Samsung Galaxy S8 / Galaxy S8+ First Impressions
After the unfortunate Note 7 fiasco, many of us are rooting for Samsung to comeback. We all know that the company's answer is the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. We also all know that the South Korean giant should make it right this time. Why? It's the company's hope for redemption and gain the public trust once more.
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| Meet the new S8 and S8+! |
To do that, the Samsung should be very careful in releasing the Galaxy S8 and S8+. As a matter of fact, the company delayed its release to ensure that the device would perform flawlessly. It has undergone extensive refinement in design, performance, and of course safety.
Moving forward, Samsung has unleashed the Galaxy S8 and S8+ a while ago. We had an good chance to grab a hold of them earlier and here's what we think so far. Will it be the company's redemption phone?
Samsung Galaxy S8 vs Samsung Galaxy S8+ Specs
| Specs | Galaxy S8 | Galaxy S8+ |
|---|---|---|
| Display: | 5.8 Inch WQHD Super AMOLED 2960 x 1440 resolution w/ Curved Infinity Display and Gorilla Glass 5 protection at 570 ppi | 6.2 Inch WQHD Super AMOLED 2960 x 1440 resolution w/ Curved Infinity Display and Gorilla Glass 5 protection at 529 ppi |
| CPU: | 2.3 GHz 64 Bit Exynos 8895 octa core processor | 2.3 GHz 64 Bit Exynos 8895 octa core processor |
| GPU: | Mali G71 | Mali G71 |
| RAM: | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| ROM: | 64 GB expandable via micro SD card slot up to 256 GB | 128 GB expandable via micro SD card slot up to 256 GB |
| Rear Camera: | 12 MP f/1.7 w/ Dual Pixel, OIS, multi-frame, and dual tone LED flash | 12 MP f/1.7 w/ Dual Pixel, OIS, multi-frame, and dual tone LED flash |
| Selfie Camera: | 8 MP f/1.7 w/ AF, wide angle lens, and screen flash | 8 MP f/1.7 w/ AF, wide angle lens, and screen flash |
| Battery: | 3,000 mAh non removable w/ fast charging | 3,500 mAh non removable w/ fast charging |
| OS: | Android 7.0 Nougat w/ TouchWiz UI | Android 7.0 Nougat w/ TouchWiz UI |
| Connectivity: | WiFi ac, 3G, HSPA+, LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, A GPS, GLONASS, USB OTG | WiFi ac, 3G, HSPA+, LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, A GPS, GLONASS, USB OTG |
| Sensors: | Pressure, accelerometer, barometer, gyro, geomagnetic, hall, HR, proximity, light | Pressure, accelerometer, barometer, gyro, geomagnetic, hall, HR, proximity, light |
| Others: | Fingerprint sensor, IP68 rating, fast wireless charging, USB Type C, UHQ 32 bit / DSD support, Colors: midnight black, maple gold, orchid gray | Fingerprint sensor, IP68 rating, fast wireless charging, USB Type C, UHQ 32 bit / DSD support, Colors: midnight black, maple gold, orchid gray |
| Dimensions: | 148.9 x 68.1 x 8.0 mm | 159.5 x 73.4 x 8.1 mm |
| Weight: | 155 g | 173 g |
| Price: | PHP 39,990 | PHP 45,990 |
Build Quality / Design
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| Curved glass back, metal body! |
The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus are masterpieces! They're made out of a stunning sandwiched glass metal and glass design with beautiful curves all over. The metal frame is absolutely solid and the Gorilla Glass curved glass back and front (prone to fingerprint smudges though) should be very durable and well protected against drops and scratches. By the way, these device are also packed with IP68 rating for water and dust resistance. Samsung even claimed that it can be submerged in 1.5 meters deep water for 30 mins.
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| Hybrid SIM slot on top |
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| Yes the headphone jack is still there, the USB Type C port is back as well! Also, there's a mic and single speaker grill visible below |
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| Volume rocker and Bixby button at left |
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| Power button at right |
Undeniably, the best aesthetics and design engineering we ever saw on a smartphone yet. We were astonished on how Samsung was able to put a big 5.8 inch and 6.2 inch display on a 5 inch and 5.5 inch smartphone body. Yes, you read that right, both phones are that small considering their big screen. We also noticed that it doesn't have the slight sharpness found between the glass and the frame and the camera isn't protruding anymore. However, it is very prone to fingerprint smudges.
It has a unique design that works and looks absolutely stunning at the same time!
In terms of ergonomics, the best way to describe the way you hold the device is "wonderful". We enjoyed how great it feels to hold and sits perfectly in our hands. We also enjoyed the fact that there's still a 3.5 mm headphone jack for our favorite headphones / earphones.
The only weird thing we noticed here is the fingerprint scanner placement. Usually, it is either in front or back w/ middle positioning. With the case of S8, the sensor is located on the right side of the camera. It isn't that easy to reach and you'll need some time to memorize its placement.
Initial findings
2. With the use of the latest 10nm chips (either Snapdragon 835 or Samsung Exynos 8895 processor), expect that these phones are blazing fast. They could also be the fastest smartphones in the world today. Interestingly, Samsung didn't use 6 GB of RAM in these models and I don't blame them. 4 GB is still more than enough. Just optimized the system and use a faster chip. They did just that.
3. The cameras looks well refined! We liked the fact it the software now looks better and it feels like its taking photos faster, clearer, and sharper now. Zooming is also better too. In front, Samsung upgraded the sensor from 5 MP to 8 MP at f/1.7 and added an autofocus feature. Promising!
4. Bixby is interesting. It could be the future on how humans will interact with their phones. Eventually, it should make your planning and daily task easier.
5. Dex is interesting it transform your smartphone into a functional PC by connecting it to the Dex dongle and HDMI ready monitor. It can do browsing, documents, multimedia (music / videos), and even do basic phone task (calls / text)
Related: Samsung Galaxy S8 / Galaxy S8+: First Camera Samples!
As of the moment
We are totally in love with nearly everything that Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ offered us even on first look. We and you can look at them as the total refinement of all the good things found coming S7 series and the Note 7. There's a good chance that these are the best smartphones today that could redeem Samsung's reputation as the finest smartphone maker in the world.See also: Samsung Galaxy S8 And Galaxy S8+ Got An Antutu Score Of 173K!
However, only time will tell if Samsung really refined these devices to avoid what went wrong with the Note 7. To be honest, we are rooting for you Samsung, we'll see.
For our full review: Samsung Galaxy S8+ Review - The Comeback King?
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