Pixel 2 torture test shows just how destructible the handset’s ‘premium coating’ really is

With the Google Pixel 2 arriving at people’s doorsteps, you might be wondering just how durable it is, especially with the glass window around back. Thankfully, we have JerryRigEverything who has taken the Pixel 2 and completed a whole round of torture tests on the device. Long story short, the Pixel 2’s “premium coating” is extremely easy to damage…

JerryRigEverything tests everything from how easy it is to scratch a smartphone’s display all the way to bending the device to see if the construction of the handset will crumble.

As expected, the display will scratch when it encounters objects harder than metal as with most Gorilla Glass, the front-facing speaker grills are made out of metal, and the pOLED display will lose pixels when exposed to too much heat. What we didn’t expect was just how easily the plastic coating that sits on top of the metal build will scratch and take on damage.

As Jerry mentions in the video, Google states several times throughout its website that the Pixel 2 is made out of metal but has a plastic coating covering it. When scraped with a razor blade, the coating quickly scratched away until it reached metal.

Jerry also bends the handset in half and found that the back casing snaps where the metal/plastic coating meets an antenna line. Besides the structural damage done to the Pixel 2, this renders the phone no longer IP67 dust and water resistant.

Make sure you watch the entire video below and let us know if you think Google should have done a better job constructing the Pixel 2 in the comments. If you’re now worried about your handset getting damaged, make sure to check out our review of the Bellroy leather case. We will also have reviews up of other Made for Google cases and accessories so that you can know what you should and shouldn’t buy.