Samsung Galaxy S8:
The Pinnacle of Smartphone Advancement
Published 17/08/2017
We all know by now that the Galaxy S8 was perhaps the most important product launch for Samsung following the Note 7 disaster in 2016. Samsung's reputation as a premium smartphone maker was on the line as it quickly enforced new battery safety checks to prevent another disaster with the S8. It's now five months since the S8 launched globally and fortunately for Samsung its selling like hot cakes. The initial reviews of the S8 were very positive, labelling the phone as the best out there. But after five months of use and the launch of several new smartphones imminent, is the Galaxy S8 still worth it?
Design: State of the art
Samsung's Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge of last year already had an amazing design, one of the best out there. But with the S8, Samsung has taken it up another notch. This phone is the first in years that has made me say 'wow' outloud in awe because of it's sheer beauty. It makes Apple's iPhone 7 look like a toy and is the first phone in quite some time to push the boundaries of innovation. The glass back flows seamlessly onto the aluminum frame connecting it to the display. The phone is entirely symmetrical with the camera, heart rate sensor, LED flash and fingerprint sensor all located at the upper centre on the back.
With a 5.8 inch display, this phone sounds like a huge phablet. But it's not. Samsung has managed to fit a 5.8 inch display into a phone that is almost the same size as the iPhone 7 which has a 4.7 inch display. This is because Samsung has significantly shrunk both the top and bottom bezels to create an almost full screen display. Another unique feature which Samsung has managed to perfect is the 3D curved edges along the side of the display. It really is a true marvel of innovation. It's one of the most comfortable phones to hold to date because of these curved edges.
Unlike Apple, Samsung thankfully managed to keep the 3.5mm headphone jack on the bottom of the phone. USB-C now replaces Micro USB previously found on the S7. A single down facing speaker provides sound and the power key is located on the middle right side of the phone. The Bixby button lies below the volume rocker on the left side of the device. A sim tray and Micro SD slot are buried in the top of the phone. With such a beautiful design it might come as a surprise that Samsung has manged to create a device weighing only 155 g. The S8 is also water and dust resistant, certified with an IP68 rating.
The design has held up well over months of usage. I've had no issues with its durability and the device is in the same condition now as the day I unboxed it. I recommend using a case with this phone because it is rather slippy. I usually protect my front display with a tempered glass screen protector but I can't recommend that with the S8 because the curved edges mean dust fragments tend to gather under the display.
With a 5.8 inch display, this phone sounds like a huge phablet. But it's not. Samsung has managed to fit a 5.8 inch display into a phone that is almost the same size as the iPhone 7 which has a 4.7 inch display. This is because Samsung has significantly shrunk both the top and bottom bezels to create an almost full screen display. Another unique feature which Samsung has managed to perfect is the 3D curved edges along the side of the display. It really is a true marvel of innovation. It's one of the most comfortable phones to hold to date because of these curved edges.
Unlike Apple, Samsung thankfully managed to keep the 3.5mm headphone jack on the bottom of the phone. USB-C now replaces Micro USB previously found on the S7. A single down facing speaker provides sound and the power key is located on the middle right side of the phone. The Bixby button lies below the volume rocker on the left side of the device. A sim tray and Micro SD slot are buried in the top of the phone. With such a beautiful design it might come as a surprise that Samsung has manged to create a device weighing only 155 g. The S8 is also water and dust resistant, certified with an IP68 rating.
The design has held up well over months of usage. I've had no issues with its durability and the device is in the same condition now as the day I unboxed it. I recommend using a case with this phone because it is rather slippy. I usually protect my front display with a tempered glass screen protector but I can't recommend that with the S8 because the curved edges mean dust fragments tend to gather under the display.
Display: The Wow factor
Samsung has managed to recreate the wow factor with the Galaxy S8. Just holding the phone in your hand and looking at it's marvellous display feels like the future. Samsung's slogan 'Next is now' feels at home with this display. Samsung calls it the 'Infinity Display' because of its curvaceous and seemingly never ending properties. The display, at least in my opinion, is the most important part of a smartphone because it is the one component in constant use from day one.
Samsung's nailed it with this display, its the brightest, clearest and most vivid in the industry thanks to Samsung's Super AMOLED technology. The display is now taller and slimmer than previous Samsung smartphones thanks to Samsung's implementation of an 18:9 aspect ratio. The new aspect ratio allows the Galaxy S8 to show more content when scrolling and allows for more efficient multitasking. The 5.8 inch display also has some of the best viewing angles. No other display can compete with the contrast and vividness offered by the Galaxy S8. It's also one of the first phones to support a 2K HDR experience which technically allows for more contrast while watching HDR supported content.
Watching movies on this phone is simply stunning. The experience is so amazing i'd say it's akin to watching one in the cinema. Simple tasks such as scrolling between homepages feels awesome as the text and icons melt and disappear over the curved glass. The display is protected by Gorilla glass 5, however this display is by no means shatterproof.
There are a few drawbacks to the display, most of which have now disappeared. As the the display uses an 18:9 aspect ratio, traditional content on services such as YouTube comes with black bars at the top and bottom of the phone. This is because content is generally optimised for 16:9 displays. However Samsung has dealt with this issue well by including a cropping tool in Netflix that allows you to take full use of the display by cropping the content to remove the black bars.
Many games aren't yet optimised for the new aspect ratio and two black bars occupy the bottom and top of the display. This can be removed if you force the app to open full screen, however this may have adverse effects on some games. This issue will disappear over time though as developers update their apps to support the new aspect ratio.
In short, I loved everything about using the display on the Galaxy S8. The curved corners of the display make everything feel more immersive, and while the design of the phone means navigating through the interface can be something of a chore at times, the overall experience was stunning. Samsung deserves credit for pioneering this cutting edge technology and pushing the boundaries of innovation.
Samsung's nailed it with this display, its the brightest, clearest and most vivid in the industry thanks to Samsung's Super AMOLED technology. The display is now taller and slimmer than previous Samsung smartphones thanks to Samsung's implementation of an 18:9 aspect ratio. The new aspect ratio allows the Galaxy S8 to show more content when scrolling and allows for more efficient multitasking. The 5.8 inch display also has some of the best viewing angles. No other display can compete with the contrast and vividness offered by the Galaxy S8. It's also one of the first phones to support a 2K HDR experience which technically allows for more contrast while watching HDR supported content.
Watching movies on this phone is simply stunning. The experience is so amazing i'd say it's akin to watching one in the cinema. Simple tasks such as scrolling between homepages feels awesome as the text and icons melt and disappear over the curved glass. The display is protected by Gorilla glass 5, however this display is by no means shatterproof.
There are a few drawbacks to the display, most of which have now disappeared. As the the display uses an 18:9 aspect ratio, traditional content on services such as YouTube comes with black bars at the top and bottom of the phone. This is because content is generally optimised for 16:9 displays. However Samsung has dealt with this issue well by including a cropping tool in Netflix that allows you to take full use of the display by cropping the content to remove the black bars.
Many games aren't yet optimised for the new aspect ratio and two black bars occupy the bottom and top of the display. This can be removed if you force the app to open full screen, however this may have adverse effects on some games. This issue will disappear over time though as developers update their apps to support the new aspect ratio.
In short, I loved everything about using the display on the Galaxy S8. The curved corners of the display make everything feel more immersive, and while the design of the phone means navigating through the interface can be something of a chore at times, the overall experience was stunning. Samsung deserves credit for pioneering this cutting edge technology and pushing the boundaries of innovation.
Performance: Powerful in every way
Of course Samsung's flagship screams through everything you throw at it. The state of the art display is backed up by top notch performance which is both consistent and fast. It's also kind of refreshing to finally see a Samsung phone that manages to retain it's out of the box performance after months of heavy use. I haven't had any problems in terms of performance while using the S8. Multitasking between multiple apps, playing graphic intensive games and casting to smart TV's never managed to slow down my Galaxy S8. Everything feels fast and zippy, and the frame rate was consistent.
This excellent performance is made possible by the first 10 nanometer processor in a smartphone. Samsung has included its own Exynos 8895 or Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 chipset depending on where you live. The octa-core CPU is bundled with the Mali-G71 MP20 or an Adreno 530. These specs help the phone power through everything you throw at it. Samsung's patented liquid cooling technology ensures the phone doesn't overheat. In real world usage, I've never felt the phone overheating and the warmest it got was when I played graphic intensive games such as Asphalt 8 and Real Racing 3.
Like most flagships of late, apart from the iPhone, Samsung has bundled it's fast charge technology to rapidly decrease the length of time needed to charge it's phone. Samsung's technology is called Adaptive Fast Charge and it works quite well with the Galaxy S8. It may not be as fast as fast charging technologies in the OnePlus 5, but it does make a noticeable difference. The fast charging is only compatible with Samsung's Adaptive Fast Charge power brick which is included in the Galaxy S8's box. It's a very handy feature that continues to be improved year after year.
The Galaxy S8 is also one of the first gigabit cable phones. This basically means that the S8's modem is capable of achieving gigabit 4G LTE speeds when connected to a network that supports it. While those speeds sound incredible, it will be years before mobile networks actually launch gigabit 4G LTE on a large scale.
This excellent performance is made possible by the first 10 nanometer processor in a smartphone. Samsung has included its own Exynos 8895 or Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 chipset depending on where you live. The octa-core CPU is bundled with the Mali-G71 MP20 or an Adreno 530. These specs help the phone power through everything you throw at it. Samsung's patented liquid cooling technology ensures the phone doesn't overheat. In real world usage, I've never felt the phone overheating and the warmest it got was when I played graphic intensive games such as Asphalt 8 and Real Racing 3.
Like most flagships of late, apart from the iPhone, Samsung has bundled it's fast charge technology to rapidly decrease the length of time needed to charge it's phone. Samsung's technology is called Adaptive Fast Charge and it works quite well with the Galaxy S8. It may not be as fast as fast charging technologies in the OnePlus 5, but it does make a noticeable difference. The fast charging is only compatible with Samsung's Adaptive Fast Charge power brick which is included in the Galaxy S8's box. It's a very handy feature that continues to be improved year after year.
The Galaxy S8 is also one of the first gigabit cable phones. This basically means that the S8's modem is capable of achieving gigabit 4G LTE speeds when connected to a network that supports it. While those speeds sound incredible, it will be years before mobile networks actually launch gigabit 4G LTE on a large scale.
Camera: Familiar but Fantastic
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Thats the exact mentality Samsung had when creating the Galaxy S8's camera. The rear camera is almost identical to the one found on the Galaxy S7 of last year. Samsung did include a new sensor and lens, which deliver minor improvements over last years camera. But that lack of improvement is hardly a bad thing because the camera on the Galaxy S7 was last years best camera in a smartphone. Even with updated dual cameras found on phones like the LG G6 and iPhone 7 Plus, Samsung's camera remains one of the best out there for many reasons that stretch beyond just image and video quality. I would have preferred to see Samsung using a dual lens setup on this phone but that's just nit picking.
Firstly, Samsung is one of the few companies that has listened to its customers and made the effort to implement a camera which doesn't protrude from the phone's body. Apple is infamous for creating phones with ugly protruding cameras which are easily damaged. The camera found on the Galaxy S8 also has the fastest focusing system on any phone thanks to Samsung's 'Focus Pixels' technology. The 12MP f/1.7 rear camera also benefits from having an excellent Optical Image Stabilisation system that drastically decreases shakiness in videos and photos.
The camera produces photos which are more vibrant and detailed than almost every other smartphone. Photos are vivid and clear, and contrast is excellent, especially when the High Dynamic Range mode is enabled. The camera is also fantastic for macro shots because it can focus on an object closer to its sensor than any other smartphone on the market. Dim the lights, and take a few photos because low light performance is equally impressive and produces much brighter and generally nicer looking shots than the iPhone 7. Photos contain less noise and are more detailed than shots taken with other phones. Samsung's Optical Image Stabilisation works miracles in low light to prevent blurry shots.
The S8's camera is just as good for video. It can capture 4K video at 30fps and 1080p video at 60fps. Again, Samsung's Optical Image stabilisation does an excellent job at removing shakiness in videos. Videos turn out vibrant and smooth. Theres also a slow motion video mode that can capture video at 120fps.
The selfie camera on the S8 received a noticable upgrade which saw its megapixel count boosted to 8MP. Samsung also claims the camera has the first autofocus system on a selfie camera and it takes decent shots in low light thanks to it's f/1.7 aperture. Photos produced are excellent with accurate skin tones. The camera is also one of the first to be capable of capturing 2K video at 30fps.
Firstly, Samsung is one of the few companies that has listened to its customers and made the effort to implement a camera which doesn't protrude from the phone's body. Apple is infamous for creating phones with ugly protruding cameras which are easily damaged. The camera found on the Galaxy S8 also has the fastest focusing system on any phone thanks to Samsung's 'Focus Pixels' technology. The 12MP f/1.7 rear camera also benefits from having an excellent Optical Image Stabilisation system that drastically decreases shakiness in videos and photos.
The camera produces photos which are more vibrant and detailed than almost every other smartphone. Photos are vivid and clear, and contrast is excellent, especially when the High Dynamic Range mode is enabled. The camera is also fantastic for macro shots because it can focus on an object closer to its sensor than any other smartphone on the market. Dim the lights, and take a few photos because low light performance is equally impressive and produces much brighter and generally nicer looking shots than the iPhone 7. Photos contain less noise and are more detailed than shots taken with other phones. Samsung's Optical Image Stabilisation works miracles in low light to prevent blurry shots.
The S8's camera is just as good for video. It can capture 4K video at 30fps and 1080p video at 60fps. Again, Samsung's Optical Image stabilisation does an excellent job at removing shakiness in videos. Videos turn out vibrant and smooth. Theres also a slow motion video mode that can capture video at 120fps.
The selfie camera on the S8 received a noticable upgrade which saw its megapixel count boosted to 8MP. Samsung also claims the camera has the first autofocus system on a selfie camera and it takes decent shots in low light thanks to it's f/1.7 aperture. Photos produced are excellent with accurate skin tones. The camera is also one of the first to be capable of capturing 2K video at 30fps.
Software: Samsung's software has caught up to it's hardware
Whether Samsung wants to admit it or not, it's previous versions of Android were hideous. Samsung included gimmicks among gimmicks and devices were left dormant within a few months because of Samsung's lack of software updates. It's skin, Touchwiz, is infamous for slowing down over time and for causing spontaneous app crashes. Thankfully, the Galaxy S8 represents a dramatic shift in Samsung's philosophy for delivering Android software. The software, which is no longer called Touchwiz bundles advanced and unique features with simplicity and consistancy. Samsung Experience, as it is now called, is a completely new skin which stands in stark contrast to Touchwiz.
The look and feel of the UI has been completely overhauled with new icons, buttons, menus, lock screens and even sounds. Everything is different, everything is better. Simple things such as launching apps and navigating through the home screens feel more polished and intuitive thanks to Samsung's refinements. The notification shade and quick toggles share a brand new design, and the app drawer can now be accessed from the home screen by a simple swipe up. Folders are no longer a mess and Samsung has changed the default shape of app icons to a square with rounded corners for consitancy.
Even apps such as the dialler and messages have been redesigned to look and feel better. And while refining the UI to make it more simple and intuitive Samsung has managed to keep ingenious features which are unique to Samsung phones such as the extra volume button on calls and direct share button for sharing photos and links quicker. I really like Samsung's new UI and find it more comprehensive than skin's offered by HTC or Sony. I haven't experienced any issues with performance, something that would plagues previous Galaxy's.
Simple features which Samsung phones have had for years like multitasking and the Secure Folder really do make a huge difference in terms of the overall experience. It's my favourite version of Android that I've used and I even prefer it to Apple's iOS. Samsung allows for deep customisation of it's UI and new features such as the blue light filter are welcome. Samsung's 'Edge Panels' which take advantage of the S8's curved display by offering quick access to contacts, weather, sports scores and app shortcuts remain unique to this smartphone. Samsung has also included the ability to create GiFs and allows you to pin content to the top of the screen.
The S8 also highlights smartphone security thanks to Samsung's inclusion of an Iris and Facial Scanner. The facial scanner works perfect almost all of the time and it is very fast. The Iris Scanner is less reliable and I've had a bad experience with it myself. But most people have said that the Iris Scanner works perfectly for them. Samsung has also included a 'Secure Folder' which is a password protected folder within the OS which can be used to store private information. Its a handy feature and I can see it being very useful for businesses.
Samsung has also decided to create it's own digital assistant called Bixby which can be summoned by clicking the dedicated Bixby button on the left side of the phone. The voice assistant part of Bixby has yet to launch in many countries thanks to delays. The assistant can be found in areas such as the camera where you can take a photo of an object or building and Bixby will show you objects like this which are for sale or tell you information about them. The assistant can also be found by swiping to the right on the home screen. Here the assistant shows a series of cards similar to Goggle now. I personally think this part of the assistant is useless as it only really shows themes for your phone and some news updates. I really think Samsung has missed the mark with Bixby and should completely abandon it. Thankfully the Google Assistant can be summoned by long pressing the home key.
You'd be wrong to judge the S8's software on previous attempts by Samsung because this new UI is brilliant. It bundles powerful features with beautiful transitions and designs. I'm also more optimistic that Samsung will continue to provide the S8 with timely software updates. Samsung has managed to do away with poor performance and it's software is probably the best version of Android yet. I do think Bixby is a waste of Samsung's resources but altogether I love what Samsung has done with the software on the S8.
The look and feel of the UI has been completely overhauled with new icons, buttons, menus, lock screens and even sounds. Everything is different, everything is better. Simple things such as launching apps and navigating through the home screens feel more polished and intuitive thanks to Samsung's refinements. The notification shade and quick toggles share a brand new design, and the app drawer can now be accessed from the home screen by a simple swipe up. Folders are no longer a mess and Samsung has changed the default shape of app icons to a square with rounded corners for consitancy.
Even apps such as the dialler and messages have been redesigned to look and feel better. And while refining the UI to make it more simple and intuitive Samsung has managed to keep ingenious features which are unique to Samsung phones such as the extra volume button on calls and direct share button for sharing photos and links quicker. I really like Samsung's new UI and find it more comprehensive than skin's offered by HTC or Sony. I haven't experienced any issues with performance, something that would plagues previous Galaxy's.
Simple features which Samsung phones have had for years like multitasking and the Secure Folder really do make a huge difference in terms of the overall experience. It's my favourite version of Android that I've used and I even prefer it to Apple's iOS. Samsung allows for deep customisation of it's UI and new features such as the blue light filter are welcome. Samsung's 'Edge Panels' which take advantage of the S8's curved display by offering quick access to contacts, weather, sports scores and app shortcuts remain unique to this smartphone. Samsung has also included the ability to create GiFs and allows you to pin content to the top of the screen.
The S8 also highlights smartphone security thanks to Samsung's inclusion of an Iris and Facial Scanner. The facial scanner works perfect almost all of the time and it is very fast. The Iris Scanner is less reliable and I've had a bad experience with it myself. But most people have said that the Iris Scanner works perfectly for them. Samsung has also included a 'Secure Folder' which is a password protected folder within the OS which can be used to store private information. Its a handy feature and I can see it being very useful for businesses.
Samsung has also decided to create it's own digital assistant called Bixby which can be summoned by clicking the dedicated Bixby button on the left side of the phone. The voice assistant part of Bixby has yet to launch in many countries thanks to delays. The assistant can be found in areas such as the camera where you can take a photo of an object or building and Bixby will show you objects like this which are for sale or tell you information about them. The assistant can also be found by swiping to the right on the home screen. Here the assistant shows a series of cards similar to Goggle now. I personally think this part of the assistant is useless as it only really shows themes for your phone and some news updates. I really think Samsung has missed the mark with Bixby and should completely abandon it. Thankfully the Google Assistant can be summoned by long pressing the home key.
You'd be wrong to judge the S8's software on previous attempts by Samsung because this new UI is brilliant. It bundles powerful features with beautiful transitions and designs. I'm also more optimistic that Samsung will continue to provide the S8 with timely software updates. Samsung has managed to do away with poor performance and it's software is probably the best version of Android yet. I do think Bixby is a waste of Samsung's resources but altogether I love what Samsung has done with the software on the S8.
Call & Data Quality: Superb, best in the industry
Samsung has been known to deliver phones with superb antenna performance and thats no exception with the Galaxy S8. Using the S8 on Vodafone, I haven't ran into any network or connectivity issues. Using Ookla's speed test app, the S8 repeatedly out performed other phones such as the iPhone 7 and Huawei P10 for download and upload speeds. Travelling with the phone across the Irish Sea to Wales, my S8 managed to retain a signal significantly further than my friends iPhone. The S8 can also take full advantage of Vodafone's 4G+ network which saw me achieving speeds near 100Mbps. I've managed to gobble over 350GB of mobile data with the S8, thanks to its super high resolution display. Call quality was also very consistent and the earpiece is plenty loud even with background noise. Two speed tests are shown below.
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Audio Quality: Average but there's a silver lining
Even after purchasing Harman, a company famous for producing high quality audio products, Samsung has yet to impress us with it's smartphone speakers. The S8 has a single down firing speaker which gets very loud, louder than most phones. The sound produced is average in terms of quality. There is a good balance of bass and treble but the sound becomes thinny when set to high volumes. There is however a silver lining when it comes to audio quality thanks to Samsung's partnership with AKG, a company which produces premium audio products. Every Galaxy S8 comes with a pair of 3.5mm AKG earphones in the box. Samsung claims these earphones are worth €100 and the quality of the earphones is miles ahead of ones included in the box of other phones. The AKG earphones are comfortable to wear and produce high quality sound. The earphones are also more durable because of their braided cable. Replacement ear tips are also include in the S8's box if the default ear tips don't fit.
Samsung has included a unique feature with the S8 called Dual Audio. This feature allows the S8 to connect to two bluetooth devices simultaneously so two people can experience the same audio from the S8.
Samsung has included a unique feature with the S8 called Dual Audio. This feature allows the S8 to connect to two bluetooth devices simultaneously so two people can experience the same audio from the S8.
Battery Life: Pleasantly surprised
It's hardly surprising that Samsung played it safe with the S8's battery considering the catastrophe that was the Note 7's battery. That said, the S8's 3000mAh battery performed better than i'd expected considering it has a 5.8 inch display. My S8 manages to last me all day, even with heavy video streaming and notification updates. The battery does suffer considerably worse when streaming content via a mobile network and games also unsurprisingly had an affect on the phones battery. Standby times were excellent, even when the notification light and always on display was enabled. As I mentioned earlier, the S8 benefits from super fast charging and is also capable of fast wireless charging.
Verdict: Representing a Renaissance within Samsung
From the futuristic blue pulses of light which trace the contours of the phones curvaceous screen when a notification arrives to the awe of watching text flow and melt off the side of the infinity display, the S8 represents a renaissance within Samsung. The phone is the first Galaxy to have software thats as good as it's hardware. Elegant touches such as the new icons and resigned UI scream attention to detail, something thats new to a Galaxy smartphone. The phone excels in places where others can't, it has the best version of Android I've ever seen and it's jaw droping unibody design feels as good as it looks while retaining water and dust proofing. It's a staple of innovation thanks to it's iris scanner, facial recognition, infinity display and powerful performance. While it stands in stark contrast to previous Galaxies, the S8 is easily recognisable as a Samsung thanks to the inclusion of some ingenious Samsung features. It's camera is stellar, even if it's only a minor upgrade and it's performance is an example of cutting edge technology. Samsung's Bixby assistant is half baked but I see it having potential in the future. Theres nothing really bad about this phone, and thats something rarely said about a phone. When someone is in awe looking at a phone, you know it has to be brilliant and the S8 is exactly that. It just goes to show that Samsung has huge potential when it pulls its head together. The Galaxy S8 represents the pinnacle of smartphone advancement because it's more than just a phone, it's a life companion.
I give the Samsung Galaxy S8
9.7/10.
