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Samsung makes it a hat-trick as Galaxy S9 tops Consumer Reports ratings
July 05, 2025
We thought Samsung’sGalaxy S9 and S9 Pluswere rather fantastic, serving up an innovative camera and iterative yet welcome improvements over theGalaxy S8duo. And it seems likeConsumer Reportsagrees, as the watchdog places it at the top of the smartphone pile.
“…it was durability, speedier processing, andtop-quality soundthat nudged the S9 and S9 Plus (which start at $720 and $840, respectively) just ahead of the competition in an exceptionally crowded field. Just six points separate our top 20 smartphones,” read an excerpt of the review.
Read more:Limited edition Galaxy S9 hints at Samsung’s custom case plans
In the case of durability, the watchdog conducted 100 drops in a tumbling machine. The Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus displays were “badly broken and not functional” after 50 drops. The S9, meanwhile, eased through with just a few “minor scratches”, while the S9 Plus survived the first 50 before cracking in the latter half.
On the negative side, the company found thatbattery lifehad taken a dip compared to previous Galaxy handsets, with the S9 lasting 22.5 hours in tests compared to the S8’s 26 hours. The larger S9 Plus fared slightly better, clocking in at 24 hours compared to the S8 Plus’ 25.5 hours.
In the photography arena, testers penalized the phones for over-sharpening pictures. “Doing this exaggerates the contrast between dark and light objects in the photos, potentially adding an unnatural-looking halo around the subject,” the website elaborated. It added that the difference in low light wasn’t easily noticeable compared to the Galaxy S8.
Consumer Reportsalso criticised features likeAR Emojiand super slow-mo as kitschy and impractical, respectively.
Who will unseat Samsung at the top of the pile? There are quite a few contenders, ranging fromSony’s XZ2trio to the upcomingOnePlus 6. However, our money might be on theHUAWEI P20 Pro, — ifConsumer Reportscan find one to review.
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