The newcomers Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus jump to the number 1 spot in Consumer Reports' smartphone rankings, beating Apple's iPhones by two places.
Samsung Galaxy S9, S9 Plus Beat S8 And iPhones
Both the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus are in the first place with 81 points, defeating the previously top-rated Galaxy S8, S8 Plus, and S8 Active at 79 points each. The iPhone 8 Plus is now bumped down to sixth place while the iPhone 8 sits in seventh place. The iPhone X is not better, according to the testers, at the eighth spot.
Considering that the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus are a minor upgrade from their predecessors, and the new ones have shorter battery life and inferior cameras, it's surprising that the new flagships managed to score two points higher.
Nevertheless, the top-ranking phones are only ahead of the lowest-ranking device in the top 10 by six points.
"It really comes down to personal preference when you're talking about high-end phones these days," said Richard Fisco, head of smartphone testing at Consumer Reports.
The Galaxy S9 Is Fast, Durable, And Has High-Quality Speakers
Consumer Reports praised the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus for their durability as their rear and front-side feature glass. Although they are fingerprint magnets, it seems that Samsung took great care in making the glass stronger than the one on the S8 phones.
The testers have all phones undergo the drop test, which submits them to 100 drops in a tumbler. While the S8s did not survive 50 drops without broken and non-functional screens, the S9 made it to 100 drops without so much of a major scratch. The S9 Plus was not as durable, though, as its screen was cracked at some point during the second 50 drops.
The faster overall speeds are also a welcome upgrade as well as the great sound quality that the S9s produce. Samsung also moved the fingerprint scanner from the side of the camera lenses, which annoyed most of its users, to below the set-up, allowing for a more convenient access.
The Samsung Galaxy S9 Flagships Are Not Perfect
The overall review also listed why the Galaxy S9 phones are far from perfect. The testers penalized the devices for producing oversharpened photos and having lesser battery capacity. Some of Samsung's tricks are unrefined as well, such as the 3D animated emoji, Super Slow-Mo camera, and the AI calorie counter.
Although the review is generally favorable, it also doesn't discount the faults experienced by the customers. Just a few days after launching, users immediately encountered problems with the touch screen, lens flares, and data loss.
The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus cost $720 and $840 respectively.
