Google Pixel 2 XL and iPhone 8 Plus both are expensive phones that will cost you upward of $800. When you shell out close to a thousand dollars, you want your phone to be strong enough to survive a few accidental drops. Most buyers know that they would drop their phones at some point. With the iPhone X launch still over a week away, the Google Pixel 2 XL and iPhone 8 Plus are among the best phones available right now. Folks at YouTube Channel PhoneBuff conducted a thorough Google Pixel 2 XL vs iPhone 8 Plus drop test. Let’s check out which phone wins.
Google Pixel 2 XL vs iPhone 8 Plus: The tests simulate real-life drops
The iPhone 8 Plus has been around for over a month. The Pixel 2 XL is now also available in all major markets such as the US and the UK. We have already seen Google’s latest flagship going through different torture tests. What makes this test more interesting is that PhoneBuff uses materials and equipment that simulate the real-life drops.
The iPhone 8 Plus’s rear panel is made out of the glass to facilitate wireless charging. Though glass is always vulnerable to breaking, Apple claims the latest iPhones feature the “most durable glass” ever used on a smartphone. The company has also added a steel substructure and an aerospace-grade 7000 Series aluminum to provide additional rigidity.
The Pixel 2 XL has a metal and glass design, with the upper one-third of the back panel made out of glass. Since its launch, the Pixel 2 XL has come under a lot of media scrutiny for various issues related to the display. Users have recently complained that they were experiencing a screen burn-in problem. Google is investigating the issue. Anyway, let’s dive into the Google Pixel 2 XL vs iPhone 8 Plus drop test to see which phone is a better buy.
Google Pixel 2 XL vs iPhone 8 Plus: Pixel wins the first round but…
PhoneBuff began the test by dropping the phone back-first. Both the premium smartphones were operational after the back drop. But the iPhone 8 Plus’s rear glass panel had almost completely shattered. The Pixel 2 XL survived the drop, with its back panel intact. There were only a few tiny scratches on the aluminum at the bottom. Even the glass on the Pixel 2 XL’s upper body was intact.
In the second round, folks at PhoneBuff dropped the Pixel 2 XL and iPhone 8 Plus with corners of the devices hitting the ground first. Both the devices got dinged up after the corner drop, but the Pixel suffered a deeper damage. In the third round, which is face drop, both the handsets were seriously damaged. They both showed a similar damage at the bottom, but the scene was entirely different at the top of the screen.
The Pixel 2 XL looked just horrible after the face drop, so much so that its front-facing camera got distorted. You could see chunks of glass coming out of its P-OLED display. The iPhone 8 Plus glass cracked, but it was still attached to the body. At the end of the test, both the phones were broken but still operational. So, PhoneBuff conducted a bonus round where the devices were dropped from much higher up.
In the bonus round, the iPhone 8 Plus display shattered completely and stopped responding after 8 drops. The Pixel 2 XL gave up in just 5 drops. Overall, the Pixel 2 XL scored 22/40 points in the tests, while the iPhone 8 Plus had to settle at 21/40 points. Google’s device scored marginally higher in the Google Pixel 2 XL vs iPhone 8 Plus drop test because of its impressive performance in the first round. In all other rounds, the iPhone 8 Plus had an edge.
Pixel 2 doesn’t feel like a ‘premium’ smartphone
Separately, folks at another YouTube channel JerryRigEverything conducted a torture test on the Google Pixel 2. They pointed out that Google’s latest smartphones have a plastic-like feel because the aluminum back is covered with paint. It means the phone is vulnerable to scratching. Even the rear fingerprint scanner is painted. The fingerprint reader doesn’t work properly if the paint coating gets scratched or damaged.
The worst thing about the Pixel 2 is bending. Yes, it will remind you of the iPhone 6 bendgate controversy. JerryRigEverything showed that you could bend the Pixel 2 with your hands. The bending leads to cracking. The reviewers also pointed out that the position of the antenna band is such that even a moderate amount of stress could completely damage the antenna band.
Of course, you will be using protecting cases whether you buy the Google Pixel 2 XL or iPhone 8 Plus. But not everyone buys cases, and not all cases are capable of protecting your smartphone from accidental drops. It will be interesting to see how Apple’s 10th-anniversary iPhone X performs in torture tests. It is scheduled to hit the store shelves on November 3rd.
Ahead of the iPhone X launch, Apple has reportedly asked its suppliers to cut the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus production by as much as 50%. The iPhone 8 was selling even lower than last year’s iPhone 7, which got the benefit of a price cut following the iPhone 8 debut. Now priced at $549, the iPhone 7 has become a favorite option for iPhone buyers who don’t want to wait for the iPhone X.
