Consumer Reports Ranks iPhone X Behind Galaxy S8, iPhone 8 Over Battery Life And Durability Concerns
First, let's start off with the iPhone X's positives, which include its gorgeous 5.8-inch OLED display (which is manufactured by Samsung). It was praised for its deep black tones and minimal clarity degradation when viewing the display from off angles. Although the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus were also deemed to have excellent displays, the iPhone X was shown to have a "significant difference" in quality (in its favor).
Consumer Reports also praised the iPhone X's rear camera, which "produced impressive results" and resulted in images that "were sharp, with excellent color reproduction, and video was very sharp as well." Face ID also got high marks for its quick activation and overall convenience compared to Touch ID.
The iPhone X, however, stumbled during durability tests. While multiple drops from 5 feet left the device unscathed, Consumer Reports' tumbler test (which simulates 2.5-foot drops from multiple angles) resulted in malfunctioning displays and cracked glass on the back of the device. For a device that starts at $999 and can top $1,149, you're going to want to purchase a case to protect the smartphone -- especially considering that fixing the display (sans AppleCare+) costs $279 for the front display/glass and a whopping $549 for the back glass (since you have to pretty much tear the entire phone apart to reach the back glass for replacement).
Where the iPhone X fell behind the most was in battery life tests, where it barely outlasted the iPhone 8 and the diminutive iPhone SE (both clocking in at 19 hours) with a runtime of 19.5 hours. The iPhone X's 19.5-hour score fell short of the iPhone 8 Plus, which managed to last 21 hours. The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, however, were in a different league with a runtime of 26 hours.
In the end, primarily due to its fragility and relatively short endurance, Consumer Reports still ranks the Samsung Galaxy S8 as the best smartphone in its list of top 10 phones, with the Galaxy S8+ coming in second. The iPhone 8 Plus came in third, while the iPhone 8 ranks fourth. The iPhone X, however, is near the end of the line in ninth place.
