Samsung Galaxy S8+ Beats iPhone 7 Plus in Consumer Reports' Ranking

After the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco, Samsung had a lot riding on the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Samsung Galaxy S8+ this year. And if the latest Consumer Reports’ findings are to be taken into account, the two smartphones have performed exceptionally well, raking in the top two spots. Consumer Reports ranks the Samsung Galaxy S8+ as the top smartphone, followed by the Galaxy S8 in the second place.

Consumer Reports lauds the Samsung Galaxy S8+ for its narrow design and great battery life. The publication adds that while the LG G6 and the iPhone 7 Plus packed dual rear cameras, the Samsung cameras were top-notch and didn’t suffer due to the lack of a dual camera setup. The LG G6 stood in the fourth spot in the Consumer Reports rankings, while the iPhone 7 Plus took the fifth spot, Samsung’s own Galaxy S7 Edge was third.

The report also lauded Samsung’s bezel-less display design and the ability to survive under water. However, one thing that the folks at Consumer Reports were not so happy about, was its one-hand operation, and recommends its readers to try out the phones in the store before purchasing them. “Even on the smaller model, it will be hard for most users to reach the upper regions of the screen with their thumb,” lead phone tester Richard Fisco says in the report.

The cameras on the Samsung Galaxy S8+ and Galaxy S8 also received heavy praise. The report lauds its low-light imaging and video recording capabilities, and also says that the lack of dual cameras at the back is not something that is missed badly. “Finally, a few top-end cameras, including the iPhone 7 Plus and the LG G6, have dual rear-facing cameras, to enhance either zoom or wide-angle photography. The Samsung phones haven't gone that route yet—and we don't think they suffer for it,” the report states.

This positive response will be welcome by Samsung, coming in as sort of redemption for last year’s Note 7 recall. The iPhone 7 Plus sits on the fifth spot, but that’s because it’s a phone that was launched almost nine months ago, and three of the smartphones ahead of it were launched rather recently. It will be interesting to see if the ranking changes once the much-rumoured iPhone 8 is released in a few months’ time.