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The second-generation Razer Phone recently went through an abusive durability test performed by Zack Nelson, best known as the owner of tech YouTube channel JerryRigEverything. In Nelson’s video included below, the gaming phone can be seen being subjected to multiple scratch and bend tests, which it largely survives, much like most contemporary high-end handsets. Razer has used the now-ubiquitous glass-sandwich design for its 2018 flagship that proved to be much more durable than the last-gen phone. The included metal frame was sturdy enough to easily handle the extreme pressure applied to the center without flexing or bending. Although the anodized aluminum on the sides did scratch with a normal razor, that’s also the case with virtually all modern smartphones made from similar materials.
The Razer Phone 2’s power button sits flush with the frame and doubles as a fingerprint scanner. Despite being scratched heavily, the biometric sensor continued to work as normal following the abusive test. The handset’s LCD display comes covered with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5 that starts to scratch only under intense conditions, while keys and change should be harmless for the most part. Both the front and rear camera modules are protected by a tough glass layer that didn’t show any marks even after Nelson’s repeated scratching attempts. Even though the industry is moving toward bezel-less displays, the Razer Phone 2 continues to feature a 16:9 screen sandwiched between a pair of rather thick bezels which the dual stereo speakers are attempting to justify. The speaker grills of the phone were found to be made of plastic and are hence easily scratchable. For the most part, the gaming-centric phone survived the rigorous test with flying colors, while the minor issues that cropped up can all be solved with a protective case.
Earlier this month, the Razer Phone 2 went official after several months of leaks and rumors. While the device retained the general design language of its predecessor, its internals were upgraded to match other 2018 flagships. It includes a 5.72-inch 16:9 IGZO LCD panel offering a top-of-the-line refresh rate of 120Hz and comes fueled by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC that is paired with 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 64GB of expandable storage. The phone includes a large 4,000mAh battery for those extended gaming sessions but lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack.