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Sony’s recently released Xperia XZ2 has now suffered through a durability test performed by the YouTube channel JerryRigEverything’s Zack Nelson, showing that it actually stands up very well compared to some previous Sony devices. For starters, the scratch test went as well as can be expected, owing to Sony’s decision to coat nearly everything but the edges in Gorilla Glass 5. That begins receiving hairline scratches at Moh’s hardness rating of 6 and begins gouging at 7. Meanwhile, the edges scratched fairly easy with a simple utility razor, as did physical buttons, the camera surround, and the fingerprint scanner. The fingerprint scanner remained functional, though, and all logos, lenses, LED flashes, and sensors are buried under glass. So the only real concerns for damage when placing the phone in the same pocket with keys or similar objects should be areas around the edges. The speaker cover is also well-made and firmly connected, showing quite a bit of resilience to damage.
Looking beyond wear and tear from scratches, where this Sony device really stood out was in the bend test. Historically, Sony devices have been inconsistent and some have shown real weakness to bending. More accurately, some have bent relatively easily, even in cases where they could be reshaped without damage to the display. Others have been less flexible and sustained damage, whereas still others have performed admirably. For Sony’s Xperia XZ2, bending doesn’t seem to be a problem at all. The layers of Gorilla Glass 5, coupled with the use of aluminum in the frame mean that there is more rigidity than usual. That means bending doesn’t really seem to occur, to begin with, and trying to bend the handset by hand didn’t result in any damage. That doesn’t mean it will survive being endlessly sat on in the back pocket, or other situations where more pressure is put on the device. It does mean that the Xperia XZ2 can withstand those kinds of forces quite a bit better than previous Sony devices thanks to a more thoughtful design and better build quality.
Moving on to the burn test, the Xperia XZ2 survived 13 seconds under direct contact with the flame from a lighter before pixels began deactivating. That’s 3 seconds longer than the previous XZ model. Once the flame was changed removed the pixels bounced back to life after just a few moments. The test is, of course, not necessarily a useful test for those with a tenancy to leave devices in the sun for long periods since that causes heat well beyond the display. However, it is fairly useful for those that repair their own devices. That particular activity often requires a heat gun or other method for softening the adhesive holding the glass and display. So the test shows that would be an easy enough feat to accomplish for experienced tech lovers without causing longer-term device damage.