14 DAY TRIAL // With the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max available for customers worldwide, pretty much everyone seems to be running tests, putting Apple’s new smartphones against models from other manufacturers.
And while these could help many decide what phone to buy next, independent research conducted by Consumer Reports provides mixed results on the performance of iPhone XS and XS Max.
In other words, yes, Apple’s 2018 iPhones are pretty impressive, but not as impressive as they seem to be at first glance. At least, not in all departments.
First and foremost, CR says both devices come with a substantial battery upgrade over the iPhone X, which backs Apple saying that there’s a 30-minute improvement on the new-generation phones.
“In our testing, the iPhone XS lasted 24.5 hours, and the Max made it to 26 hours. That’s a big step up from the iPhone X’s 19.5-hour performance and puts the new iPhones up there with this year’s marathon-running Samsung phones in our ratings,” the research notes. Samsung's Galaxy Note 9 lasted for 29 hours per charge in CR's tests earlier this year.
Note 9, the top phone right now
But when compared to Samsung’s phones, Apple’s iPhones are way behind in terms of charging speed. Using the 5W adapter in the box, an iPhone XS charges from 0 to 100 percent in no less than 195 minutes, while the Max needs 210 minutes to complete the task. Samsung’s Galaxy Note 9 can do the same thing in just 105 minutes.
Then, it’s the durability of the phone. Made from glass, both iPhone XS and XS Max seem to be rather fragile, despite Apple claiming it has made substantial improvements here. But as CR says, the two phones were substantially damaged after 50 drops, while the Note 9 survived for a total of 100 drops and it worked flawlessly with minor damage after that.
This means the Note 9 remains the best smartphone money can buy in CR’s opinion with a total of 83 points, while Apple’s new iPhones came in pretty close with 82 points.