Although the latest publication from Consumer Reports rates both the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus above the iPhone X, this is no reason for iPhone X users to want to trade down.
CR has pointed out that while there is nothing wrong with either iPhone 8 model, there seems to be differences in battery life and durability that may not even apply to real world usage. The rankings site durability by conducting a drop test, which plays a small part in their decision:
We tumbled three samples of the iPhone X. The first was fine after 50 drops, but the glass on the back was significantly cracked after 100. The other two phones ended up with malfunctioning displays after 50 drops. Though the front glass didn’t crack, several bright green bars stretched across the screens from top to bottom.
All devices involved in the test have glass front and backs so recommending one over the other in this instance is not likely to have any impact. Plus, its worth taking into account that people tend to protect their iPhones with cases.
Another, more practical, test by CR took a look at battery life to determine how long a device lasts on one single charge:
To find out exactly how long a phone’s battery can go, Consumer Reports uses a robotic finger programmed to put the phone through a range of tasks designed to simulate a consumer’s average day.
The robot browses the internet, takes pictures, uses GPS navigation, and, of course, makes phone calls. We run all smartphone battery tests with the display set to 100 percent brightness. If you use any phone’s auto, or adaptive, brightness, the battery should last longer.
Despite the fact that this testing method may not match what Apple rates each iPhone, this still stands as a fair comparison of the differences in battery life, as long as the testing method is the same.
The results found that the iPhone X can last up to 19.5 hours, the iPhone 8 and SE for 19 hours and a staggering 21 hours for the iPhone 8 Plus. However, it’s up to you to decide if that extra 90 minutes of battery life is worth using a bigger phone.
You can see the final test results in the video below and don’t forget to let us know what you think.
