 Plus and its somewhat fragile body, smartphone makers have done better to ensure the structural integrity of their expensive flagships. You'd think Huawei would be the same but right at the very first bend, the P20 Pro's screen cracks.

Nelson theorizes that it could be due to the heavy scratches introduced by his scratch test, considering where the cracks appeared. That said, he also notes that none of the other phones he scratched and bent behaved that way. Those other phones used Corning's Gorilla Glass, which is perhaps a testament to the material's durability.

The good news is that that is the only flaw he found, though a substantial one. Only the upper glass layer cracked, leaving the OLED panel underneath unaffected. And, yes, the P20 Pro's screen left a permanent white mark, suggesting that this is not a phone you'll want to place near fire.