Consumer Reports ranks the iPhone X below the Galaxy S8 and iPhone 8. Why?

More than a month after the iPhone X hit retail shelves, Consumer Reports (CR) finally concluded the testing of the handset and published the results. Well, the iPhone X did not fare as well as you would have expected it to. CR summed it up in one sentence:

The iPhone X is an innovative device with a fantastic camera and beautiful display, but other phones are tougher and can operate longer on a charge.

The critical areas which the iPhone X lagged behind its peers are durability and battery life. When three iPhone X test units were subjected to CR's intensive lab testing in a tumbling machine, the rear glass panel of one iPhone X cracked significantly after 100 drops. The other two units had malfunctioning displays after 50 drops.

In CR's battery test, a robotic finger is programmed to put the iPhone X through a series of tasks which mimics the typical usage patterns of a consumer on a day. The iPhone X's 2,716mAh battery lasted 19.5 hours while the 2,675mAh battery of the iPhone 8 Plus lasted 21 hours. The Galaxy S8 and S8+ delivered 26 hours of battery uptime.

Taking into account the scores in durability and battery life, CR had to place the iPhone X lower in the rankings. However, the iPhone X is commended for its beautiful OLED display, the outstanding rear camera which is the highest rated smartphone camera CR has tested, and convenient Face ID unlocking technology.