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Pain In The Glass: iPhone 8 Plus vs. Galaxy Note8 In Durability Challenge

“The bigger they are, the harder they fall” has never been truer than with the latest generation of bezel-free, all-glass phablets.

To prove the point, SquareTrade, the extended-service provider (and recent addition to Allstate), performed its now-infamous mobile phone torture tests on the two hottest examples of the form factor.

In a series of robotically controlled and case-free drops, bends, tumbles, dunks and flings, the warranty firm inflicted its worst on Apple’s new iPhone 8 Plus and Samsung’s lauded Galaxy Note8.

The results, as one would suspect, were not pretty. Both handsets (as well as an unfortunate iPhone 8 thrown in for good measure) suffered shattered screens and missing chunks of glass — the engineering trade-off for wireless charging, which can’t be performed through aluminum hulls.

The contest between the two category leaders came down to degree of damage, with Apple’s “aerospace-grade” metal band sparing the iPhones from complete disaster. The Note8, in contrast, was rendered totally inoperable, and its multiple, fragile inner cables made for a tougher repair, Square Trade said.

Check out the outcome yourself:

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