The iPhone X is Apple’s best phone ever, and one of the best handsets of the year. But that doesn’t mean it ranks higher than the more boring iPhone 8 models or some of its most prominent rivals.
Consumer Reports released its full iPhone X test results, revealing the reasons why it thinks the iPhone 8 handsets and Samsung’s best 2017 phones are better positioned in its smartphone rankings.
A few weeks ago, the same organization concluded that the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone 8 can’t rank higher than the fourth and fifth positions, respectively. Samsung took the first three spots, with the Galaxy S8, S8 Plus, and S7, while the Note 8 only came in sixth.
The iPhone X, meanwhile, can’t even beat its siblings, Consumer Reports concluded, and that’s not because it’s not a better phone. But the iPhone X breaks even more easily than the iPhone 8 models, and battery life can’t measure up to the iPhone 8 Plus
The iPhone X does have a beautiful display and outstanding cameras, which trump the iPhone 8 models. Face ID also works just as advertised, the testers found, even if it does take a while to learn all the new gestures that result from Apple’s decision to kill the physical home button.
But the iPhone miserably failed the drop tests, and durability may be a big deal for a phone that’s very expensive to repair.
When it comes to battery life, the iPhone X lasts some 30 minutes more than the iPhone 8’s 19 hours of use, while the iPhone 8 Plus scored 21 hours in the same tests. Consumer Reports says that the iPhone X’s battery is still shorter than the majority of the 38 smartphones it recommends. It’s battery life that hurt the iPhone X’s overall score the most.
Even if the iPhone X scored lower than the Galaxy Note 8 in Consumer Reports’ rankings, that doesn’t make it a worse phone than Samsung’s flagships:
A lot of people would argue that the iPhone X represents the future of smartphones. It boasts the best overall camera results in CR’s testing and one of the best displays we’ve ever seen on a phone. And while you don’t get the familiar Home button, you pick up a decent amount of screen space in a phone that’s significantly smaller than the 7 Plus and 8 Plus. It’s easier to hold and use, not to mention lighter to carry.
And Face ID works very effectively. The phone seems to unlock as soon as you pick it up and even think about making a call. Its gesture system takes some getting used to, but it’s not overly cumbersome or difficult to use.
Just make sure you buy protective gear for the iPhone X to prevent accidents. As for battery life, it’s good enough to get you through the day — read the full iPhone X review over at Consumer Reports,
