Samsung Galaxy S8 screen 'extremely susceptible to cracking'

The South Korean firm's previous flagships performed much better in durability testing

Many customers will be reluctant to hide the S8's stunning body behind a case (YouTube/SquareTrade)

Samsung Galaxy S8 customers are being warned about the handset’s apparent fragility.

The South Korean firm’s latest flagship performed poorly in tests conducted by smartphone insurance firm SquareTrade, receiving a “medium-high risk” rating and a “breakability score” of 76 out of 100.

The S8+ fared slightly worse, with a score of 77.

In SquareTrade’s tests, the screens of both the S8 and S8+ cracked after a single front-face down drop from a height of six feet.

Since the handsets use an all-glass design, front-face up drop tests caused cracks to appear on their rear panels, while side-on drops caused glass and button damage.

SquareTrade claims the S8 is the first phone it has tested that cracked on the first drop on all sides, concluding that the phone is “extremely susceptible to cracking when dropped from any angle”.

Samsung’s Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge received scores of five and six out of ten respectively in SquareTrade’s tests last year, which are equivalent to 50 and 60 on the insurance firm’s updated 1-100 scale.

One of the S8’s key features is its “infinity display”, which is visually stunning. At 5.8-inches (6.2-inches on the S8+), it’s large, dominant and curved on two sides.

Unfortunately, the S8’s lack of a metal frame means its screen doesn’t have as much protection from impacts as other handsets on the market.

However, the phone performed well in the dunk tests, thanks to its IP68 water- and dust-resistance rating.

It's undoubtedly the best-looking smartphone on the market, and plenty of potential buyers will understandably be reluctant to hide the S8's stunning design behind a smartphone case.