Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ review: Such great heights

By Daniel Bader
last updated

The quick take

The Galaxy S8 isn't quite as revolutionary as its Infinity Display lets on, but the phone, and its larger Galaxy S8+ counterpart, is a definitive statement of Samsung's dominance in the mobile space. Along with the elimination of the home button, Samsung is all-in on curves, and barrelling towards a future of ultra-minimalism.

The Good

  • Best-in-class AMOLED screen
  • Great performance
  • Reliable camera in almost every circumstance
  • Waterproofing
  • Surprisingly good battery life
  • Loud mono speaker
  • Restrained, minimal software touches

The Bad

  • Rear fingerprint sensor is poorly placed
  • Face biometrics are fast, but not always reliable
  • Bixby is undercooked
  • The most slippery phone ever
  • Based on S7 timeline, updates are going to be slow

Two phones, one review

Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ Full review

Samsung never slows down. In a year that saw the company stand by a vice chairman who was arrested for bribery, and a phone that caught fire, it also managed to sell an insane number of handsets, and earn gobs of profit in its best-ever quarter.

That the Galaxy S8 feels like such a complete thought out of the box likely speaks to how long the phone was in development, long before the Note 7 was released and recalled, and likely before the company realized that the Galaxy S7 edge was the de facto flagship of 2016.

In this review, we're going to be referring to the Galaxy S8 and S8+ interchangeably because, for all intents and purposes, and unlike last year, they are one phone in two sizes.

That's due to a renewed focus on fundamentals, on sticking with what works and evolving the experience in small, meaningful ways. There are regressions, in one major and one minor way, but we'll get to that.

About this review

I (Daniel Bader) have been using the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ at different times for a total of two weeks, spanning New York, NY and Toronto, Ontario. Both models are unlocked Canadian models connected to AT&T in the U.S. or Rogers in Canada, with Snapdragon 835 processors and Sony IMX camera sensors.

One day prior to the review embargo, Samsung released a small update for the Galaxy S8 and S8+ updating the software to Build G950WVLU1AQD9. The update prepared the units for Bixby Voice (which still doesn't work) and updated the security patch to April 1, 2017. It also closed the loophole to allow remapping of the Bixby button.

A Fitbit Alta HR was connected to the phones during the review period.

Samsung Galaxy S8 + S8+ video review

Take a look at our video review. While it only showcases the larger Galaxy S8+, the thoughts are applicable to both phones.

Line items

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ Specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally
CategoryGalaxy S8Galaxy S8+
Operating SystemAndroid 7.0 NougatAndroid 7.0 Nougat
Display5.8-inch AMOLED
2960x1440 (570 ppi)		6.2-inch AMOLED
2960x1440 (529 ppi)
ProcessorQualcomm Snapdragon 835
or Samsung Exynos 8895		Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
or Samsung Exynos 8895
Storage64GB (UFS 2.1)64GB (UFS 2.1)
ExpandablemicroSD up to 256GBmicroSD up to 256GB
RAM4GB4GB
Rear Camera12MP Dual Pixel, f/1.7
1.4-micron pixels
OIS		12MP Dual Pixel, f/1.7
1.4-micron pixels
OIS
Front Camera8MP, f/1.7
auto focus		8MP, f/1.7
auto focus
ConnectivityWi-Fi 802.11ac MIMO
Bluetooth 5.0
NFC, GPS, Glonass, Galileo, BeiDou
LTE Cat.16		Wi-Fi 802.11ac MIMO
Bluetooth 5.0
NFC, GPS, Glonass, Galileo BeiDou
LTE Cat.16
ChargingUSB-C
Fast charging
Qi wireless
Powermat wireless		USB-C
Fast charging
Qi wireless
Powermat wireless
Battery3000mAh3500mAh
Water resistanceIP68 ratingIP68 rating
SecurityOne-touch fingerprint sensor
Iris scanner
Samsung KNOX		One-touch fingerprint sensor
Iris scanner
Samsung KNOX
Dimensions148.9 x 68.1 x 8 mm159.5 x 73.4 x 8.1 mm
Weight155 g173 g

The main takeaway here, and the reason we feel comfortable combining the two phones into a single review is because, unlike their predecessors, the S8 and S8+ are merely two sizes, and even then, aren't that drastically different. The Galaxy S8 is 5.8 inches, with a new 18.5:9 aspect ratio; the S8+ is 6.2 inches, which makes it a bit taller and slightly wider, with a battery 16% larger.

Would you look at that

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ Hardware

Since 2016, Samsung has built its flagship phones with aluminum frames and glass fronts and backs. And as good as the Galaxy S6 series was, the refinement in this year's phones is noticeable. The curved glass front meets the metal frame at the same gradual angle as the back, which maintains symmetry that debuted on the Note 7, but here looks even better.

Part of that comes down to Samsung's color choices — color-matched metal around the Midnight Black model, or muted purple hue of the Orchid Gray — but much of it is about curves.

The corners curve; the display curves; the glass curves. This is a phone that has no sharp corners, nowhere to focus our attention away from the massive screen. If you think back to the proposition of the Galaxy S3, all the way back in 2012, Samsung wanted the focus on its "pebble design" and Nature UX. This phone, five years later, is the culmination of that journey, for better or worse.

That shape and choice of materials also lends the phone an unprecedented slipperiness. You probably shouldn't try to nestle the Galaxy S8 in the crook of your neck while you're talking on the phone. After a few hours — sometimes a few minutes, even — the phone will be fingerprint-smudged and slippery, so if you're clumsy you will probably want to invest in a case, or a microfiber cloth (opens in new tab).

Image 1 of 6

But hold it in your hand, and it feels fantastic. You're getting either a 5.8-inch or 6.2-inch QHD+ display, but both use Samsung's latest AMOLED panels, at a 2960x1440 resolution. We're not going to get bogged down by semantics, but as Alex Dobie points out, the screens themselves are not their exact sizes; instead, they're closer to 5.3 and 5.7 inches if you compare them to traditional 16:9 screens. Whatever the case, you're getting more vertical realestate in a phone you can hold and use in one hand. The larger of the two, the S8+, is a little less amenable to single-paw use, but it's still far narrower than something like the Pixel XL, and has far more usable screen real estate.

The screens are amazing. Great viewing angles are expected these days, but Samsung has once again found a way to make the Super AMOLED panel on both versions of the phone bright and, more importantly, accurate. They are DCI-P3 compliant, which gives them a wider color gamut than a typical RGB palette. That, in addition to being HDR certified, makes them technically proficient, which is great, but you're also getting one of the most pleasurable viewing experiences on a phone today.

Even though wide-angle video is cut off (though some apps make minor crops to fill the display), the tradeoff is worth it. As good as the LCD panel is on the LG G6, Samsung practically owns the OLED space, and it's becoming clear that the thinner display technology is the future of mobile screens.

It really can't be overstated how beautiful this hardware is.

That screen — the so-called Infinity Display — is not a huge departure from something like the Galaxy S7's edge, but it eliminates as much of the bezels above and below the display as possible. LG did it first with the G6 — well, Xiaomi did it with the Mi Mix, and Huawei has been inching towards it for years — but this is a truly remarkable achievement nonetheless. Samsung did it, in part, because it finally removed the home button from the front of the phone, adopting on-screen navigation buttons for the first time in its history. And you can't talk about that without talking about what you're losing.

So there's no physical home button, just three on-screen navigation keys. They're in the traditional "reverse" Samsung order — recent apps, home, back — but you can change that. The achievement comes in the form of an "invisible" home button, a tactile area below the on-screen home button that offers real feedback from a precise haptic engine.

The most controversial change to the Galaxy S8 is the placement of the fingerprint sensor.

Not only does this alleviate some of the angst around losing that physical key, but it allows you to turn on the screen as you would that physical counterpart by pressing at any time — even when the display is off. That, combined with the ultra-fast face recognition built into the S8, made me miss that front-facing fingerprint sensor a lot less.

Yes, the most controversial change to the Galaxy S8 is the placement of that fingerprint sensor. Now on the back, right next to the camera, it's not quite as bad as it looks — especially on the smaller S8 — but it's still not great. Rumor has it that Samsung was working on a way to outfit the S8 with a below-the-glass biometrics, but couldn't make it work in time. And while I wish Samsung would have thrown symmetry to the wind and placed it center, below the camera, I found myself only using the fingerprint sensor when the face recognition wasn't feasible.

Thankfully, starting with the Galaxy S7 series and continuing here, it appears thinness is no longer a top priority for Samsung; the Galaxy S8 is 8mm thick, while the S8+ is 8.1mm, perfectly suited for a modest, but not huge, battery, and the complete elimination of a camera bump. The 12MP rear sensor on the back is completely flush with the glass, ringed by metal and flanked by an LED flash and heart rate sensor on the left and the fingerprint sensor on the right.

And, like the Note 7, the Galaxy S8 has been bestowed a USB-C port, the reversible standard that, along with fast charging and dual-mode wireless charging, suits my lifestyle perfectly. Practically all my "bag cables" are USB-C, and the fewer Micro-USB cables I need to tote around with me, the better. Samsung has also improved the single down-port speaker on the Galaxy S8, giving it some extra power that puts it on par with products like the Pixel with similar designs. It gets considerably louder than the thin speakers of the Huawei P10, OnePlus 3T and LG G6, and along with the superlative (and customizable) quality from the headphone port, reinforces the fact that despite not really talking it up, Samsung still takes audio very seriously. A nice surprise.

Aside from the bevy of sensors aligning the narrow strip of bezel atop the display, the only other major change to the Galaxy S8's design is the addition of an extra button on the left side of the phone. That's for Bixby, Samsung's AI-powered assistant, and when pressed launches Bixby Home. Soon (but not now), when held it will launch Bixby Voice, and let you dictate various commands to it.

It really can't be overstated how beautiful this hardware is. Even if the software was utter garbage (which it isn't), Samsung would get points for its mastery of form, and how far it's come from the plasticky, Band-Aid designs of the Galaxy S4 and S5. The S8 series is not some remarkable departure from its predecessor, but a consolidation of the good ideas therein with the available (and burgeoning) technologies of 2017. You'll likely see more companies release phones of this shape, size and aspect ratio this year, but none will be able to offer an AMOLED screen of this caliber (HDR certification, DCI-P3 color gamut) with a flexible display and curved glass that isn't just a gimmick (well, mostly isn't a gimmick).

Better than it ever was

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ Software

The Galaxy S8 ships with Android 7.0 running Samsung's latest Experience design: ultra-minimal, with an emphasis on white backgrounds with light blue accents. Icons are wireframes that stand out from the rest of Google's (and the rest of Android's, for that matter) Material Design leanings, and the front navigation buttons are a bizarre mess of abstract shapes that feel like they defy Google's accepted practices for no other reason than just to prove they can.

This may be the first Samsung launcher I stick with.

That said, Samsung's new launcher is pretty great, with a gesture-friendly home screen that does a lot with a little. By default, the app drawer icon is hidden, encouraging users to swipe up or down in unused space to open the still-horizontal series of apps. The changes may seem arbitrary to anyone coming from a non-Samsung phone, but current Galaxy users will see the continuity in these design decisions. For what it's worth, this is the first time I've ever used a Samsung phone without wanting to immediately throw away the launcher for something clearly better.

Part of that willingness to accept is thanks to Samsung's beautiful, simple Infinity live wallpapers, which assign gently shifting scenes of the cosmos to the home screen, lock screen and always-on display. Together, they form a blanket of subtle movement to the phone's curved exterior, and play well with the form, from the gradual lightening when turning on the screen to the way the stars move when shifting home screens.

They also work well with the unlocking process, which has been revamped here, and may be the single biggest point of contention about this phone.

Unlocking the Galaxy S8

There are several ways to unlock the Galaxy S8, but three of them are of particular interest to me:

  • Face recognition
  • Iris scanning
  • Fingerprint scanning

We already have an explanation of the differences between the two methods of facial authentication, but I'll recap: the former is insecure and fast; the latter is very secure and still pretty fast.

Face recognition is not new to Android, but this implementation is so much better as to be, well, unrecognizable to the average smartphone user. Because you can turn on the Galaxy S8 by tapping on the invisible home button (Samsung's term, not mine) and have the phone automatically begin scanning for a face, the sequence, while not quite as fast as a front-facing fingerprint sensor, is just as seamless, and when it works, it's a remarkable achievement.

Similarly, the S8's iris scanner, which is much better than the one on the Note 7, likely due to an improved cadre of sensors and software, is quick and reliable, and can also provide a great experience if you're willing to wait a beat more for the phone to unlock.

You have to choose one, though: Samsung doesn't allow the facial recognition and iris scanning to work in tandem, though either one cooperates with the fingerprint sensor if the primary method fails. The thing is — it doesn't really fail. You can turn on the display by tapping the area where the virtual home button lives and have the phone automatically scan your face or iris. I'd say that while iris scanning works quickly 90% of the time, face recognition works practically instantly 99% of the time.

More: Everything you need to know about Galaxy S8 face unlocking

I want to be clear that I'm not an apologist for an unlocking sequence that is not always as seamless as briefly placing your finger on a sensor, but in lieu of a viable alternative, Samsung's offerings are very good.

I guess the question I would ask is, Would you prefer Samsung have maintained the front-facing home button-finger sensor combo and sacrificed the scale and symmetry of the new Infinity Display? After using the phone for two weeks — after maneuvering my left or right index finger to find the awkwardly-placed fingerprint sensor next to the rear camera — I think the decision is not only justifiable, but agreeable.

A word on the fingerprint sensor itself: on the Galaxy S8, it's really not difficult to find while holding the phone normally. I have pretty normal-sized hands and, after a few hours, quickly got the hang of it. On the Galaxy S8+, that distinction is not as clear; instead, I erred on the side of relying on the face unlock, and only using the fingerprint when other methods failed, or when I needed to access biometrically-protected apps like 1Password.

Bixby

You can't talk about the Galaxy S8 without talking about Bixby, the company's AI framework that permeates the entire device. On the one hand, Bixby is a series of what amounts to plug-ins that work with existing apps, along with an integration into the Samsung Launcher, which is also accessible by pressing the dedicated button just below the volume key.

That's what Bixby is right now, and that's all I can review. But soon, with the launch of Bixby Voice, it will be much more — a voice-powered user interface that, according to Samsung, "will be able to support almost every task that the application is capable of performing using the conventional interface (ie. touch commands)."

Bixby Voice a hugely ambitious project that will take time to get right, which is likely why Samsung is delaying it until a few weeks after the S8 is launched (and also why, at first, it will be limited to a handful of apps, and only to users in the U.S. and Korea.)

Right now, though, Bixby is three things:

  • Bixby Home: A place to get all of your Samsung ecosystem stuff in one feed. From calendar entries to recent photos to upcoming Uber rides, Bixby Home is located to the left of the main home screen (and available anytime, thanks to its button), it amounts to a watered-down version of Google Now's Feed. News, trending hashtags, recent photos, Uber rides, upcoming appointments and reminders — these are all good, but not all that useful unless you're fully invested in all of Samsung's services.
  • Bixby Reminders: A typical time- and location-based reminders app that integrates with Bixby Home and, soon, Voice.
  • Bixby Vision: A way to identify and purchase products using your camera, this is one of the more interesting and potential-filled parts of Bixby, but as of now it's fairly limited. You can identify wines and find similar images to a given scene, or translate a word on a page, but I imagine, like Bixby's other areas right now, it will find low pickup because there are just so many real-world objects it doesn't know what to do with.

It's clear that for Samsung Bixby is a very long-term project, something that will be woven into its product design for years to come. On the phone side, we'll soon see Voice launch with support for a small number of apps in only two countries, but eventually it will expand, and Samsung will release an SDK that will give developers the opportunity to integrate Bixby Voice commands into their software.

I applaud Samsung's ambition here — it says that Bixby "will evolve from a smartphone interface to an interface for your life," — but in its current form, it's very clearly a work-in-progress, and must be assessed as such.

Despite having a curved screen, the Edge display features don't really add anything to the Galaxy S8.

To cap off the software experience, Samsung's hidden a lot of little treats inside the menus, from the ability to color the navigation buttons to a fully-customizable audio equalizer that adapts to your particular set of headphones. There's an improved one-handed mode, especially useful on the Galaxy S8+, and the ability to swipe down on the fingerprint sensor, à la Huawei, to expose the notifications.

Apps that aren't optimized for the Galaxy S8's taller aspect ratio can be forced to conform — my default email app, Newton, saw no ill effects — and Samsung has taken it upon itself to optimize YouTube for the larger display, intelligently cropping content so it fills the entire 18.5:9 screen.

And popular features from previous Galaxy devices make a return here, too: Smart Stay, which debuted on the Galaxy S3, is still chugging along, while Samsung's retinue of display scaling options have been maintained from the Galaxy S7 Nougat update.

There is a new set of always-on display options, replete with what Samsung is calling FaceWidgets, a trio of swipeable widgets, from music controls to a tiny schedule, that can be accessed by double-tapping on the perennially-visible clock. The AOD itself is quite attractive, since it cooperates with those Infinity Wallpapers I mentioned, but FaceWidgets seems like it was derived from the same well-intentioned meeting that resurfaced face recognition, albeit with less admirable results.

Of course, both versions of the phone come with Edge screen support this time, and while they're on by default, I find most of the options of dubious value and quickly turned them off. Still, as with the Galaxy S7 edge, a helpful screenshot annotation feature is now built into the Edge screen, allowing you to take a square or circle screenshot, or even a short video that's saved as a GIF, as you work on the phone. I really like the GIF feature, and have been using it to create some pretty great snippets, like this one.

Finally, a number of battery-saving features are on board, including a default resolution of 2220x1080, another holdover from the Galaxy S7's Nougat update. This absolutely contributed to the excellent battery life I got from both the Galaxy S8 and S8+, but I want to be clear about the decision: it's almost impossible to tell the difference between 1080p and the phone's default resolution of 2960x1440, even at the most eye-straining scale.

I did eventually switch to a different launcher (Nova Launcher), and I did disable a number of what I feel are superfluous features, including the Edge screen and FaceWidgets, but the good news is that I am pretty damn happy with the way Samsung has restrained its propensity for feature bloat — or bloat of any kind, in fact. I think we can finally put to rest the notion that Samsung ruins Android; it certainly changes it, but the results are warm, accessible and fluid.

On software updates

Galaxy S8 owners have a valid concern in wondering how long Samsung will take to update the Galaxy S8 to future versions of Android. The Galaxy S7 took more than five months to begin receiving Nougat, and the unlocked model in the U.S still doesn't have it, with neither timeline nor explanation from Samsung. That doesn't instill a great amount of trust in the process, even though the company is now updating its 2015 models, the Galaxy S6 series and the Note 5, to Nougat.

Samsung has been pretty good about rolling out monthly or quarterly security updates in cooperation with all the U.S. carriers. The takeaway is that you'll probably get a major updates for a couple of years, but you'll wait — a while.

Built to last

Samsung Galaxy S8 Performance and Battery life

This is the first phone on the market with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 platform, which once again sees its flagship chip adorned with eight cores, along with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of UFS 2.1-based storage.

We do this every year, say that the newest phone is the fastest, and I'm sure that's true of the Galaxy S8 — Geekbench says it's around 15% faster than the Galaxy S7 — but, to be honest, I'm finding it difficult to tell the difference in performance. I was using the Galaxy S7 edge for a few weeks to prefer for this review and, post-Nougat, find that phone to be just as fast as the Galaxy S8 in daily tasks. Similarly, owners of the LG G6 decrying LG's decision to do with last year's chip don't need to worry too much.

That said, it's great to have some future-proofing built into the Galaxy S8's Snapdragon 835, and besides sheer performance benchmarks, there are a number of notable improvements to the platform.

For starters, the chip is built on a 10nm process, the first of its kind aside from Samsung's own Exynos 8895 that ships in international versions of the Galaxy S8. Not only does the smaller manufacturing process mean less heat output and more efficiency, but it assures that the GPU, an updated version of Qualcomm's excellent Adreno line, has more thermal headroom to play with. For a chip that's going to be extensively used to power mobile VR experiences, the Adreno 540, which is around 25% faster than the Adreno 530 in the Snapdragon 820/821, is perfectly suited to the task.

The Snapdragon 835 also drives the Galaxy S8's improved camera experience, with an updated image signal processor that delivers cleaner photos in low light, and smoother implementations of multi-frame captures like HDR.

And for the handful of networks that currently support it, the Snapdragon 835, and the Galaxy S8 as a result, can reach download speeds of 1Gbps over a cellular connection. This number is largely a formality, a marketing message — no person, even standing right next to a base station with no other traffic on the network would reach 1,000Mbps over the air — but it also has implications for Qualcomm's transition to 5G, which will work far better with devices running the Snapdragon 835's X16 baseband solution, since such devices make the entire network more efficient.

Efficiency seems to be the Snapdragon 835's defining characteristic, and that extends to the battery life. If you skipped through the previous 4,000 words to find out whether the Galaxy S8 and S8+ have improved battery life over their predecessors, I have good news.

Both phone sizes have roughly the same-sized battery cells as their 2016 equivalents — 3,000mAh for the Galaxy S8, and 3,500mAh for the Galaxy S8+. In fact, the latter's cell is 3% smaller. But both are convincingly better at lasting a full day of use, largely owing to the more efficient processor, a Super AMOLED screen that, pixel-for-pixel uses less power, and a lower default resolution that appeases both previous points.

Here's what I found:

  • Galaxy S8: On most days, I got between 14 and 15 hours of mixed use, with 4.5 or 5 hours of screen-on time. I usually found myself hitting the 20% mark around 9 or 10pm with no mid-afternoon top-up. This is definitely an improvement over the Galaxy S7, but may not be enough for more intensive users.
  • Galaxy S8+: On most days, I got between 17 and 18 hours of mixed use, with 6 to 6.5 hours of screen-on time. But for a couple of days where I was heavily engaging the phone, I didn't have to top-up at all during the day, and usually went to bed around midnight at 20% battery, after taking it off the charger at 7am.

Neither phone is a multi-day workhorse, but with support for both Samsung's Adaptive Fast Charging, and (unfortunately) Qualcomm's older Quick Charge 2.0 standard, in addition to fast wireless charging over both Qi or PMA, battery life is notably improved over the Galaxy S7 series.

On battery concerns

I'm not going to spend a lot of time worrying about whether the Galaxy S8 is going to alight in my pocket, or next to my bed. Samsung has spent the last seven months looking into the cause of the Note 7's fires, and the past four months explaining how it intends to ensure such a thing never happens again.

Samsung purposefully didn't push the battery capacity of the two S8 models because it feels that the Snapdragon 835 brings additive efficiencies, and because it doesn't want to take a risk on a cavalier new battery design.

Obviously, we're going to watch the Galaxy S8 more closely than some other phones for signs that its batteries may be affected, but there is nothing gained from preemptively writing off the phone because its immediate predecessor had problems.

Snap-dragon (sorry)

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ Cameras

On paper, the cameras on the Galaxy S8 are only improved on the front, with an upgraded 8MP sensor with autofocus. And it's very good, especially when hunting for multiple subjects, with visible background blur and plenty of built-in Snapchat-like effects.

But there is something to be said for subtle upgrades, and that's exactly what you get with the Galaxy S8's rear 12MP sensor. On the models that ship with the Snapdragon 835, a Sony IMX333 sensor sucks up the photons, and a similar (or identical) f/1.7 lens adds the wide aperture and incredible bokeh on macros.

The focal length is actually slightly longer than the Galaxy S7, which affects framing, but it's a positive development, as the lens now distorts less in the corners, and portraits feel a little more natural, since the viewfinder fits less of the surrounding world in it.

Image 1 of 40
Galaxy S8 outdoor shot

Since the Galaxy S8 has the same fundamentals as its predecessor, it's still one of the fastest, most reliable cameras on any phone. But Samsung is now more willing to let, when Auto HDR is enabled, enable the feature in a plethora of scenarios, similar to the way Google's Pixel employs HDR. Even without HDR, Samsung now uses a feature new to the phone's upgraded image signal processor called multi-frame processing, which uses the faster, wider memory bus to seamlessly capture multiple photos every time you press the shutter button to come up with cleaner, more accurate photos.

And that's exactly what you get. If you compare the Galaxy S8's photos to the Galaxy S7, you'll immediately notice a couple of things: the Galaxy S8 employs far less artificial sharpening around edges, because the photos themselves are much sharper. Because of the improved software processing, the Galaxy S7's artificially enhanced contrast — that looks great from far away, but all but ruins the finer elements of a photo — are replaced with something that is much more indicative, both in terms of color reproduction and grain allowance, of real life.

Samsung Galaxy S8 (left) | Samsung Galaxy S7 (right)

Samsung Galaxy S8 (left) | Samsung Galaxy S7 (right)

Some people won't like this change. Much of Samsung's camera legacy of the last few years has been defined by this tendency towards hyper-sharp, overly-saturated scenes, and this is the company moving away from that. That's not to say colors are muted, or approach the level of pure canonical reproduction, but with Samsung's screens now DCI-P3 compliant and largely calibrated for accuracy, it makes sense that the camera would be similarly tuned.

The Galaxy S8's 12-megapixel camera, up close

The Galaxy S8's 12-megapixel camera, up close

So is the camera better than the Pixel, our current champion? I don't think so, at least not in absolute terms. Low-light shots, while cleaner than the S7's, are not substantially better, and are still physically limited by the 1.4-micron pixels, whereas the Pixel benefits from larger 1.55-micron openings.

What is better than the Pixel is the camera app's opening speed, which is astoundingly fast, and the camera app itself, which has been revamped to make finding and using manual controls much faster.

Remember the old days when Samsung would fill every free pixel with some gimmicky feature that you would never use? Thankfully, the company's newfound minimalism extends to the excellent camera app, which now features a handy zoom gesture attached to the shutter button. (While there's only one sensor on here, imagine how useful such a feature would be with two sensors at different focal lengths.)

Even the built-in camera effects, stolen guiltlessly from Snapchat, are well done. A small cartoon bear icon exposes a handful of live augmented reality filters that automatically detect faces and even beckon you to "open your mouth" or "raise your eyebrows" to extend the artifice. They're fun, they're useless, and they're exactly what Samsung should have done to engage a demographic increasingly clamoring for such things.

Of course, Samsung hasn't messed with a few other good things, including the ability to shoot in 4K at 30fps, or 720p slo-mo at 240fps. Optical image stabilization is just as good as ever, though video stabilization doesn't quite match the machine learned perfection of the Google Pixel.

Unlike some of the other substantive hardware improvements, the Galaxy S8's rear camera is another solid effort, but not more.

The big one

Samsung Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+ Which should you buy?

Other than screen dimensions and battery size, the Galaxy S8 and S8+ are identical. I've spent a bunch of time with both and have come to prefer the larger S8+ despite its height. It's just nicer to have that extra few hours of battery, and the additional screen real estate is a bonus. It's not exactly one-hand-friendly, but I'm used to that.

The Galaxy S8 is a little easier to maneuver in one hand, but it's still a big phone. If you're married to using the fingerprint sensor, you're going to have a much easier time consistently finding it on the smaller S8, which is to to be expected, but that minor convenience isn't enough to change my mind. I'm getting the S8+.

Colors

I've ordered the Galaxy S8+ in Midnight Black, which is a great look for this phone. All of the accessories in the box are color-matched, too — a nice bonus.

But I'm surprised at how much I like the Orchid Gray, which has a purple hue in most lighting situations. It doesn't catch my eye as much as the Blue Coral option, which isn't immediately available in North America, but it should be coming soon.

What color Galaxy S8 should you buy?

Don't overthink it

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ Bottom line

In 2016, Samsung released a duo of phones that, despite looking very similar to their predecessors, were huge departures in important ways. The Galaxy S7 took the best parts of the Galaxy S5 and S6 and combined them into a couple of devices that Samsung thought would appeal to wildly different audiences. Turned out most people wanted the Galaxy S7 edge.

The Galaxy S8 is in many ways a lot closer to the S7 edge than it appears on the surface. Samsung has maintained so many of the features that, in retrospect, endeared the Galaxy S7 series to millions of people — waterproofing, a microSD card slot, a great low-light camera — that it was very careful about what to change.

The most obvious change is that screen, which is astoundingly good, and the banishment of the fingerprint sensor to the back. It's going to be controversial, and Samsung will rightfully get a lot of flack for where the sensor ultimately ended up, but face recognition and iris scanning are good enough to justify the change.

The subtle changes to the software, too, are mainly a complement to the screen. Every design decision, it seems, is in some way in service of this screen, which is big and beautiful and colorful and curved.

If you're not a fan of that curved screen, you're out of luck. Get the LG G6 or Google Pixel. Samsung appears to think that everyone, the millions of people who will eventually buy this phone in either size, is going to accept the change.

Should you buy it? Definitely

In either size, the Galaxy S8 is probably the best Android phone you can buy right now. It just looks so futuristic, and offers so much more usable surface area than something like the Pixel or even the Huawei P10.

The main consideration you should make is, as we say every year, you're willing to live with a phone that won't be updated nearly as regularly as something sold directly from Google. And while Samsung and LG are spearheading this tall phone trend, by the end of 2017 you'll likely see most major companies follow suit.

But as well as the Galaxy S7 has held up a year later, I'm expecting the Galaxy S8 to age just as well.

Where to buy the Galaxy S8

Right now, you're stuck getting the Galaxy S8 from a U.S. carrier — there is no unlocked model for sale just yet. That will change in May, but in the meantime you can pick up the Galaxy S8 at one of these providers.

See the other Galaxy S8 review!

There's more than one way to talk about the most talked-about phone of the year, so that's why we have two reviews! Check out Florence Ion's take on the Galaxy S8 and S8+!

Read Florence's full review of the Galaxy S8 and S8+!

Daniel Bader
Daniel Bader

Daniel Bader was a former Android Central Editor-in-Chief and Executive Editor for iMore and Windows Central. 

252 Comments
  • So many days (hours) in a row of checking for the review! Glad it's what I was expecting, and that the battery life is good!
  • Just got my shipping notification from at&t! Should be delivered tomorrow!
  • Haven't had the time to read this review, but damn, I'm so looking forward to it. Thanks for the long review :)
  • Sounds like the battery life is actually pretty solid despite the larger display surface area. Is it QC 2.0 or QC 3.0, though?
  • I don't think it's either. I think it's Samsung's own quick charge method.
  • Review was updated and it did say that it's based on QC 2.0. Honestly, this is quite the disappointment, because it was not designed to work natively with USB-C. I'm really hoping the Note 8 brings it up to QC 4.0 because it uses USB PD as its base, making it natively compatible.
  • I stand corrected. I'm still hearing QC 3.0 is supported. Either way, weird.
  • QC is backwards compatible, so yes QC 3.0 is supported. But the phone itself will only charge as fast as the QC 2.0 standard even with a QC 3.0 charger.
  • Exynos chip isn't 4.0 capable.
  • Beautiful phones, but too many compromises for me. Hopefully the Note8 will correct most, if not all of them.
  • What compromises? It's pretty much the best cellular phone out there. What more, exactly, do you require?
  • Well, I was being polite, but since you need the validation of MY list as it pertains to MY needs and wants, here you go: Battery life- multiple sites are not nearly as generous in their praise for the battery life. Gee, I'm shocked. FPS placement- especially since I'm left handed Essentially the same rear camera 4Gb of RAM Very slow OS updates Weak speaker High likelihood of false touches Half baked Bixby I hope that's enough to entitle ME to MY own opinion, regarding what I need, want, or expect in a modern day, top dollar flagship. See, I just basically said it wasn't for ME, but you wanted a list. So, there you go. As I said though, they are beautiful phones, and I expect many of these items (not all) to be addressed with the release of the Note8.
  • I don't need your validation but if you are going to go on a public comment section and very generically express dissatisfaction with a brand new phone, you could at least elaborate as to why. If you aren't going to tell us why this phone doesn't live up to your expectations, then why even comment in the first place? I won't address your issues with this phone because they are YOUR issues but to go to the comments section and just say "I don't like it" is a waste of everyone's time. Don't just comment, contribute.
  • Well, there are MY reasons. I was just being polite and leaving it generalized because it only concerned/applied to ME, but there you go. Have a good one.
  • Thank you for the civil discourse Kevin. Good day to you too sir.
  • I like the FPS because I am left handed. Just my opinion. I am using a Nexus 6P and went with the S8 not the +. Hope it works out.
  • " and just say "I don't like it" is a waste of everyone's time. Don't just comment, contribute." Who the eff are you to speak for everyone and who died and left you in charge of the comment section?
  • LOL, I was thinking the same. Just some people's personalities I guess.
  • We get that you said it falls short for you. Him asking you to elaborate is perfectly valid. Thank you for sharing.
  • I agree totally, beautiful phone, nearly perfect but for ALL the reasons you said, it's just not good enough ! Pixel 2 might not be it or the year 2018 might do it instead
  • I applaud Samsung for getting rid of the home button and doing a good re-design plus bringing a waterproof feature in a flagship like this. In terms of new devices and design, I like the G6 better. I also like Sense better, though I consider it almost as much of an abomination as Touchwiz. So compromizes you ask for, here you go: curved screen, weird placement of fingerprint sensor, touchwiz, no software updates. My Nexus 6 is nearing 2.5 years old now and has a newer version of Android running on it, shame on Samsung. Sorry, the S8 is not the best phone.
  • Shame on Samsung because they did not update a still not released phone?
    Samsung updated the S6 recently to Naugat while your phone Nexus 6 is out of updates! Actually a big shame on Google for only supporting devices for 2 years with updates!! Google should be ashamed of itself and when it wants to copy Apple in things, it should copy Apple in good things like providing longer update support for it's devices instead of only 2 years! Instead it copies Apple in the worst things like making a phone with the biggest bezels !! Google must be thinking that iPhones are successful because of their bezels!
    You blame Samsung while the main culprit here is Google!
  • There is no reason not to release the phone with 7..1 instead of 7.0.
  • Sure there is. 7.1.1 was just recently released and it takes time to modify it to work with Samsung's UI. If upgrading to 7.1.1 would mean delaying the release of the S8, then what would be a reason.
  • And what benefit did the 7.1.1 gave to my Nexus that it would give to the S8?? Is it just an obsession with having a number only? In terms of features we all know that Samsung is way ahead with features than stock Android. For example Samsung has provided the multi windows way ahead of Google. Would I care for real features or just a number? Would I choose an update with a .1.1 to it that has no significant feature or the ability to change my screen resolution to FHD from QHD? The answer is very clear.
  • The main culprit is the CARRIERS for not pushing the updates
  • Tell that to the people who bought unlocked and still wait forever for updates, many times longer than those the carrier release.
  • When Google does not set itself as a good example by sending the updates to all nexus and pixels devices at the same time and when it does not support its own devices for more than 2 years why would the carriers do that? The fault is in Google first. Once Google corrects its wrong carriers will follow. We all know that Android is what is today because of Samsung and not Google. If it was not for Samsung phones Android would have failed long time ago
  • It's not called TouchWiz any more, it doesn't look or behave like TouchWiz, and from the time I spent playing with it at Best Buy, it doesn't suck like TouchWiz. It's one thing to just not care for a product line. But trotting out complaints from past years that no longer apply is just silly.
  • I'll admit, the phones do look VERY nice when it comes to design. They are going in the right direction. But I can't get over how the bixby button can't be changed to anything else, such as google assistant. If a case manufacturer were to cover up the button with one of their cases...maybe I'll consider it.
  • Hackers figured out how to reassign it once, they'll do it again.
  • Why was I only able to view half your video while wanting to watch your fellow reviewer, Mr. Mobile's review more than once? Because you sound like a Samsung salesman while he sounds like a Samsung end user. Please realize your readers and viewers don't want to be sold, they want to be informed.
  • Lord, I like how when people disagree with a review the reviewer is either biased or a paid shill or some other childish adjective. I found this review to be pretty informative in that it let me know this isn't the phone for me. Different reviewers have different review styles, just watch the reviewer whose views lineup with your own. Pretty simple stuff honestly.
  • To be honest I feel many of the AC writers do this, and not just for a favored brand but for most anything new. I don't think it's necessary to be apologetic when highlighting a deficiency of a device and that's the feeling I get when reading or viewing many AC reviews. The breath of fresh air comes from people who say it like it is but say it in an effort to inform the buyer and also the manufacturer which results in getting the truth out and hopefully see improvements in future products. I'm not claiming anyone is in any companies back pocket and if it came across that way I apologize. Just trying to critique, not necessarily be critical. After all, if I didn't like AC I wouldn't be hanging around here since the days of TreoCentral.
  • A level headed and well thought out response, apologies for jumping on you. I can't say I disagree with anything you have said, I found Mr Mobile's review to be pretty glowing myself. I think they are trying to target two different audiences honestly. One of the reasons I enjoy this site and how they provide different perspectives. Again apologies, lately this site seems to be inundated with users who immediately jump to the laziest criticisms they can when they disagree with a review, I incorrectly assumed you were one of those.
  • IMO, the review is very well balanced. They cover the negatives and the positives.
  • Maybe he is a Samsung salesman. This video is ridiculous and lacks any professionalism.
  • Wowww, i didn't like Samsung phones at all, but this Galaxy S8 got me goosebumps only by watching it. I'm so in love with big screen, maybe by the end of this year i will consider getting the S8+ and ditch my Nexus 6 i so love sigh!!
  • I too am on a Nexus 6 and this phone is NOT what will make me abandon it. Note that right now, upon release, our Nexus 6s run newer versions of Android than what's shipping with this flagship. I must admit that I do like the new hardware in the S8 and the +. The new screen is gorgeous. I'm not sold on the curved screen aspect, and the fingerprint sensor placement, but love the idea of the waterproof device and the SD card. I wish google would release the next Pixel somewhat along the lines of the LG G6 and the new S8... of course I shudder to think of the price. When it's all said and done the N6 will have to just die on me before I give it up. I've cracked that thing open, replaced screen and battery on it, and it keeps chugging along. I'm really gonna miss it when it finally gives up on live and goes to where-ever it is that Androids go after they die.
  • Agreed, my old Nexus 6 was simply brilliant !
  • I'm new to the Android world with the Galaxy S8 that should arrive at my on Thursday. What features are in the newer version of Android that is on the Nexus, but not on the GS8?
  • Well, not a whole lot. Just some tweaked stuff underneath. As usual, Samsung added quite a bit of features.
  • Looks nice but not for me. The pixel 2 will be my next phone.
  • If the Next Pixel keep on having that God forsaken design again i won't be interested in them. I see people getting crazy about the pixels, personally for me i find them ugly, not only specs count when i have to choose my next phone, design and appeal count too.
  • It won't
  • Sounds like the phone I thought it would be. Very nice. Will likely buy soon unless Pixel can top it.
  • Nice video review. My only critique would be to speak a little more naturally. It seemed like you were reading cards. Besides that, it was a great review and went over everything about the phone.
  • Please tell me that the closeups were in slo-mo? I already feel like my S7 Edge is glacial in terms of UI performance side-by-side with my OP3T, and it was the only thing keeping me from jumping on the S8.
  • I think generally, despite faster CPUs, Samsung has settled on a speed for their UI and are sticking with it. I noticed when I got my Note 7 that it wasn't really any faster than my S6. One of the reasona I really like my Pixel because it actually feels faster than any phone I have used, from touch response to app openings to transitions, it just feels fast. I don't see Samsung dramatically increasing the speed of their UI anytime soon, which is annoying.
  • My sentiments exactly. I tried the S8 in store and was struck by how slow it responded. But it could be that got used to the Pixel smoothness and it's really not bad for most.
  • Odd.. One I tried was blazing fast. Even though I might not get this phone. It's hot
  • It could have been the animations that I'm not used to.
  • Can't you still enable developer options and increase animation speed. I agree that Samsung has likely settled on the speed of the experience as a conscious design choice but might be an easy fix for anyone bothered by it.
  • Overall, I am ok with the speed of 'touchwiz'. I understand when buying a Samsung phone that it's going to be super loaded with software and extra features vs Vanilla, which to me, the speed is great, but vanilla is kind of boring for me.
    I actually like those "extra" features. people are too hard on 'touchwiz', it's really good. I get that not everyone will like it, but I think people also love to hate on touchwiz/samsung. we are talking fractions of seconds here when it comes to speed.
  • It's the animations. The animations on Samsung devices generally tend to take longer than others.
  • Wow, looks like more of the same garbage. No thanks.
  • I'm shocked you think so... Totally unbiased thoughts... lol
  • Every thought is biased
  • But every thought is not PRE-biased
  • well I mean.. They could surprise us all and release somethin good. :)
  • Your face looks like the same garbage!
  • So, that USB-C port. Is it actually USB 3.x or is it just a cord plug with USB 2? How about USB Power Delivery? Can we plug a Pixel, Chromebook, Macbook, or Switch power adapter in this without blowing it up? Will that fast charge it or not?
  • It's based on Qualcomm QC 2.0, so probably not, sadly. Why, though? We should be using USB Power Delivery as the base for all fast-charging standards utilizing USB-C.
  • Still not feeling it.
  • "This is a phone that has no sharp corners, nowhere to focus our attention away from the massive screen" The thing is all those cirves distracts me from the screen and the content on it... i never understood why everyone loves this screen
  • we made the side bezels smaller, so that we could put this useless curve on there.. So you idiots would eat it up. Even though with the curves, you get a glare at most angles thats 3 times larger then the bezels were before. Get it.
  • I was wondering when you'd show up, seeing as you're obsessed with Samsung. I never even see you unless it's a Samsung article.
  • I read the others.. I just don't feel the need to save people on the other articles.
  • Lmao
  • What do you use?
  • I've never understood how some people are so easily distracted.
  • Excellent review, thank you. And even though I don't care much about a phone camera, I love the sample pics. Great job. I still don't plan to buy an S8 or S8+, but this was a great review.
  • Great review! My interpretation was that it was balanced pointing out both the good & not so good. Also going more in depth was a nice change too!
  • didn't the S7 Edge have some kind of liquid cooling or something? I dont see any reference to that on the S8
  • It's just had a heat pipe. I'm guessing it's the same with the S8, and pretty ordinary now
  • I'll stick with my Huawei Mate 9.
  • I thought LG had to go with the SD821 because Samsung is hoarding the SD835 supply right now.
  • That's correct.
  • Having previously owned the Note7 (yep I still feel burned by that decision) and the S7 Edge, I've yet to hear a plausible reason why the curved front glass is a feature?
    1. It's harder to protect (need a case which hides all of that "beauty" and every case pretty much still exposes the side curves to drops).
    2. Tempered glass protectors are horrible on them (hello rainbow, where have you been?)
    3. Slippery as a ________ (insert whatever item you consider horribly slippery).
    4. Curved edge glare in anything but almost total darkness that kind of ruins the "bezel less" feature. Imagine if your TV screen or computer screen were curved in the same manner as a Galaxy S phone, would that be a feature or a detriment? Most curved screens for tv's and monitors these days curve the screen toward the viewer which while being somewhat gimmicky at least tend to immerse one in the viewing experience. Curves away from the viewer only detract from the viewable screen and cause unnecessary glare. But again it sort of looks "cool" when other people see your phone, so social validation < usability. #samsungwinning
  • X100000
  • It looks cool. It has become so subtle now, though, it has lost its original purpose, which was ideal with the Note Edge. It still functions fairly well in the S7 Edge, but is not nearly as useful as the Note Edge. I suspect an edge ticker on the S8 will be pretty useless, assuming it even has one. That's a shame, but it still looks cool.
  • So, like I said above we sacrifice usability and durability for... It looks cool. :-|
  • You've been sacrificing those things ever since the blogosphere convinced manufacturers that plastic was evil, and fragile glass and slippery, dentable, scratchable metal were "cool." The curved edges let Samsung squeeze more screen into a narrower body. As far as usability issues, I have none with my S7 Edge.
  • You are technically correct that they can put more screen into a narrower body however due to things like glass, light, reflection etc. the actual viewable amount of screen can be greatly compromised. And the S7 Edge had truly unacceptable touch registration issues when holding the phone the wrong way (sound familiar). I'm just glad that not every manufacturer has gone Samsung's route as it sucks for the consumer.
  • This!
  • So it's great as long as you don't want bixby or effective and reliable biometrics? Not worth it for $800+
  • Bixby is delayed, probably for a few weeks as they said later this spring. The biometric hysteria is because one reviewer managed to fool the pre-release software with a high rez photo. Other reviewers tried to recreate the "flaw" and failed.
  • And the iris scanner is effective and reliable. But haterz is gonna hate. Never let facts stand in the way of a good prejudice.
  • A great review of a great phone. This phone is class and seems to be a winner. I think it is time to ditch my Nexus 6P. I'm so done with Google and its bullshit.
    As regarding the updates nexus phones and pixels are not getting updates faster! Its just BS. I still have not got the google assisstant on my 6P. And Google now only supports 2 years of updates, Samsung does the same as well. So why go for an inferior phone (Pixel)?? Until Note 8 is released I think the S8 will remain the top phone of 2017 deservingly
  • Each to their own :) I'm happy with my 6P and see no reason to dump it yet. I still get a days worth of of battery life and as long as google keep cranking out the security patches I'm happy with it. My work phone is a Samsumg A5, 2017 and the amount of OEM bloat on that thing is depressing. Thank god it's 32Gb storage now :) Now if Google had kept the faith with the play editions it might have been a different story if I ever had to replace the 6p, but at the moment I'll pass. It's also Interesting to see the control freakery with the bixby button, a bad omen IMO.
  • My SOT on 6P is 3 hours at Max!! It has a smaller screen than S8 and bigger battery!!
    And they say that stock Android does not lag or freeze? BS there is no single day when my phone does not lag or freeze. I'm not talking about few seconds of lagging but some real bad lag and freeze. Not to forget the random restarts since the last few updates!! And now heard that the newest update had also break the finger print!! Who wants updates when they are that bad and sent randomly to selected users!!
    There is no phone that does not lag/freeze. Both Android phones and iPhone suffer from that but at least Apple will be given the credit that when it releases an update, if it says it will be available at 8PM then it will be available at that time to everyone. But with Google. You just have to wait and wait. And since I have to wait I would be better off choosing a better Android phone like S8 or something else. I got the 6P and it was so much hyped. The camera is so bad! so slow to click. It is embarrassing! The screen is so yellowish. The only two redeeming factors were the look of the OS but now Samsung's UI looks to me much more elegant and the other one is the front speakers! So basically 6P's only advantage is the front speakers. Battery life is garbage, on lucky days my screen time will be 3 hours. As I am writing this the phone is on charge! It is that bad.
  • Your battery degraded. Replace it. I did on my 6P and get 5 hours of SOT again.
  • No, it is not that. I used to get 3.5 hours SOT at best when the phone was brand new. So changing the battery wont do anything. I never got 4 hour SOT ever. The phone just sucks and thats the truth
  • You make some great points, my 6P had all the same problems, now replaced with Xiaomi Mi Mix
  • Anybody that doubts the S8+'s battery life should watch it blow away an iPhone 7 plus. And this while the S8+ was on LTE and the iPhone airplane mode! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMC_zo_Ge3w&t=3s
  • Learn to use a comma after the word "But"; also, a semicolon should be used when combining two sentences/phrases with a conjunction, such as "but". One would think an editor would know 9th grade English grammar better.
  • Actually, a comma is not required after the word "but". If you want to pause after "but" then yes, use a comma. But sometimes there is no pause and you don't need it. And you aren't quite correct with the semicolon. You shouldn't use one after a conjunction. Semicolons help you connect closely related ideas when a style mark stronger than a comma is needed. "Some people write with a word processor; others write with a pen or pencil."
  • ^^ This. Thanks for typing it out and saving me the heartburn. :D
  • You ALWAYS need a semicolon & comma when joining two phrases with a conjunction. Simple fact. Example: I know this; but, you incorrectly think something else. And, you also always need a comma after an And, But, However, Therefore (etc) at the beginning of a sentence. The pause is inherent (and basically understood amd rhetorical.... but always present. ) The key is that is used at the beginning of a new sentence/phrase. You thinking they are non-mandatory does not make it so. Notice: I avoid a double negative... yet another common mistake of the younger, more lazy, and grammatical-incorrect generation(s). Grammar may not matter in a forum like this.. doesn't bother me. But, it most certainly matters when you are the Managing Editor, who should know better.
  • "You ALWAYS need a semicolon & comma when joining two phrases with a conjunction. Simple fact. Example: I know this; but, you incorrectly think something else." This is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever read. You NEVER use a semicolon in front of a conjunction.
    From Grammar.Yourdictionary.com (http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/parts-of-speech/conjunctions/coordinat...) Using Commas With Coordinating Conjunctions
    You’ll notice that in the example sentences, some of the coordinating conjunctions are preceded by a comma while others are not. There is a very simple reason for this. If a coordinating conjunction is joining together two independent clauses (things that could feasibly stand alone as complete sentences), it needs to have a comma with it. Example: The soccer in the park is entertaining in the winter (independent clause) + it’s better in the heat of summer (independent clause) – Because these are two independent clauses, they must be joined together by a comma and a coordinating conjunction. If the conjunction is connecting a phrase with two independent clauses, the two independent clauses should be separated with the coordinating conjunction "and." If a phrase is added to a short independent clause it does not need a comma. Example: I go to the park every Sunday (independent clause), and I watch the ducks on the lake (independent clause) and the shirtless men playing soccer (phrase). As far as needing a comma after an And, But, However, Therefore at the beginning of a sentence, that isn't correct either. Therefore and however should have a comma, but And or But do not. Here's an excerpt from the book "The Story of English in 100 Words" by David Crystal:
    "During the 19th century, some schoolteachers took against the practice of beginning a sentence with a word like but or and, presumably because they noticed the way young children overused them in their writing. But instead of gently weaning the children away from overuse, they banned the usage altogether! Generations of children were taught they should ‘never’ begin a sentence with a conjunction. Some still are." Right there in his explanation he starts a sentence with "But" and does not use a comma. I'm not young, lazy, or grammatically incorrect. I believe grammar matters everywhere, including forums like this. That's why I challenge nonsense like the assertions you are putting forward whenever I can.
  • Woman,/;(?) without her, man is nothing! Woman without her man, is nothing! (I'm not the author of this example.) Good post!
  • What a horrible example. "Woman", on its own, it not a complete phrase are sentence. So why would anyone use a comma or semicolon after "Woman"? The "A" is not implied... as is a "you" or an "I" might be.
  • Well, you just proved that you don't know grammar. A comma is required after But and And (etc.) when starting a new sentence.
  • Ha! Yourdictionary.com. What a joke! It is written for 5th graders. Completely unprofessional and relaxed. Making up rules (and what rules to ignore) as they go.
  • Say what? Always need a comma after "and"? You couldn't be more wrong and I disagree with your assertion.
  • Learn to read then.. that is NOT what I said.
  • You're arguing about grammar. If it bothers you that much, don't read the article. Getting bent out of shape over the use of a comma is ridiculous. There are more important things in life, so put your shoes on, climb out of your basement, and live a little.
  • Fixed spelling error*
  • Every one of your comments has been cuntier than the last...
  • Sorry, this comment was meant for UdontNO.
  • Your first sentence is a run-on. At the end of that run-on sentence, you placed the period outside the trailing quotation mark. All punctuation belongs within the trailing quotation mark.
    One would think a critic wouldn't be guilty of the same faults he points out in others.
  • I'm actually surprised to see no one complaining about it being covered in glass as I've seen with other smartphones made with glass. Either rate this will be phone of the year and best selling Android phone this year. Likewise for every Galaxy flagship the year after that and the year after that. They'll likely have the best display, marketing, 3rd party accessory support, in-store, availability, popularity, comparison test wins, etc vs every other Android smartphone manufacturer. No one is going to outdo Samsung, at least in the states. And no I'm no Sammy fanboy, I'm just stating what I feel is the future of the smartphone market offerings.
  • I agree but I think Nokia may be a disruptive factor that can challenge Samsung and possibly beat them.
  • Yawn. Same thing was said about Blackberry, Nokia, Palm, HTC, etc.,
  • To article author-- who is your carrier - i think you said AT&T right? I'll have to remember not to use them. I have T-Mobile and with SpeedTest app on my S7 Edge (s8+ on order) i've gotten over 75Mbps (on the LIRR even!), so seeing 12Mbps and knowing you may have tested in NYC means either your carrier stinks or this phone is a downgrade (didn't get mine yet!).
    -Rob
  • it's all about where you live. I get 75Mbps on AT&T where i live S.E. US
  • Ummmm, well I know that carriers have different levels of reception in different areas. An indictment of a company from ONE isolated example is hasty and without enough data.
  • The TL;DR honest review of the S8 is quite simple: buy (or keep) the S7 instead and wait for the S9. This one is an overpriced pass.
  • Always trust the reviewer with the corporate logo of a competing product on it's avatar!
  • I'm sorry if you're so mentally limited that you are unable to do a fair evaluation of something other than that of your favourite OEM.
    I'd say "it gets better" but I highly doubt in your case that would apply.
  • Disagree. it's fairly priced in the world with $1000 phones. $720 is not that much money in 2017. S7 was also $695 at release.
    This is a high end, high quality build. worth it.
  • Hoping Trump is successful with his "Hire American, Buy American" initiative. Then we can stop the slave and underage labor and abuses throughout most of the world. But, gadget prices will go up. Which is fine by me. A phone, today, is worth so much more than $1000. Way more useful (thus, more valuable) than a PC. People are spoiled thinking they deserve a powerful unit in their hand for $200 (plus contract.) Brats!
  • No, people buy budget phones because they don’t want to waste a month’s rent on an
    $800+ phone. It has nothing to do with power, it’s about affordability.
  • I think there's enough here to justify my purchase. With the included wired headphones that retail for $100 that i'll actually use and the FREE Gear VR promotion that I'll at least play with, it's a nice bundle of techie goodness, for me. I'll prefer to pay a bit more for the improved image processing, the screen and the other subtle but important improvements. I'm sure you don't think that the S9 is going to be offered for a better price, do you?
  • Here's something better. Buy what you like. S8 too expensive or not doing it for you? There's the S7. Want something more recent but doesn't break the bank? OnePlus 3T. I could go on, but what I'm saying is that if you like the S8, go buy one! If you don't, there are a lot of options to choose from, whether it's price or you want something different.
  • S7 is/was terrific. I'm buying S8 because I can afford it and I like new toys.
  • "intelligently cropping content so it fills the entire 18.5:9 screen." There is no such thing as intelligently cropping lol
  • LG boggles my mind with oled tv's but LCD phone screens. Its the one thing I couldn't get over with the v10 which kept it from being amazing imo. S8+ en route!
  • I've been looking forward to AC's review. Well done man. Thanks.
  • "Samsung never slows down". Unlike Touchwiz on their phones. Lol.
  • It keeps getting worse and worse for Samsung
  • I thought you guys didn't do benchmarks on reviews?
  • Samsung learned from it's lesson with the S7 edge you say? Have you been smoking crack? The S8 has the same edge as the Note 7. I don't think the new edge has anything to do with the S7, well it didn't. It was clear on the limit sale of the Note 7 the new edge design was something that Samsung was going to continue with in future devices.
  • Very excited for this phone....probably more so than the Note 7 because of the bigger screen! I hope it does well for Samsung! they need a WIN!
  • I thought I liked the lg g6 but Nevermind lol
  • Regarding your jacket, Mr Bader, I want it.
  • Oh wow, those Geekbench scores are suprising. Just tested my S7 and got 1951 for single-core and 5931 for multi-core. So better single-core performance on an S7 than the S8!
  • "Samsung would get points for its mastery of form, and how far it's come from the plasticky, Band-Aid designs of the Galaxy S4 and S5" But those "plasticky" phone were (1) not so slippery you had to slap a case on it, (2) not fingerprint magnets, and (3) didn't shatter the first time you dropped them. Oh, they also had replaceable batteries. The blogosphere's love of form over function has made phones worse, not better.
  • I read somewhere that a Samsung phone user died from the fingerprints on the back of his phone. Don't know if that's true or not.
  • I've dropped my S7 several times and it never shattered...so...there goes the "shatter the first time you dropped them".
  • S7? Or the S7 Edge? It's the edges that make them prone to easily shatter. I dropped my first S7 Edge the day I bought it. The screen shattered even though it was in a case. I had insurance but still had to pay a $175 deductible. My son broke his a few months later, he had no insurance, and had to pay nearly $300 to get it fixed by Samsung because no local shop could guarantee a good fix that maintained the water resistance.
  • The Note 3, S5 and Note 4 weren't fingerprint magnets and were really grippy. The "hyperglaze" S3, Note 2 and S4, however, were pretty slippery and also attracted smudges on the dark models. It was also easy to scratch. I'm glad they dropped hyperglaze for the soft-touch material on the aforementioned models.
  • Here's hoping this style of phone is only a fad. This 2:1 ratio isn't great for media consumption or reading articles in portrait mode. Although I get that is meant to enhance split screen mode.
    I like the the shrunken bezel for sure, but give a 16:9 ratio and no curved edges.
  • Still want to see what Note8 has in store. A bigger screen would be nice. Tall guy here.
  • I played with both s8 variants yesterday at best buy, the narrowness of the display is horrendous in my opinion.
    I remember android fans talking about how bad the iPhone plus series are because of how tall the are, but Samsung made a phone that's taller and much narrower. For the s8 plus it's hard to tell that it's a 6.2" screen. It doesn't look proportionate at all in my opinion.
    I hope Samsung doesn't go this route with the note 8. If so I'll have to switch to another manufacturer I suppose.
  • The screen 'accommodates' 2 squares/open apps (that can be resized). S8 being narrower than ?S7, fits better in hand. I'm sure S8 has a 'rotate screen' function - hold it horizontally - it will be WIDE!
  • Got my UPS tracking this afternoon from AT&T, just got an update this evening, scheduled to be delivered tomorrow 4/19! I'm so excited about this phone....why you may ask? I just am!!!!
  • Good luck to you, I'm sure you will enjoy the phone
  • Arg, I got my tracking from AT&T, but my scheduled delivery isn't until Thursday! How'd you get so lucky? :) Mine is coming from Texas to Southern California, so maybe that has something to do with it.
  • Galaxy S7 geekbench scores: 1950 single-core
    6112 multi-core
  • Struggling to read/render this article on my S5
  • I'm really enjoying mine. FPS is a non issue
  • Messed with it in the store. The edge display style made it a ***** to hold. I get why people like it, I got the gs6e and it looked cool but after a few drops I got a battery case and swore off it.
  • Daniel, lovely review. I really enjoy your style of writing & more importantly your attention to detail in your podcasts, best wishes, Richard U.K
  • I've never been more disappointed in a new Galaxy S phone. I hate the Edge display.
    The camera is only a minor improvement.
    Would prefer a physical home button.
    Still not a big fan of these glass backed phones.
    Small performance gains compared to previous years.
    Rather not have a dedicated button for Bixby. 4 years of Samsung phones and it's time to look for something different. At least they still make plenty of other good products.
  • I'm not sure about the camera, though. At this point, the camera on most flagships are so good, it's hard to immediately notice any improvements in the next one in terms of image quality. Really, the few ways they can improve are utilizing dual sensors, fun features and speed.
  • You're not alone.
  • Samsung does it again! These guys are NICE!
  • Night photos assure me of one thing. No matter the camera, the human eye is so far superior it's incredible
  • I've tried S7... making picture of 'under my desk, where I could hardly see anything! Picture came out as if I shone a torch! Human eye - not superior! Maybe cat's?
  • Maybe the iPhone 8 will have a human eye attached to it! ;-)
  • Nice BUT I'll stick with my Galaxy S7 edge until next year. Maybe the S9 will bring back the fingerprint sensor to the front.
  • Best phone (with the SnapDragon 835) of the year perhaps only because it is the first? We'll have to wait and see!
  • I worry how bad the fingerprint sensor will be for use with Samsung Pay. I use it for most of my purchases, and it seems like it would be annoying and very inconvenient. I love the look of the phone, but the S7 edge just works too well to upgrade this year.
  • Beautiful design (apart from the finger print scanner position), but I'm not keen on Samsung's idea of Android...
  • Curved edges...Epic Fail. Give it up Samsung.
    Good luck with the screen protectors, still haven't found one that works on my S7.
    Fail.
  • I love the curved edges. From what I've heard, iPhone will get them also.
  • Looks like LG is going to start using curved edges, too. Pretty soon we'll know if people complain about the curves because they actually hate the curves, or because they just hate Samsung.
  • I bought a glass screen protector from Walmart for my S7 that worked just fine.
  • This review is the most comprehensive I've red. I loved S7 (just sold) but S8 is a new toy and I love new toys! Fingerprint-If you 'rest' the phone on it's face, the fingerprint sensor's location is easy to locate when picking up the phone! Face recognition-register your face with some not-neutral look, like some kind of a grin or like kissing...it will prevent anybody with VERY similar face or picture of your face to fool the device! I'm talking 'theoretically' - haven't got the phone yet! I think the S7 had a very good sound- it had 'body' (mids) and sounded warm-not scratchy. Slippery - I'd never dream to carry $1000.- object without a cover, so the slippery phone is no problem.
    The setting options are terrific for someone who like things to happen the way he likes! Screen with 2 apps open-very handy! Yes, iPhone 7 opens apps faster etc but.....no wireless/fast charge, no sd card, inferior screen size/resolution, RAM, 3.5 socket and more.... iPhone 8 (next year) will have screen made by Samsung!
  • My wife and I preordered yesterday.
    She has been wanting to go back to Samsung phone for awhile now. I'm hoping we get a comprehensive article for people swapping from iPhone to the S8.
  • Wow I guess its going to be a hit
  • Thanks a lot for the detailed review. S8 looks promising. Hope Samsung have learned from the past mistakes.
  • It's obvious that Samsung needed to use all the cameras that were left from the note 7 so they stuck it on the S8
  • Hmm, not a convincing "this is definitely the clear winner for me" review. I'm still riding the fence as to which one I think I'll choose in the fall and anyway by that time Pixel 2 should be out so that's another one in the mix. But I haven't had any hands on experience with any of them yet either so that will probably have a lot to do with the final decision too.
  • All of the negatives are opinion only. I would prefer to see fact driven reviews.
  • The OnePlus 3t still better
  • Got my S8+ today from Verizon (pre-order)
  • Several phones I look at before I would consider this. ZTE Axon 7 for it's sound and value, especially at 300 right now. Oneplus3t and the upcoming Mi 6. Also want to see what the new Sony looks like. The S8 is too overpriced and I'm not a fan of curved screens. These phones will also be the last to get updates. The Axon 7 got the Nougat update way before the S7.
  • So? The update as correct when they got it. This phone is feature rich so it takes awhile....next...
  • With all the features Samsung puts into their phones, getting stock Android updates is pointless now. Google adds features Samsung has already had for years. Also, Xiaomi phones aren’t available in the US so it’s pointless to import one. Would you import a Chinese laptop too?
  • Picking mine up at the Verizon store right after work *******!!!
  • Hoping Trump is successful with his "Hire American, Buy American" initiative. Then we can stop the slave and underage labor and abuses throughout most of the world. But, gadget prices will go up. Which is fine by me. A phone, today, is worth so much more than $1000. Way more useful (thus, more valuable) than a PC. People are spoiled thinking they deserve a powerful unit in their hand for $200 (plus contract.) Brats!
  • You're not smart. Like at all. Like really at all at all.
  • You can't create a coherent sentence so......
  • The only thing Trump will ever be successful at is screwing this country over and wasting taxpayer's money. Both of which he's been doing a bang up job of so far.
  • Let's be civilized adults and leave politics out of this.
  • Did anyone actually get their S8/S8+ in Orchid Gray yet? My wife got hers today and it looks waaaaaay different in person compared to the pictures. I think it looks better, but I can see some people feeling kind of misled by the pics.
  • The S8 just proves that the S7 (noooot the Edge) is the last great phone.
  • ROF...preach it brudduh
  • I love it when people just look at something and automatically think it's crap.
  • I've seen so many reviews but man, this review was simply amazing. Every minute important detail was covered in this review. Android Central Rocks (Nice review by Daniel BTW)
  • Got my S8 today. So far so good! Love the facial recognition screen unlock!
  • All this glory and awful battery life, some users reports 3-4 hours sot on both devices, that just crap, a flagship phone shall have flagship battery life, not to throw compromises on that area, guess sammy played too safe.
  • Depends on your apps and other settings so someone else's experience in that is irrelevant
  • I will be curious to hear more about this in the next few weeks after people buy the phone and then settle into their daily routine with it. I am also concerned with the review of the battery, because the S7 out of the box was similar. 14-15 hours moderate use. My S7 friends today are juicing by noon, and perhaps again around dinner.
  • It will be very interesting to see how Google and Apple respond to S8. Very interesting.
  • Me too, As I am awaiting both. Long term, I am sure that both will be better than Samsung.
  • This is how a perfect review look like. Kudos.
  • Great review!
    I'm still on the fence with respect to upgrading from my six month old 7 Edge. The biggest concern is that the 8+ will actually have a narrower on-screen keyboard than the Edge. Wish reviewers would give respective horizontal screen measurements on the 8 and 8+..
    Cool dog BTW. Looks like he doesn't quite know what getting his picture taken means LOL
  • Great balanced review. Just lovin' the futuristic look of the phone. Still adore my S7 but damn, the S8 has this out-of-this-world look to it that it gives me the shivers just by looking at it. No other phone has ever done that to me. Well may be the S7 did. lol
  • This feels so salesy. No I'm not saying they're paid shills or that they are on Samsung payroll. I'm saying it felt less like a review and more like an advertisement. Not a single con of the phone is taken seriously, and the plusses are plugged way too much for me to consider this to be objective. Even the pixel wasn't pushed this much and I thought that was crossing the line lol.
  • I fully expected a slobbering orgasmic love affair with the new Samsung flagship, no matter what it turned out to be, even this dumpster fire. Nevertheless I NEED to state what a joke you bias fanboy hacks are. Probably about 99% of mobile phone "journalists" are these days but still, you are are raging flaming jokes. Bye
  • No need to cry.....
  • As a long time Galaxy S series supporter, Samsung phones are great for about the first 6 months, It's all down hill from there on. Minus the small screen, i have an iPHone 5S that perform better than my S7 Edge.
  • A separate button for Bixby? LOL...epic fail
  • Caveman mentality need no apply. ROFL
  • Nice camera shots. Definitely better image quality than the S7. I feel like that over-processed look has gone away, or at least been mitigated to an acceptable point.
  • This review is absolutely ridiculous. A sales pitch of a Samsung salesman. Very disappointing. If you want to read a more serious review then go to https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/04/samsung-galaxy-s8-review-shiny-n... As far as the S8 concerns, this is definitely not the best Android phone. Such thing does not exist, since everyone has different needs and wants. The S8 has so many negative points (which even this sales pitch here also admits to), that it is not possible to be the best:
    * Fingerprint sensor placement is ridiculous. When you pay so much money for a phone you at least expect that basic functions work perfect. Not with the S8. How about that? What a great embarrassment of a phone.
    * The display ratio is awkward and the phone is too tall. LG did the same, but at least they kept the ratio to a more logical value of 2:1...
    * The Edge display is still a gimmick. Accidental touches make the experience bad.
    * The camera is very good, but the photos it takes are not natural looking.
    * TouchWiz is as bad as it has always been. Just read Ars Technicas review and see how sloppy the performance is. Great for an 800$ phone.
    * Bixby is a joke. Samsung should just stick with the Google Assistant. Having a dedicated button for Bixby is a failure. Yes, the phone does look very beautiful and I think this is why many people get so excited by it. The sad truth is that the S8 is not even better than many of last years flagships. Devices like the HTC 10, OnePlus 3T, the Pixel and many others are better or at least on par.
    For Samsung fans this is a good phone, but nothing more than that. New year, same BS...
  • I will start from beginning , i just received couple of days ago the phone. I can tell you is very fast, i had also note 7 and i have also iPhone. As you said at beginning everyone needs are different. I can assure you with the iris scanner being so fast i didn't even miss the fingerprint reader. Touch wiz is very fast, i don't know if you have the phone or you are another guy that is giving his opinion without using the device himself. Every website wins money from this marketing, maybe. So if you don't have the device and you don't use it yourself 1 week at least and after that you can say what is good and bad:) Have a nice day ! Is not the best but is better at least 75% over the other phones
  • I. Not saying that this is a bad phone, but that it is overhyped and that there are other devices that are at least on par.
    I have used the device for a couple of minutes and it was enough for me. I don't want to buy a Samsung device, I will never do. It's good that in the market there are choices for everyone
  • Then don't get one. Whatever!
  • Saying words like 'never' suggests you are already biased - biased enough to discredit a device in "just a couple mins of usage." That's just sad. At least don't do this with other things around you.
  • I dropped mine day one, ridiculously slippy phone. Now need a new screen. Unlucky? maybe, but its the phone phone I found difficult to keep hold of without a case and its also fragile as f&*^
  • D brand skin. Simple fix.
  • With today's phones not using a case is just asking for trouble.
  • Thank you for reading my mind! The only thing good is it's drop-dead gorgeous! Look closer and you'll be extremely disappointed.
  • really thanks for info i was confusing which one to choose but anyway prolly will be s8 as most popular and future proof i guess
    just to flash new phone otherwise idc really my s5 is really king with 5h youtube SOT and 3.5h daily usage SOT which lead me with 50% till end of day ..
  • People still buy crap from Samsung? They come up with the most ridiculous problems at launch and people still fall for their marketing and totally impractical aesthetics. "You should definitely buy it because It just looks so futuristic" should never be recommended in a serious review. And this crap costs $800+ for slightly upgrade specs with a DEDICATED bixby button nobody wants. Trust me, go for something with slightly lower specs for half the ridiculous price. You won't even notice the hiccup.
  • No, mine was way less than $800+.
  • I agree, after the Note 7 fiasco, that Samsung couldn't perfect everything in the S8 and S8+ is a disgusting failure on their part. I'm done.
  • I won't necessarily call it crap but Samsung will no longer be getting any of my money for phones. I will buy a flip phone before I buy another Samung.
  • Over the weekend I looked at both the S8 and the LG G6 and have to say, I was very impressed with the G6 (I'm saying this as a long time Samsung user). I ended up getting the G6 for two main reasons, first I'm so tired of the bloatware on Samsung (enough said there). Secondly and most importantly, there's no flat screen version of the S8. If you like the curved screen then good on you, but if you don't you're screwed. Spec wise the two phones are nearly identical with the S8 having the newer 835 chip but the G6 having the better camera. What really surprised me was how great the G6 was (I was already expecting the S8 to be a great phone). If you don't like the curved screen and you're a camera person, take a look at the G6, you can't go wrong.
  • I didn't preorder, I bought it on impulse on the release date. I returned it to BestBuy after 3 days without even activating it after reading so many negative comments in the Forums and all the reviews. Sure, it has a drop-dead gorgeous screen and no physical home button, but that's about it. How does Samsung charge $900.00 for a 64GB phone that has virtually the same camera as the S7, an assistant called "Bixby" that doesn't work, and impossibly slow Android updates? Oh sure, I could drop another $50-100 bucks on a micro sd card, but why when I can get an iPhone with 256GB for less money and a better camera, better software and a more solid build? PLUS, I despise the curved screen! There, I wrote it and I mean it...In September, the new iPhone will be released and it will blow this S8+ away!
  • the iphone doesn't have a better camera so you lost all credibility at that moment. I agree with most everything else you said. It's a shame you derailed on the ridiculous camera comment
  • Agreed that's why I passed on it as well. The S7 Edge will be my last Samsung phone. I will just Stick to iPhone and Pixel. Good luck with those updates.
  • It will come with a curved screen too. Bahahahahaha
  • Have had my Galaxy 8+ since it hit the market and within a day had a software upgrade. Ever since that software was downloaded, I have had a problem with that crazy DQA pop-up. Shows up when WiFi is on and has now even started to pop-up without WiFi on. I hear Samsung is trying to fix this problem but it shouldn't take weeks to come up with a solution. I miss my S6 which I never had a problem with. You would think that with all the problems Samsung had last year, they wouldn't roll out this phone with software problems on the first day!
    I have advised all my friends not to pick up this phone until all the bugs are out...sorry Samsung, you blew it again.
  • Brand new Original Samsung Galaxy s8 and s8+ New Edition RED Apple iphone 7 and 7 128GB plus cost 550usd with 1year warranty. Serious buyer should contact us. Whatsapp CHAT or Call : +254703285513 or 00254703285513
  • Being an early adopter and one who enjoys being on the bleeding edge, I pre-ordered the S8 as I had its predecessor. . I couldn't be more impressed. Samsung has learned much over the last few years. The presentation is very professional and setting it up was a breeze (transferring everything from the S7) and worked without a hitch. I love the design. It's sleek and sexy and oh so fast. I agree with your detailed review for the most part. I disagree with you on the placement of the fingerprint scanner. I found the front facing sensor awkward. For me the new placement is nearly perfect. I hold my phone in my right hand and the natural position of my index finger is next to the scanner. Imagine that. I pick up my phone and the index finger naturally falls on the sensor. Voila. I think Samsung has vastly improved their Touch wiz interface and I find much of their software is not only serviceable but better than stock Android equivalents. For instance their browser is actually my preferred browser on this phone. I could go on and on but you've pretty much said it all. This phone is the closest to perfection I've experienced with an electronic device. Now if they can only get Bixby working....
  • I love basically everything that they did with this phone but still very upset that the USA isn't getting the Exynos which is clearly having better battery life!
  • I hear a lot of talk about the fingerprint scanner being in a bad place. I'll admit it was a weird place for it, but I haven't had any issues with using it on my S8+. It works fine, and once you put a case on it, it gets easier to locate. Like 2nd nature.
  • Very very good phone from Samsung, Simply the best. One of the best phone Today Samsung Galaxy S8
  • I want to know whether the navigation bar can be hidden like Huawei?
  • No matter if the Processor is Snapdragon 835 or Samsung's own in-house Exynos 8895. The two chips are extremely similar - in fact both are manufactured by Samsung on its cutting-edge 10nm fabrication process. The Exynos matching or even exceeding Qualcomm's latest and greatest silicone. The Exynos 8895 has four custom Samsung M2 CPU cores and four ARM Cortex-A53 cores running at up to 1.9GHz, balancing performance and power efficiency. There's also an integrated ARM Mali-G71 GPU which promises up to 60 percent better graphics performance than before. The Exynos 8895 supports cache coherency between CPU and GPU cores, reducing latency for complex tasks.
  • Just got the update... And yes Bixby shopping started working about a week ago(week ago)... With a Bixby update from the Galaxy Apps store thing.
  • Its just incredible. And most important that it has come up with the AMOLED means more smooth touch.
  • i really wonder how s7 make much much better and sharper photos than s8
    i saw pics 1 by 1 now im confused really
  • Brand new Original Samsung Galaxy s8 and s8+ and New Edition RED Apple iphone 7 and 7 128GB plus cost 550usd with 1year warranty. Serious buyer should contact us. Whatsapp CHAT or Call : +14309010532 or 0014309010532
  • If you are the type of person who can't walk on eggshells, then this is not the phone for you. Only had the S8 Plus for just a little over a month and the screen is already cracked. It fell off my knee faced down onto my wood floor in my home while in the case. I have had many other phones that have taken worst drops than this, even on concrete, and have not cracked. I was told by Samsung that this crack is not covered by the warranty and the repair costs can be $199-$250 depending on the severity of the crack. Also, please note that a protective glass cover will not keep the screen from cracks if it is dropped. I wish I had known this before I traded in my 3yr old Note5 that took a heck of a beating and never suffered a broken or cracked screen. Samsung needs to make a thicker screen and stop being cheap considering the high price of the phone.
  • Samsung and Apple should just team up and be called Sapple or something and make the best phone ever…
  • My S8+ bricked in just over a week..no help from me. It was fine when I set it down. Then...nothing.
  • You guys have all the fun stuff, but no input as to the difference in cellular bands between the unlocked variant compared to others, aside from bloatware is there any difference from the GSM side of things.
  • I have an iPhone 5S. I have disabled web browsing and internet on it, and mainly use it for calls, messages, navigation, music, and planning. It is not a distraction compared to most smartphones, and still provides many of the benefits of a smartphone. Also, the battery life is excellent after disabling web browsing and internet. I use the phone as a personal hotspot for my laptop; web browsing is a more focused activity than it would be on a smartphone, a laptop screen is much nicer to read from than a smartphone, and I don't pay for a separate home internet service. The phone has suffered a 15-minute dunk in warm water and is still doing great despite (it had to be dehydrated overnight). The only problem I've had with it has been the charging port, which was fixed by cleaning the port with a sonicating toothbrush. Smartphones can be wonderful devices, but I'd rather approach them from a standpoint of 'what should I do with it' instead of 'what can I do with it', and try keeping the one I already have going as long as I can, saving some money and perhaps also my small impact on the environment in the process. There's nothing I do on my phone that even my old 4S couldn't do. I would highly recommend testing out a more limited, utilitarian approach to smartphone use.
  • I have an iPhone 5S. I have disabled web browsing and internet on it, and mainly use it for calls, messages, navigation, music, and planning. It is not a distraction compared to most smartphones, and still provides many of the benefits of a smartphone. Also, the battery life is excellent after disabling web browsing and internet. I use the phone as a personal hotspot for my laptop; web browsing is a more focused activity than it would be on a smartphone, a laptop screen is much nicer to read from than a smartphone, and I don't pay for a separate home internet service. The phone has suffered a 15-minute dunk in warm water and is still doing great despite (it had to be dehydrated overnight). The only problem I've had with it has been the charging port, which was fixed by cleaning the port with a sonicating toothbrush. Smartphones can be wonderful devices, but I'd rather approach them from a standpoint of 'what should I do with it' instead of 'what can I do with it', and try keeping the one I already have going as long as I can, saving some money and perhaps also my small impact on the environment in the process on https://essaydune.com/. There's nothing I do on my phone that even my old 4S couldn't do. I would highly recommend testing out a more limited, utilitarian approach to smartphone use.
  • I love the new samsung!
  • Samsung has always had way more features in their UI than stock Android; in fact, that’s how most OEM UI’s have been for years. Google seems to be playing catch up to the OEM’s. I don’t really care about getting stock Android updates when Samsung offers those upcoming features right now.
  • Samsung Galaxy is Great android phone , I liked more !
    We are also launched regional cooking video recipes app (khahoo) for cooking video visitors , Just now install and view more videos through this app.....
  • Hi great article and I really do mean that however my concerns are I currently have an unlocked S7, since Nougat its all gone pear shaped. I have no Wifi calling available any more, the phone restarts several times a day (quite randomly) so I'm currently struggling with the debate of do I want another Samsung - Right here Right now the answer has to be a big fat no no! So good luck to y'all with your shiney new phones, I really do hope they work out for you.
  • I haven't used an Android phone for years. But the S8 is truly a remarkable product. Thanks for the review!
  • The negatives of this product starts with too many malfunctions. The entire program slows down when too many apps are running (without you knowing). It kicks you out of apps when you're in the middle of using them, the android shuts off unexpectedly, and only some features have good quality while others do not (Ex: Camera has good quality, but when phone slows down the pictures or videos won't save).
    The positives will start with saving all important information to your personal cloud; even if something happens to your phone, all your info will still be backed up to your cloud. Android security systems for viruses help regularly, and the battery life is very impressive and long-lasting (approx. 10-13 hours regular use).
    The in between will start with the programs running the phone system down all together. Battery life is great, PC shuts off unexpectedly. High expenses:paying more for the features rather than the quality. Holds on to all personal information, and virus detection is stable and well/easy to fix problems.
    The android itself needs improvement in particular areas. Overall, it has good features and has an easy protection programs for device (security).
  • Pros:
    Desktop mode, beautiful design, VR headset brilliant
    Cons:
    no removable battery, IR no longer supported