Hyper-realistic dolls and a fake KFC: I toured the bizarre China facility where OnePlus tests its phone cameras

A OnePlus phone being camera-tested next to a test mannequin.

We all know that the best camera phones are the product of thousands of hours of R&D, but did you also know that this R&D sometimes includes fake chicken nuggets and a one-armed robot?

During a recent visit to OnePlus HQ in Guangdong, China, I had the chance to see how phones like the OnePlus 13 are put through their photography paces, and the novel testing methods used by the Chinese smartphone manufacturer go some way to explaining why the best OnePlus phones are some of the most versatile shooters around.