According to Consumer Reports’ latest ranking, Apple’s iPhone X isn’t quite as good as some of the competition. The latest report by the company places the iPhone X firmly in its top 10 smartphone list but points out that its ranking is below that of Samsung’s Galaxy S8 and Apple’s own iPhone 8 Plus. Despite clearly stating that the iPhone X is a very capable device, other devices offer many of the same features at lower price points, while also one-upping the iPhone X in some areas.
Consumer Reports highlights the iPhone X’s new camera setup as a significant strong point thanks to the optical image stabilization included in both lenses, while Apple’s new FaceID feature also offers a unique and convenient alternative to the traditional fingerprint scanner. Not only this, but the company praised the iPhone’s new OLED display, stating that the overall brightness and vibrancy were strong points. However, despite this, the iPhone X’s all-screen design looks to have traded off some of the device’s durability, with Consumer Reports stating that both Apple’s iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus withstood drops with much more ease. In fact, the iPhone X’s weak durability is one of the main reasons it is ranked below Apple’s other offerings and its durability results were also comparable with those of Samsung’s Galaxy S8 line.
Another weak point for the device is in the battery department. In Consumer Reports’ personalized test that sees a robotic finger put the device through its paces, the iPhone X lasted 19.5 hours, which, although still half an hour more than the 19 hours logged by the iPhone 8, the result lags in comparison to the 21 hours logged by the iPhone 8 Plus, and simply pales when compared to the 26 hours clocked by Samsung’s Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus. Overall, the iPhone X’s compact design is praised, but Consumer Reports points out that Samsung‘s Galaxy S8 line and Note 8 models offer many of the same features along with the extra of a much longer battery life at a lower price point. In terms of a comparison with Apple’s other offerings, unless the all-screen design is essential, Consumer Reports points out that the iPhone 8 Plus offers a much better battery life and significant savings over the iPhone X, though last year’s iPhone 7 line is also recommended due to the lower price point.