Samsung Galaxy S8 review: Essence distilled

Essence distilled

GSMArena team, 21 April 2017.



It's pretty much the same phone as the Galaxy S7. Size-wise, that is. Only with a 5.8" display where there used to be a 5.1" screen.



Both of this season's premium Galaxies are in this bizarre 2.06:1 aspect, but the regular S8 is petite. It's a millimeter wider than an iPhone 7 with a screen surface of some 40% more than the small-sized Apple (that's real estate, not diagonal, so it isn't apples to oranges). Put the S8 next to an S7 and the new one is actually narrower, and visibly so. So from the get go we'd say that the S8 has the most screen you can get in a phone this size, and even a few sizes up.

The flat S-series design is no more. This year's phones both feature the signature Samsung curved screens. Ever so subtle and nothing like the Note Edge that started it all. Evolution.

Samsung Galaxy S8 review

This very much finite Infinity display is what makes the headlines, but it's not without a consequence. The Home button is history - in its place an onscreen navigation bar, the fingerprint sensor relocated, the pressing sensation emulated (sort of) by haptic flutter.

The screen aside, there's the habitual bump in processing power, courtesy of a brand new 10nm chip - be it Samsung's own Exynos, or Qualcomm's Snapdragon (still manufactured by Samsung). RAM has stood still at 4GB (though certain regions may get a 6GB version), and an 8MP autofocus front-facing camera replaces the 5MP fixed-focus shooters that were around for far too long on the company's flagships.

Samsung Galaxy S8 key features

  • Display: 5.8" Super AMOLED, 2,960x1440px resolution, 18.5:9 (2.06:1) aspect ratio, 570ppi; HDR 10 compliant (no Dolby Vision).
  • OS/Software: Android 7.0 Nougat; Bixby virtual assistant.
  • Battery: 3,000mAh Li-Ion (sealed); Adaptive Fast Charging (same as S7); QuickCharge 2.0 support; WPC&PMA wireless charging.

Main shortcomings

  • No stereo speakers
  • The bulk of the photo and video content doesn't make the most of the available screen area due to the unusual screen aspect ratio

The S8's blessing is also its curse - there isn't exactly an abundance of 18.5:9 content for you to gobble. But with Google backing up the push for wide/tall displays, and Apple rumored to ride the same train come fall, it's really a matter of time - and not a long time either.

Seriously though, with all its multimedia aspirations, the S8 really has no excuses for not packing a pair of stereo speakers. Even if it's the makeshift solution of an earpiece doubling as an amp.

Samsung Galaxy S8 review

If you haven't guessed by now, we're not impressed with where the fingerprint reader is, and - senior editor note - that's the politically correct revision of what the reviewer actually said. In all fairness though, on the tiny S8 it's not such an exercise to reach, though the camera lens will inevitably get familiar with the ridges in your skin. Cue in those under-display readers already.

That's the future (near as it may be), but we're living in the now and around here the Galaxy S8 is what it is - a beautiful phone. Join us on the next page for the unboxing and hardware checkup.

Reader comments

  • Fanso

Samsung s8 egde does it have portrait

  • Gratian Perera

My s8 not responsive to any . It has completely stop Worcking. Screen shows 03 .00 battery 65% and the date as friday september 06. All the buttons not responsive. Even the home.

  • Anil

Samsung s8 glass is so delicate it just slipped from my lap to the floor and the glass is broken and the distance is only one hand span, 49 rs tampered glass is much better than this Gorilla Tampered glass..