Samsung Galaxy S8 specifications, user reviews, description, pros and cons of the smartphone. Review of the Samsung Galaxy S8 (Samsung Galaxy S8) and real reviews from users of the best-selling smartphone Galaxy s 8 parameters

Information about the make, model, and alternative names of the specific device, if available.

Design

Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Materials used, colors offered, certificates.

Width Width information - refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	68.1 mm (millimeters) 6.81 cm (centimeters) 0.22 ft (feet) 2.68 in (inches)
Height Height information - refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	148.9 mm (millimeters) 14.89 cm (centimeters) 0.49 ft (feet) 5.86 in (inches)
Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units of measurement.	8 mm (millimeters) 0.8 cm (centimeters) 0.03 ft (feet) 0.31 in (inches)
Weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement.	155 g (grams) 0.34 lbs 5.47 oz (ounces)
Volume The approximate volume of the device, calculated based on the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped.	81.12 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 4.93 in³ (cubic inches)
Colors Information about the colors in which this device is offered for sale.	Black Silver Golden Blue Grey Pink Red
Materials for making the case Materials used to make the device body.	Glass Aluminum alloy
Certification Information about the standards to which this device is certified.	IP68

SIM card

The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.

Mobile networks

A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.

GSM GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is designed to replace the analogue mobile network (1G). For this reason, GSM is often called a 2G mobile network. It is improved by the addition of GPRS (General Packet Radio Services), and later EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) technologies.	GSM 850 MHz GSM 900 MHz GSM 1800 MHz GSM 1900 MHz
UMTS UMTS is an abbreviation for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. It is based on the GSM standard and belongs to 3G mobile networks. Developed by 3GPP and its biggest advantage is providing greater speed and spectral efficiency thanks to W-CDMA technology.	UMTS 850 MHz UMTS 900 MHz UMTS 1700/2100 MHz UMTS 1900 MHz UMTS 2100 MHz
LTE LTE (Long Term Evolution) is defined as a fourth generation (4G) technology. It is developed by 3GPP based on GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA to increase the capacity and speed of wireless mobile networks. The subsequent technology development is called LTE Advanced.	LTE 700 MHz Class 13 LTE 700 MHz Class 17 LTE 800 MHz LTE 850 MHz LTE 900 MHz LTE 1700/2100 MHz LTE 1800 MHz LTE 1900 MHz LTE 2100 MHz LTE 2600 MHz LTE-TDD 1900 MHz (B39) LTE-TDD 2300 MHz (B40) LTE-TDD 2500 MHz (B41) LTE-TDD 2600 MHz (B38) LTE 700 MHz (B12)

Mobile communication technologies and data transfer speeds

Communication between devices on mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data transfer rates.

Operating system

An operating system is a system software that manages and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device.

SoC (System on Chip)

A system on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device on one chip.

SoC (System on Chip) A system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components, such as a processor, graphics processor, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software necessary for their operation.	Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 MSM8998
Process Information about the technological process by which the chip is manufactured. Nanometers measure half the distance between elements in the processor.	10 nm (nanometers)
Processor (CPU) The primary function of a mobile device's processor (CPU) is to interpret and execute instructions contained in software applications.	4x 2.35 GHz Kryo 280, 4x 1.9 GHz Kryo 280
Processor size The size (in bits) of a processor is determined by the size (in bits) of the registers, address buses, and data buses. 64-bit processors have higher performance compared to 32-bit processors, which in turn are more powerful than 16-bit processors.	64 bit
Instruction Set Architecture Instructions are commands with which the software sets/controls the operation of the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute.	ARMv8-A
Level 1 cache (L1) Cache memory is used by the processor to reduce access time to more frequently used data and instructions. L1 (level 1) cache is small in size and is much faster than both system memory and other cache levels. If the processor does not find the requested data in L1, it continues to look for it in the L2 cache. On some processors, this search is performed simultaneously in L1 and L2.	32 kB + 32 kB (kilobytes)
Level 2 cache (L2) L2 (level 2) cache is slower than L1 cache, but in return it has a higher capacity, allowing it to cache more data. It, like L1, is much faster than system memory (RAM). If the processor does not find the requested data in L2, it continues to look for it in the L3 cache (if available) or in RAM memory.	3072 kB (kilobytes) 3 MB (megabytes)
Number of processor cores The processor core executes software instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing multiple instructions to be executed in parallel.	8
CPU clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in terms of cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).	2350 MHz (megahertz)
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) handles calculations for various 2D/3D graphics applications. In mobile devices, it is most often used by games, consumer interfaces, video applications, etc.	Qualcomm Adreno 540
GPU clock speed Running speed is the clock speed of the GPU, measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).	710 MHz (megahertz)
Amount of random access memory (RAM) Random access memory (RAM) is used by the operating system and all installed applications. Data stored in RAM is lost after the device is turned off or restarted.	4 GB (gigabytes)
Type of random access memory (RAM) Information about the type of random access memory (RAM) used by the device.	LPDDR4X
Number of RAM channels Information about the number of RAM channels that are integrated into the SoC. More channels mean higher data rates.	Dual channel
RAM frequency The frequency of RAM determines its operating speed, more specifically, the speed of reading/writing data.	1866 MHz (megahertz)

Built-in memory

Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed capacity.

Memory cards

Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage capacity for storing data.

Screen

The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.

Type/technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the quality of the information image directly depends.	Super AMOLED
Diagonal For mobile devices, screen size is expressed by the length of its diagonal, measured in inches.	5.8 in (inches) 147.32 mm (millimeters) 14.73 cm (centimeters)
Width Approximate screen width	2.54 in (inches) 64.45 mm (millimeters) 6.44 cm (centimeters)
Height Approximate screen height	5.22 in (inches) 132.48 mm (millimeters) 13.25 cm (centimeters)
Aspect Ratio The ratio of the dimensions of the long side of the screen to its short side	2.056:1
Permission Screen resolution shows the number of pixels vertically and horizontally on the screen. Higher resolution means clearer image detail.	1440 x 2960 pixels
Pixel Density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be displayed on the screen with clearer detail.	568 ppi (pixels per inch) 223 ppcm (pixels per centimeter)
Color depth Screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for color components in one pixel. Information about the maximum number of colors that the screen can display.	24 bit 16777216 flowers
Screen area Approximate percentage of screen area occupied by the screen on the front of the device.	84.47% (percent)
Other characteristics Information about other screen features and characteristics.	Capacitive Multi-touch Scratch resistance
	Corning Gorilla Glass 5 Dual Edge display Always-On Display 540 cd/m² 90%DCI-P3 VR headset support

Sensors

Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that a mobile device can recognize.

Rear camera

The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on its back panel and may be combined with one or more secondary cameras.

Sensor model	Sony IMX333 Exmor RS
Sensor type
Sensor format	1/2.55"
Pixel size	1.4 µm (micrometers) 0.001400 mm (millimeters)
Svetlosila	f/1.7
Focal length	4.2 mm (millimeters) 26 mm (millimeters) *(35 mm / full frame)
Field of view	77° (degrees)
Flash type The rear (rear) cameras of mobile devices mainly use LED flashes. They can be configured with one, two or more light sources and vary in shape.	Double LED
Image Resolution	4032 x 3024 pixels 12.19 MP (megapixels)
Video resolution	3840 x 2160 pixels 8.29 MP (megapixels)
	30fps (frames per second)
Characteristics Information about additional software and hardware features of the rear (rear) camera.	Autofocus Continuous shooting Digital zoom Optical image stabilization Geographical tags Panoramic photography HDR shooting Touch Focus Face recognition White Balance Adjustment ISO Setting Exposure compensation Self-timer Scene Selection Mode Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF)
	Available also with Samsung S5K2L2 (ISOCELL) Phase detection with Dual Pixel Object tracking AF Smart OIS High CRI LED flash 720p @ 240 fps

Front camera

Smartphones have one or more front cameras of various designs - a pop-up camera, a rotating camera, a cutout or hole in the display, an under-display camera.

Sensor model Information about the manufacturer and model of the sensor used by the camera.	Sony IMX320 Exmor RS
Sensor type Information about the camera sensor type. Some of the most widely used types of sensors in mobile device cameras are CMOS, BSI, ISOCELL, etc.	CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor)
Sensor format The optical format of the sensor is an indicator of its shape and size. Usually expressed in inches.	1/3.6"
Pixel size Pixels are usually measured in microns. Larger pixels are able to capture more light and therefore provide better low-light photography and wider dynamic range than smaller pixels. On the other hand, smaller pixels allow for higher resolution while maintaining the same sensor size.	1.22 µm (micrometers) 0.001220 mm (millimeters)
Svetlosila F-stop (also known as aperture, aperture, or f-number) is a measure of the size of a lens's aperture, which determines the amount of light entering the sensor. The lower the f-number, the larger the aperture and the more light reaches the sensor. Typically the f-number is specified to correspond to the maximum possible aperture of the aperture.	f/1.7
Focal length Focal length indicates the distance in millimeters from the sensor to the optical center of the lens. Equivalent focal length (35mm) is the focal length of a mobile device camera equal to the focal length of a 35mm full-frame sensor, which will achieve the same viewing angle. It is calculated by multiplying the actual focal length of a mobile device's camera by the crop factor of its sensor. Crop factor can be defined as the ratio between the diagonals of a 35 mm full-frame sensor and the sensor of a mobile device.	2.95 mm (millimeters) 25 mm (millimeters) *(35 mm / full frame)
Field of view The field of view shows how much of the scene in front of the camera will be captured. This depends not only on the focal length, but also on the size of the sensor. It can be calculated using the viewing angle of the optics and the crop factor of the sensor. The viewing angle is the angle between the two farthest diagonal points of the frame.	80° (degrees)
Image Resolution One of the main characteristics of cameras is resolution. It represents the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in an image. For convenience, smartphone manufacturers often list resolution in megapixels, indicating the approximate number of pixels in millions.	3264 x 2448 pixels 7.99 MP (megapixels)
Video resolution Information about the maximum video resolution that the camera can record.	2560 x 1440 pixels 3.69 MP (megapixels)
Video recording speed (frame rate) Information about the maximum recording speed (frames per second, fps) supported by the camera at maximum resolution. Some of the most basic video recording speeds are 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, 60 fps.	30fps (frames per second)
	Available also with Samsung S5K3H1 Auto HDR

Audio

Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.

Radio

The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.

Location determination

Information about the navigation and location technologies supported by your device.

WiFi

Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for transmitting data over close distances between various devices.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between various devices of different types over short distances.

Version There are several versions of Bluetooth, with each subsequent one improving communication speed, coverage, and making devices easier to discover and connect. Information about the Bluetooth version of the device.	5.0
Characteristics Bluetooth uses different profiles and protocols that provide faster data transfer, energy savings, improved device discovery, etc. Some of these profiles and protocols that the device supports are shown here.	A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) AVRCP (Audio/Visual Remote Control Profile) DIP (Device ID Profile) HFP (Hands-Free Profile) HID (Human Interface Profile) HSP (Headset Profile) LE (Low Energy) MAP (Message Access Profile) OPP (Object Push Profile) PAN (Personal Area Networking Profile) PBAP/PAB (Phone Book Access Profile)

USB

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.

Headphone jack

This is an audio connector, also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Connecting devices

Information about other important connection technologies supported by your device.

Browser

A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.

Browser Information about some of the main characteristics and standards supported by the device's browser.

HTML HTML5 CSS 3

Audio file formats/codecs

Mobile devices support different audio file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode/decode digital audio data.

Video file formats/codecs

Mobile devices support different video file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode/decode digital video data.

Battery

Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge necessary for their functioning.

Capacity A battery's capacity indicates the maximum charge it can hold, measured in milliamp-hours.	3000 mAh (milliamp-hours)
Type The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more precisely, the chemicals used. There are different types of batteries, with lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries being the most commonly used batteries in mobile devices.	Li-Ion (Lithium-ion)
2G talk time 2G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 2G network.	29 h (hours) 1740 min (minutes) 1.2 days
3G talk time 3G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 3G network.	29 h (hours) 1740 min (minutes) 1.2 days
Adapter output power Information about the electrical current (measured in amperes) and electrical voltage (measured in volts) that the charger supplies (power output). Higher power output ensures faster battery charging.	5 V (volts) / 2 A (amps) 9 V (volts) / 1.67 A (amps)
Characteristics Information about some additional characteristics of the device's battery.	Wireless charging Fast charging Fixed
	Qi/PMA wireless charging

Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)

The SAR level refers to the amount of electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the human body while using a mobile device.

Head SAR level (US) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that the human body is exposed to when holding a mobile device near the ear. The maximum value used in the USA is 1.6 W/kg per 1 gram of human tissue. Mobile devices in the US are regulated by the CTIA, and the FCC conducts tests and sets their SAR values.	0.24 W/kg (Watt per kilogram)
Body SAR level (US) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation to which the human body is exposed when holding a mobile device at hip level. The highest permissible SAR value in the USA is 1.6 W/kg per 1 gram of human tissue. This value is set by the FCC, and the CTIA monitors mobile devices' compliance with this standard.	0.48 W/kg (Watt per kilogram)

Specifications

• Dimensions: 148.9 x 68.1 x 8.0 mm, weight – 155 grams;
• Display: 5.8-inch with WQHD+ resolution (2960×1440), 579ppi, 18.5:9, matrix – Super AMOLED;
• Processor: Exynos 9 Octa 8895, 8 cores, 10 nm;
• Video accelerator: Mali-G71;
• RAM: 4 GB;
• ROM: 64 GB + microSD slot up to 256 GB;
• Main camera: 12 MP, 1/2.55″, 1.4 µm, OIS, f/1.7, 4K video recording;
• Front camera: 8 MP, f/1.7, 1/3.6″, 1.22 µm;
• Battery: 3000 mAh;
• Other: USB Type-C; microSD slot, fingerprint scanner, iris scanner, IP68 case protection.

Design and ergonomics

Let's be honest - this is the best looking smartphone on the market. Everyone is talking about this and this is most likely the first time this has happened. You will find very few, if any, reviews that say the design was a failure. No, it's chic and has a wow effect.

After S5, each subsequent generation only got better. The sixth generation has changed completely: Samsungs have ceased to be remnants and have become more premium in appearance and tactility. The “Seven” has stepped even further and increased its practicality. Now we actually have before us a work of art – the S8. This is not a perfect smartphone, it has its own shortcomings and I will tell you about them, but if we are talking about first impressions, they are great. The smartphone looks modern, technological, and premium, all at the same time.

The body is made of glass (Gorilla Glass 5 on both sides) and metal. As before, the quality and assembly are perfect. That is, there is nothing to complain about - it does not spin, is waterproof and pleasant to the touch.

In terms of elements, everything is more or less standard, but I will note some points. The bottom is now USB Type-C. The 3.5mm headphone jack is in place, for which many thanks. During a flight to the States, I experienced pain with my iPhone 7 Plus when I was watching movies through Lightning headphones and the smartphone was dead. How to charge it and watch a movie? Wireless only. I also had such headphones, but, by the way, even in this regard, Samsung went further. S8 is the first smartphone with Bluetooth 5.0, which means not only increased data transfer speeds, but also the ability to simultaneously connect two BT devices (two headphones, two speakers). Moreover, you can control the volume of each separately. This is very cool, for example, you can watch a movie together and not disturb anyone.

But what still irritates me is the location of some holes on the edges. Well, I can’t come to terms with the off-center location of USB Type-C. But what’s even worse is that all the other holes at the bottom are not located on the same line.

It seems like a small thing, but if we are talking about the most beautiful phone, these little things are worth paying attention to. I understand that to align these elements it would be necessary to design a different placement of everything on the board, but damn, you designed thin frames! By the way, the hole of the second microphone on top is also shifted.

The scanner located at the back is, as expected, inconvenient. I use my phone all the time and I can’t say that I’ve gotten used to it. On the contrary, I developed the habit of looking at the back of the smartphone before unlocking it in order to get my finger in the right place. Otherwise I'm constantly touching the camera. Why didn't they make the scanner under the camera like everyone else?

The good news is that the scanner works quickly and immediately unlocks the smartphone, without the need to press anything. You can also attach a gesture for lowering the curtain with notifications, like on “pixels”.

You will say that you can use the improved facial recognition feature to avoid constantly reaching for the scanner, but this is just a toy because you can simply unlock the screen with your photo. I tried it myself and it really works. And the smartphone itself warns that even someone just like you will do. This is an unreliable method of protection.

The iris scanner helps, but face unlock doesn't work. But the unlocking of the iris is quite slow and not always the first time. To launch the iris scanner, you need to press the lock key and swipe across the screen, which takes a long time, and then also hold the device at a certain distance and place your eyes in the circles.

If protection is important to you, but you don’t store codes for the red button on it, then I wouldn’t worry, everything works quickly in the face. And what needs to be hidden can be hidden in a protected folder, to access which you will need to enter a password. True, face unlock does not work in the dark, but there is a scanner on the back. In short, there is a choice.

Small frames on all sides are, of course, very beautiful, but is it convenient? Not really - I can only use the smartphone in the case. I am glad that there are many branded ones, and there will be even more third-party ones, for any requests.

The thing is that without a case I constantly touch something on the screen. It’s even hard to watch a video on YouTube, because there’s nothing to hold the smartphone, because there’s also not enough space at the top and bottom.

Of course, I understand that framelessness is the future and Samsung is great. Perhaps algorithms will soon appear that will recognize and ignore accidental touches of edges, but this is unusual now.

I also don’t quite understand the lack of stereo speakers in the flagship in 2017. This is a drawback, because one speaker, although of high quality, is covered every now and then.

There are now no keys under the display. This is good. I was very annoyed by the touch buttons for “back” and the multitasking menu, because they constantly got in the way. Now all the keys are on-screen and hidden when not needed, freeing up more free space. The home key is now also virtual, but they came up with an elegant solution for it. It is visible even on a locked screen, thanks to the Super AMOLED display and the Always On Display function. And it reacts precisely to pressing, and not to touch. When pressed, you feel a vibration that simulates pressing a button. Not a taptic engine, but not everyone likes it either, so overall they came up with a very good implementation. By the way, this press works in any menu and application, even when the button itself is visually hidden.

Another change I’d like to note is the new mechanical key on the left side; it’s responsible for calling the Bixby voice assistant, which I’ll talk about a little later. Otherwise, everything is simple: on the right is the lock key, on top is a tray for a SIM card and memory card, as well as a second microphone.

Display

The screen is the main part of any smartphone, but here it is of particular importance. It is because of this that the S8 creates this very wow effect. It occupies 83.6% of the front surface, although it seems that all of it is 95. The remaining almost 16-odd percent are frames, although minimal: 6 mm at the bottom and 7 mm at the top. They were able to place everything on them: a camera, an iris scanner, sensors, and a speaker. The only thing that was removed was the Samsung logo. We will mourn him (no).

There are side frames, but they are very thin, due to the curved edges of the display.

The proportions have changed, now they are 18.5:9, and the resolution is 2960x1440 pixels. That is, it is extended upward, due to which the diagonal of the smaller model is 5.8”, and the plus version is 6.2”. But don't think that this is a phablet; the width of the entire S8 smartphone is less than the 5.5" display with an aspect ratio of 16:9. So the display is narrow and tall, and its area is comparable to the S7 and S7 Edge. It’s not entirely correct to compare diagonals here, because the ratios are different. If you make the smartphone generally narrow and tall, the diagonal will still be large.

There seem to be no problems with software optimization, because in the settings you can choose which applications should be automatically optimized for a wide format.

As before, the matrix is ​​Super AMOLED, there is support for the HDR 10 standard for watching Amazon Prime, for example. Overall, I can call the screen the best of those on the market. It is very beautiful, energy efficient and has its own unique features, like AOD. In the settings, you can change the color scheme, enable night mode, and also change the displayed resolution: from HD+ to WQHD+.

This doesn’t affect the quality, at least you can’t see it, but it saves battery life. I think the setting itself is only needed for VR, so they could make it automatic. You wouldn't notice anyway.

Cameras

The main camera has not actually changed - the same 12.2 MP, aperture 1.7, the same matrix. The quality remained exactly the same, that is, very good, but, you see, we expected more. Until recently I hoped that there would be a second camera, but no. The only thing that has changed is autofocus; it has become similar to Canon’s Dual Pixel. The video is recorded in 4K with optical stabilization, and at any lower resolution, software is also connected. Therefore, the picture is very stable.

But the front camera has grown: 8 MP, video is recorded in 2K, there is software stabilization. But the main thing is that it has autofocus.

I liked the camera application, it is not overloaded, at least it doesn’t feel that way. Everything is functional, access to most functions is via swipe.

Examples of photos taken with the main camera

Examples of photos taken with the front camera

Video examples

Bixby

Bixby is Samsung's new voice assistant. I’m sure they will ignore it, like they did with S-Voice, because there is already a visible strategy here, and not a banal race for having something that speaks in smartphones. The Bixby developers once created Siri and sold it to Apple. And now Samsung has bought this company and they are creating a new generation assistant. The seriousness of the intentions is emphasized by the fact that for Bixby there is a separate (!) mechanical key on the smartphone body that cannot be reassigned (!). For now, the assistant only supports English and Korean.

The button is on the left side, under the volume key, and it’s not entirely clear to me. No matter how cool the assistant is, a separate button for it is somehow too much. Moreover, my considerations are extremely practical - this key is constantly pressed, which turns on the smartphone. And the button itself is nothing at all. If only other functions could be assigned to it. But no, only Bixby, which still doesn’t work fully for us. The Russian language is not supported, and the assistant itself looks like a toy today. Cool features are announced - deep contextual understanding, as well as object recognition in the camera. For example, I saw something, looked it up and immediately ordered it on Amazon. But it just works poorly so far and at best recognizes the type of object: bicycle, slippers, watch. It’s still difficult with specific models. However, as I already said when getting acquainted with the smartphone, Bixby is the brainchild of the creators of Siri, so we’ll have to wait and see.

Samsung Galaxy S8 design

Beautiful. The wow effect has been achieved. There are no side frames, the display goes to infinity, which became one of the leitmotifs of the official presentation of the Galaxy S8. A small frame remained at the top - it was necessary to place the speaker and two cameras somewhere, one for selfies, the second for scanning the retina. The bottom frame also remains, although there are no vital elements on it.

The Home button is hidden under the screen. The fingerprint scanner has moved to the back cover and is located next to the main camera. They also left a 3.5 headphone jack, for which special thanks. Included with the phone, the buyer will receive AKG headphones, developed in collaboration with Harman Kardon, which is now owned by Samsung.

Galaxy S8 specs: battery

Only the lazy would criticize this aspect of the Galaxy S8's technical characteristics, but we won't do that. Yes, the battery is only 3000 mAh for the S8 and 500 mAh more for the S8+, but fans of the brand have long been accustomed to the fact that the galactic flagship barely lasts until the evening. Nothing will change in 2017. The 10 nm chipset manufacturing process will help save a little battery, so you shouldn’t worry too much about the lack of battery capacity.

Compared to other flagships of spring 2017, the Galaxy S8 looks normal. All leading manufacturers, in pursuit of the flagship design, sacrifice the battery and proudly say that the handset will last one day of light.

If your first priority is not status (after all, flagships are bought precisely for this purpose - to emphasize their status), but its practicality, it is better to buy, say, one that breaks all records in the autonomy rating. The Galaxy S8 is not supposed to work all day. His job is to shine!

Galaxy S8 display

The screen diagonal of 5.8 in the Galaxy S8 and 6.2 in the Galaxy S8+ was counted together with the curved part, so in reality the display is slightly smaller - approximately 5.6 and 5.9 inches. But with the resolution everything is correct - QHD+, that is, 1440 x 2960 pixels. The extra 400 pixels made the screen longer. The aspect ratio has also changed - now 18.5: 9. The matrix is ​​still the same - Super AMOLED. Pixel densities are 571 and 529.

The Galaxy S8 display supports HDR 10 technology, but does not support Dolby Vision. There is no fantastic 4K resolution here, as in the Sony Xperia XZ Premium, but this can hardly be called a disadvantage. On screens with a diagonal of 5-6 inches, such innovations are used solely for marketing purposes; there is no real benefit from them.

Samsung Galaxy S8: hardware specifications

There are a lot of innovations in the hardware, much more useful than HDR10 technology on a tiny screen. Our Samsung Galaxy S8 will be sold with the Exynos 8895 chipset. We wrote in detail about this chipset and posted it, so today we will focus on the key points.

Exynos 8895 is created according to the standards of 10 nm technological process. This ensures reduced battery consumption while increasing operating speed. At the presentation, it was officially announced that the computing power of the CPU (central processing unit) will increase by 10%, and the speed of the graphics adapter will increase by 21%. The numbers reflect the growth of the Galaxy S8 compared to its predecessor, the Galaxy S7.

Galaxy S8: processor. Comparison with Galaxy S8 XL

	S8	S8+	P10	P10 Plus	XZ Premium	LG G6	HTC U Ultra
Chipset	Snapdragon 835 or Exynos 8895	Snapdragon 835 or Exynos 8895	Kirin 960	Kirin 960	Snapdragon 835	Snapdragon 821	Snapdragon 821
Technical process	10 nm	10 nm	16 nm	16 nm	10 nm	14 nm	14 nm
Number of cores	8	8	8	8	8	4	4
Processor architecture	4x Mongoose 2 + 4x Cortex A53 or	4x Mongoose 2 + 4x Cortex A53 or 4x Kryo 280 CPU + 4x 4x Kryo 280 CPU		4x Cortex-A73 + 4x Cortex-A53	4x Kryo 280 CPU + 4x Kryo 280 CPU	2x Kryo + 2x Kryo	2x Kryo + 2x Kryo
Clock frequency	4x 2.35 GHz + 4x 1.7 GHz	4x 2.35 GHz + 4x 1.7 GHz	4x 2.4 GHz + 4x 1.4 GHz	4x 2.4 GHz + 4x 1.4 GHz	4x 2.45 GHz + 4x 1.9 GHz	2x 2.35 GHz + 2x 1.6 GHz	2x 2.15 GHz + 2x 1.6 GHz
Graphics accelerator	Adreno 540 or Mali-G71 MP20	Adreno 540 or Mali-G71 MP20	Mali-G71 MP8	Mali-G71 MP8	Adreno 540	Adreno 530	Adreno 530
RAM	4 GB	4 GB	4 GB	4/6 GB	4 GB	4 GB	4 GB
Built-in memory	64 GB	64 GB	32/64 GB	64/128 GB	64 GB	32/64 GB	64/128 GB
microSD slot	There is	There is	There is	There is	There is	There is	There is

Should you worry that the Galaxy S8 version with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset will not hit the European market? Probably not worth it. Yes, we know, many people ordered S7 from the States, only to get the SD820 option. Is this justified? Only from the point of view of a gamer, and even then... doubtful. The Adreno 530 GPU was faster than the Mali-T880 MP12, but the Exynos processor was otherwise better.

The Galaxy S8 is based on the even more powerful Exynos 8895, which in the first synthetic tests was in no way inferior to the Snapdragon 835. It was also ahead of the Kirin 960 installed in . There is no need to even remember about the 821st Dragon - they will be very much inferior to the new Samsung platform.

The only competitor to the Galaxy S8 in terms of performance may be, but this is unlikely to happen. The Japanese are leaders in technology, but manage to make relatively slow phones year after year. With top-end hardware, their flagships are regularly inferior to their direct competitors in all synthetic tests, and if nothing changes, the Galaxy S8 will become the fastest Android smartphone and will hold the lead until the release of the autumn flagships.

And to finish the conversation about the technical characteristics of the Galaxy S8, let's say that the phone received 4 GB of RAM and 64 internal memory. There is a microSD slot for expanding storage up to 256 GB.

Galaxy S8 camera

The Galaxy S8's camera specs remain virtually unchanged. The phone received the same 12 megapixel module as its predecessor. At the presentation, we were told that to improve the quality of images, a new multi-processing technology has been developed, which takes several additional frames. These frames are then combined with the photo the user took, resulting in a picture that is as perfect as possible - with killer detail, clarity and color saturation.

In fact, there is nothing revolutionary about this technology. It works on a similar principle in HDR+ mode, and this camera is recognized by experts as one of the best on the market. Sony offers something similar, albeit in a slightly different way. Xperia XZ Premium will take 4 preview photos before the camera starts (when motion is detected), and the user can choose the best option from these frames.

The advantage of the Xperia XZ Premium camera is the unique Exmor RS sensor with its own RAM module. Thanks to the presence of RAM built into the camera, the Xperia XZ Premium will be able to shoot super slow-mo at a frequency of 960 frames per second (but there is a minus - the shooting duration is limited to 0.18 seconds). The Galaxy S8 promised super slow-motion with fps, but not a word was said about this at the presentation.

To summarize the above, there are no real differences between the Galaxy S8 camera and the S7 camera. On the one hand, this is not bad - the Seventh Galactic took great photos. But on the other hand... competitors are actively working to improve cameras. Take at least, or LG G6 with a dual module and a wide-angle lens. At this rate, the Galaxy S8 may fall out of the final rankings of the best smartphone cameras by the end of 2017...

Interfaces and software

Very briefly about the little things - the Galaxy S8 supports wireless and fast charging. USB Type-C v.3.1 interface, wireless and fast charging, the headphone jack remains in its rightful place. Android... no, not Marshmallow, but the real one Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box!

More details about the software, especially about the virtual assistant Bixby, as well as docking stations DeX, new VR technologies and other features of the Galaxy S8, read. Follow the posts and stay with Five-Inches!

Samsung Galaxy S8 is the company’s flagship, which was released in 2017 and amazes with its appearance and technical characteristics

The official release date of the Samsung Galaxy S8 is March 29, 2017, when a completely new flagship was presented in New York. The peculiarity of the device’s positioning is not copying developments from its main competitor, Apple, but the development of a high-quality, different smartphone, which at the time of its release was considered the most technically advanced device running the Android system available on the market.

NOTE!

If we compare it with the previous, “seventh” series, we can safely say that the presented phone was not just a reworking of the previous device, but thanks to a large number of innovations, it is a qualitatively new device.

The company traditionally decided to release two modifications of the device at once - the regular Samsung S8 and a phone with the Plus prefix, which only means an increased screen diagonal. There are no more variations, which simplifies the choice of the user, who does not need to rush between choosing the optimal values ​​of RAM or permanent memory. The most important thing is to determine comfortable dimensions for yourself.

The two models (S8/S8+) differ only in screen diagonal and overall dimensions

NOTE!

It should be noted that the “senior” model of the line received a display diagonal size almost equal to the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, which was released at the same time, the characteristics of which differ fundamentally only in the presence of a stylus and a dual main camera.

The review of the Galaxy S8 should begin with the package contents and design of the model. The device comes in a beautiful matte box, on which blue letters are engraved, indicating the letter code of the model. The most interesting thing for the user is hidden under the lid, which folds back like a box. The package is worthy of a flagship and is quite complete. All components are located in their own cell.

The device comes with a rich set of components, which is typical for flagship devices.

In addition to the smartphone itself, lying on a plastic platform, inside the box the user will find:

• charger with adjustable output current and voltage (5/9 V and 1.67/2 A);
• USB Type-C connection cable;
• adapter from micro-USB to USB Type-C;
• USB to USB Type-C adapter;
• a paperclip for removing the SIM card tray;
• documentation.

NOTE!

At the start of sales, the set included in-ear headphones from AKG, made using dual-driver technology and having a fabric-braided wire that prevents damage. Also included is a set of interchangeable in-channel pads.

The first thing that attracts anyone who picks up a smartphone without yet knowing the exact technical characteristics of the Samsung Galaxy S8 is the design. The device is an elongated “bar”, in which there is not a drop of plastic. All surfaces are made of glass and metal. The beveled edges give the device a streamlined shape. There is a metal frame around the perimeter of the case, which symmetrically narrows on the sides and widens at the top and bottom. It is used to connect two glass panels. Their coating is made of modern protected glass Gorilla Glass 5.

The absence of frames makes the phone truly borderless and allows you to enjoy clear and high-quality images

The rear surface is absolutely symmetrical, and all the curves exactly follow the curves of the front panel. The edges of the glass are bent so strongly that the connecting seam is almost invisible. That is why critics have dubbed the new product from Samsung a “smartphone without borders.”

The smartphone screen turned out to be elongated due to the company’s use of a non-standard aspect ratio – 18:9 as opposed to the usual – 16:9. The complete absence of frames on the sides has led to the acquisition of such a narrow body that even the older model, which has a screen diagonal of 6.2 inches, is quite convenient and comfortable to hold with one hand. The overall dimensions of the smartphone are as follows: length – 148.9 mm, width – 68.1 mm, height – 8 mm with a weight of 155 g.

NOTE!

The back, made of glass, has a fingerprint scanner, the size and shape of which has raised many questions from users and experts

The device has completely lost the physical home button, which has become completely on-screen. One of the interesting “tricks” is the slight displacement of the key each time the smartphone is activated. This is dictated by the desire to prevent the risk of pixel burnout when displaying a static image.

Despite all the beauty and convenience of the design, a significant fly in the ointment that overshadows admiration for the technical characteristics of the Samsung Galaxy S8 is the poor placement of the fingerprint scanner. It is located on the rear panel, but the size of the sensor is significantly reduced compared to accepted standards, and it is oriented vertically. As a result, when unlocking blindly, there is a high probability of touching the camera lens with your finger.

In terms of its technical characteristics, the Samsung Galaxy S8 is one of the most advanced smartphones on the market. Even the release of the next model (S9) could not shake the popularity of the flagship, since, as in the case of IPhone 7 and 8, there were no significant changes, but the cost was increased. Therefore, you can simply buy a Samsung Galaxy S8 smartphone and not chase the “raw” “nine”.

The lack of hardware buttons under the screen is compensated for by on-screen keys

Main characteristics of Samsung Galaxy S8

The table briefly summarizes the main parameters of the model in terms of technical features.

Parameter	Characteristic
CPU	Samsung Exynos 8895 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
OS	Android 7.0 (out of the box).
Display	Super Amoled 5.8 inches.
SIM card format	Nano-SIM, 2 pieces.
Cameras	Main - 12 MP, front - 8 MP.
Battery	Built-in 3000 mAh.
Memory card support	MicroSD up to 257 GB.
Network formats	GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) WCDMA/HSPA+ (850/900/1900/2100 MHz) FDD LTE Band 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 66. TD LTE Band 38 – 41.
Wireless interfaces	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC.
Wireless charging support	Available.

To complete the review, we should look at the main parameters in more detail.

Processor type and memory parameters

The company produces two modifications that differ in the type of processor. For Europe and the CIS countries, the device is equipped with Samsung’s own SoC Exynos 8895. This stone represents the 9th generation of this type of processor. Its work is based on the use of a 4+4 solder: the first four cores are ARM Cortex-A-53 with a clock speed of 1.7 GHz, which are necessary for performing simple tasks, and the second is represented by custom Exynos M1 cores with a clock frequency of 2.3 GHz. They are connected when it is necessary to process heavy games or solve complex algorithms.

The device is available on the market in a wide range of colors

NOTE!

The main difference between the new processor and other models is the presence of a qualitatively new Mali G71-MP20 graphics accelerator, which provides maximum performance gains.

The results of the main tests demonstrate that the company's use of its own development had a positive effect on power. The results of testing in the main synthetic benchmarks are as follows:

1. AnTuTu: 174 155.
2. Quadrant Standard: 43 185.
3. PCMark: 5,371 (Work 2.0), 6,034 (Work 1.0).
4. PCMark Storage: 4 421.
5. 3DMark: 3 159.
6. Vellamo: 7,269 (browser), 3,324 (Metal graphics), 3,621 (multi-core test).
7. Geekbench 4.0: 1,974 (single-core), 6,339 (multi-core).

According to test results, the Galaxy S8 is almost as good as the flagship iPhone 7 Plus

There is also a modification that uses the most powerful Snapdragon from Qualcomm - 835. Such smartphones are supplied only to the US market. If we talk about memory, it should be noted that the company did not endow its device with the most advanced capacity. RAM is only 4 GB, which is standard even for budget models.

NOTE!

A significant breakthrough was the use of a new data exchange format when using memory. The Samsung Galaxy S8 implements the UFS 2.1 standard, which reduces the load time of the smartphone and switching between programs.

The permanent memory in the device in the basic configuration is 64 GB. The manufacturer has taken the path of increasing the amount of available space. This is due to the development of digital technology, as well as the technical capabilities of the smartphone camera, which allows you to take pictures with a resolution of 4032x3024 pixels, which take up a lot of space. It is also possible to shoot video in Ultra HD format. A video like this also requires free space.

The smartphone has a Samsung matrix with a resolution of 1440×2960 pixels. A distinctive feature is the ability to change the display quality in the settings. You can set the resolution up to 2960×1440 or WQHD+. SuperAMOLED screen with 570 ppi dot density.

Since the device is a flagship, it accordingly has a top-end version of the matrix, which provides maximum viewing angles and good visibility even in bright sunlight. There are many settings, including the adjustment of blue light, which can reduce eye strain when using a smartphone at night.

Various screen display modes are available in the settings, the selection of which is based on the subjective desires of the user

Despite the non-standard aspect ratio, which is not always convenient when watching videos or playing games, the manufacturer has included in the settings the ability to adapt content for user comfort. When this function is activated, the picture is displayed in full screen.

NOTE!

The screen occupies 83.6% of the front surface of the smartphone, the remaining space is given over to minimal upper and lower frames with a thickness of 6 and 7 mm, respectively. Due to the rounded edges, it visually seems that the screen covers almost the entire front part.

Communications

The communication capabilities of the smartphone include support for all major communication formats, even the most advanced LTE Cat.16 technology. According to the developers, the implementation of support for this format made it possible to increase the speed of data reception/transmission by 20% compared to the previous generation.

The AlwaysOn Display function allows you to display a clock, picture, photo or event notifications on the screen

Wireless technologies implemented in the Samsung Galaxy S8 include the use of a dual-band Wi-Fi transmitter and a 5th generation Bluetooth module. The built-in navigation module can work efficiently with both the Russian GLONASS system and the Chinese Beidou satellites. The cold start speed is only a few seconds with maximum positioning clarity. The device also has a built-in magnetic compass.

Multimedia Features Overview

The device is equipped with two cameras. The front one has a resolution of 8 megapixels and does not have its own flash, but is equipped with a fast lens with an aperture size of f/1.7. It also supports intelligent autofocus, which is necessary to implement face recognition when unlocking the screen, and allows you to get a better picture.

The camera has many settings, including preset shooting modes, called up by swiping from left to right across the screen in photo mode

NOTE!

The algorithms used when processing photographs from the front camera will appeal to the fair sex, since excessive smoothing is observed. In the picture this is reflected in the almost complete absence of wrinkles.

The main camera (which is only one) has a resolution of 12 MP, the aperture size is the same - f/1.7, pixel diameter - 1.4 microns. Additionally, to get the best shot, an optical stabilization system and Dual Pixel technology are used to achieve ultra-fast focusing when it is necessary to capture sudden movements in low-light conditions. The manufacturer used the matrix from the previous S7 Edge model in the main camera, providing it with several improvements. As a result, in low-light conditions, built-in processing mechanisms are activated, which allow you to achieve better image detail and reduce the amount of noise. In general, it should be noted that the pictures are saturated, the automatic HDR system does not lead to overexposure of areas of the frame.

The Bixby assistant, which is called up by pressing a single button on the left side, is practically useless in the Russian Federation

In the camera settings, you can select several shooting modes with preset parameters. There is a function for shooting food, an animated panorama, slow-motion mode and taking photos with selective focus.

NOTE!

An interesting new feature of the camera is the virtual shooting mode, with which the user can create a three-dimensional image by shooting an object from all sides.

Additionally, the camera is connected to the Bixby assistant, which allows you to determine shooting locations, find information on the Internet about the subject in the photo, or convert text from the screen into electronic form. Listening to music is not implemented in the best way in the device. There is no own player, so you have to listen to all music content through a service from Google called Play Music, which does not have the most convenient and user-friendly interface. It is possible to build sound quality using a powerful set of manual settings and presets.

Battery and Power

The device uses a built-in 3000 mAh battery. The characteristics of the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus are further distinguished by the use of a more capacious battery (3500 mAh). This is due to the larger display diagonal.

The battery supports wireless charging. The charger itself supports fast charging. The time to fully replenish the battery at a voltage of 5 V is about 1.5 hours.

The lifespan of a smartphone in various modes of use is:

• reading an e-book – 21 hours;
• video viewing – 14.5 hours;
• games – 5 hours.

With normal use (telephone conversations, checking email, Internet surfing), the smartphone can last throughout the day. There is also a performance mode setting that unloads unused applications from memory and activates a power-saving mode.

Software

The Samsung Galaxy S8 firmware out of the box is represented by the Android 7.0 operating system, which is slightly modified by the proprietary Samsung Experience shell. At the same time, the manufacturer is already carrying out a massive update to Android OS 8.0, which can be obtained over the air. To the manufacturer’s credit, it should be noted that the amount of pre-installed software is minimal. These are necessary services from Google, custom Samsung applications (notes, browser, smart home control system, tool for migration from other phones, applications for monitoring your own health). There are also office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

There are no hardware keys. They are replaced by a central home key, which has feedback. The menu is called up by swiping from top to bottom or bottom to top on the screen.

NOTE!

Side faces can be active. Applications with the Edge prefix are responsible for this. In particular, you can configure the ability to quickly call a specific contact.

Also, one of the new software features is the appearance of a protected folder, which should be selected in the settings menu. This storage allows you to safely store any information.

You can add frequently used applications and quick calls to the sidebar

Contactless payment options

The smartphone has an NFC module, which makes it possible to make contactless payments. You can install Google Pay or use the built-in system called Samsung Pay. It allows you to register several cards at the same time and select them when paying. The application can be launched even from a locked screen, and payment can be activated using a PIN code or a fingerprint scanner.

Thanks to the presence of an NFC module and support for Samsung Pay, you can pay with one touch of your phone

Additional features

Among the additional features offered by the Samsung Galaxy S8 smartphone, we can highlight unlocking using FaceID or iris scanning. The function, unlike the Apple X, is implemented at a decent level and does not allow false positives; you can unlock the device even in complete darkness. Problems can only arise if direct sunlight hits the screen when the smartphone is activated.

You can unlock your smartphone with your eyes; similarly, you can set up login to a website that requires you to enter passwords.