iPhone 8 Deemed More Durable Than Samsung Galaxy Note 8

When Apple unveiled its latest line of glass-sandwich styled iPhone 8 and 8 Plus handsets, executives were quick to highlight how they’re built using only the most durable glass ever employed in a smartphone. Of course, while we all know Apple has a tendency to talk-up the key details about its most revolutionary new products, it appears from a recent spate of drop tests that Cupertino’s latest flagships aren’t quite as durable as the company will have us believe — however the iPhone 8, nevertheless, still puts its competition to shame.

The first of said tests was conducted by SquareTrade, who as a subsidiary of AllState Insurance group offers competitive, low-cost equipment protection plans for electronic devices including smartphones, tablets, and more. As you can see in the YouTube video below, the company conducted a 3-way drop test between the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and Samsung’s latest glass-bodied flagship: the Galaxy Note 8, for comparison.

Unfortunately, all three models shattered magnificently on all sides — in not just one, but every single test, which included front- and back-side drop tests from heights of six-feet, 22-feet, as well as a so-called ‘tumble test’ using the same equipment each time.

Interestingly, while all three devices shattered — as I’m sure we expected given that glass is glass, right? — SquareTrade officially gave each its own “breakability score,” a number ranging between 0-100, with higher numbers indicating a “higher risk” of breakability.

Ultimately, the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and Galaxy Note 8 received scores of 67, 74, and 80, respectively, which according to SquareTrade means that the iPhones fall into a category of being at “medium risk” of breakage from a drop, while the Galaxy Note 8 was given a slightly higher score of 80 because it was deemed non-functional after some tests.

Meanwhile, we have yet another drop test below, provided courtesy of YouTuber PhoneBuff, who has historically posted videos of testing the latest devices against his heavy-duty ‘drop test machine’. Check it out for yourself in the video below, where PhoneBuff pits an iPhone 8 Plus exclusively against the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.

Unfortunately, both devices shattered instantly after just the first test.. And while we certainly can’t use heavy-duty machinery as an indication of how our devices might fall in the real-world, these tests ultimately solidify one reality we all have to come terms with: Apple’s new iPhones (including iPhone 8 and moving forward) are more susceptible to damage now than ever before, and that’s almost entirely because of their glass-sandwich construction, which enables wireless charging by employing a durable sheet of glass on the back-side.

And of course, while it may appear that iPhone 8 has a slight advantage over competing glass devices like the Galaxy Note 8, these tests also confirm beyond question that you’ll want to keep your iPhone 8 in a case at all times, especially since the cost of repairing them keeps getting more expensive.