Early reports suggest the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 plus are rather fragile.

One person's ideal location is different from another's. Not saying I endorsed the position before I had it in my hands but find it quite good now that I have it. Certainly better than front due to screen territory now available. But nobody is forced to use fps. It is merely one of the options.
 
This is what worries me about everyone claiming they're happy with the location of the s8 finger print sensor. If Samsung think everyone is happy they might just leave it there on the s9 rather than try to locate it better

I doubt that, it's well known that their plans were/are to incorporate FP sensor on the screen and I think they will push just that on the Note 8, if by any chance they are still not ready, they will be for the S9.
 
This is what worries me about everyone claiming they're happy with the location of the s8 finger print sensor. If Samsung think everyone is happy they might just leave it there on the s9 rather than try to locate it better

But people aren't happy with it. We've learned to work with it, and in some cases people have figured out that it's not as bad as we first thought. But Samsung has heard loud and clear from every blog and every reviewer how stupid the placement is. And remember, it was the blogs and reviewers who were the loudest and most critical of Samsung regarding their cheap, plastic designs.
 
From the drop test I have seen, the back shatters on first drop but the front often last till the extreme drops.

Dropped mine last night on tile floor from about 3 feet it landed flat on its back. Only protection was a dbands black dragon skin with no damages at all.