You probably already know that OPPO is the #SelfieExpert and that their cameras are impressive-borderline-unbelievable, and these are probably why you got the phone in the first place. But did you know that the sleek, aluminum and Gorilla Glass-covered, wide-screened beauty in your hand goes through a host of violent occurrences before it goes out to mass production?
We recently toured the OPPO Factory in Dongguan in Guangdong, China and were horrified — and then relieved, and of course, amazed — to witness firsthand the myriad QA tests that OPPO puts their phones through to make sure they meet and exceed all our expectations. There are around 150 of these tests, but here are 8 that make OPPO far more intense than we ever imagined.
It’s Fidget-Friendly
We use the power, volume and fingerprint keys all the time, right? OPPO goes all out and tests with a kilogram of force and tap each side key 100,000 times and the fingerprint key a million times. Yep, that many times because this test makes sure your phone’s buttons work for up to six years.
It’s Familiar with Your Back Pocket
OPPO simulates your habit of putting your phone against your behind. It even tests with a simulated denim pocket, with 25 kilograms of force, applied a whopping 1,000 times. This test also verifies whether pressing against a small object, like a key, would damage the handset.
It’ll Probably Survive Surprise Metro Manila Rain Showers
First, the handset is pitched at a 75-degree angle and then it’s tested under a simulated 60 liters per hour rainfall. After the test, the handset is wiped clean and all functions are checked. Then they leave it aside for three days, making sure that the moisture inside evaporates. After that, they disassemble the phone to verify that the main board and the screen aren’t corroded.
It’s Probably More Beach-Ready than You
They put their handsets through a crazy high temperature of 80°C for 500 hours (basically bake it), and expect functions to be normal with the radio frequency index within the specified range afterwards.
It Knows You Can Be Sweaty (and Clumsy)
They wrap it in a cloth soaked in sweat — artificial sweat, that is — and store it in a hot (55°C) and humid (95%) environment for 48 hours. Then they test it with coffee, cosmetics, condiments, and all the other usual harmless-looking dangers we regularly subject our phone to.
It’s been Twisted
It’s ready for the times gaming gets too intense, or when the LOLcat is so cute you end up kind of wringing your phone. Their handsets are machine-twisted an incredible 1,000 times.
It’s been in a Tumbling Machine
The tumble test randomly rotates the phone for about 75 times at three to five rotations per minute. While they say the handset’s corners may get a little bruised up, they make sure of two things: 1) function failure shall not be allowed, and 2) the shell shall not be cracked or detached.
And It’s been Dropped More Times Than You Ever Probably Will
There’s the tumble test, and then there’s the gasp-inducing drop test. It is what it sounds like: imagine the phone dropping a full meter on all six surfaces, 8 corners and 12 edges — and then imagine this happening for a second time, except from 1.5 meters.
Not an OPPO fan yet? Take the new limited OPPO F3 Red Edition for a spin at the OPPO Concept Store, 4th Floor SM Aura, BGC, Taguig.
