The iPhone 8 Plus beats Note 8 in drop tests, including 'I left it on the car' one

By Daniel Petrov

Sep 25, 2017, 8:36 AM

There comes a time in a person's life when your heart sinks and the world loses its meaning. Yes, we are talking when you drop your all-new glass phones like the iPhone 8 Plus or Note 8 that cost at least $800, and you shatter either the backplate, the screen, or both. To avoid these scenarios, it's good to know exactly how durable the Gorilla Glass 5 on the Note 8 or "the most durable glass in the world" on the iPhone 8 Plus are. This is where SquareTrade's standardized drop tests come in handy.

Besides its usual drop and tumble machines, the phone insurance company has developed a new test called the Shot that simulates a phone left on the roof of your car and you speeding off, which apparently happens more and more these days. You can view all the test details in the video above, but, in the end, it seems that yes, glass back does crack, and, yes, the new iPhones do seem to score a tad more durability than the Note 8, latest Gorilla Glass or not, yet word to the wise - dress it up in cases the second you get it.

The Note 8 survived the face drop better in terms of cracks, yet it was completely out of commission afterwards, while the iPhone still worked. Apple's "aerospace-grade" metal band also protected it better in side drops, while the slingshot test mimicking your car roof smashed the Note 8 to more chunks and pieces flying off.