8 Winning Features of the Samsung Galaxy S8 / S8+

Samsung has just announced the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, it’s latest Android flagship handsets. The South Korean tech giant threw in a number of goodies to its new phones and here’s a run down its top features.

Infinity Display

Like with the LG G6, Samsung goes all screen for its latest flagship. The Galaxy S8 has a greatly enlarged 5.8-inch Super AMOLED display, compared to the 5.1-inch display of Galaxy S7, while the Galaxy S8 Plus has a huge 6.2-inch display versus the 5.5-inch display of Galaxy S7 Edge.

Also, both phones have new ultra-wide 18.5:9 aspect ratios with 2960 x 1440 native resolutions or WQHD+. The curvature of Galaxy Note 7’s display is present on both devices thus making the two “edge” versions already.

Despite the increase in display size, the phone’s overall dimensions are about the same of its predecessors. Albeit that the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are a bit taller due to the new aspect ratio.

Exynos 8895 / Snapdragon 835

Both the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are powered by Samsung’s homebaked Exynos 8895 chipset globally with the exception of select markets like the US which will have Qualcomm’s most powerful chipset to date — Snapdragon 835.

Performance-wise, both chipsets perform well on benchmark tests and real life performance. Both are 10nm chips for high efficiency. Exynos 8895 even features Samsung’s first in-house Exynos M1 architecture.

Dual Pixel Camera

In terms of camera, not much has changed here. It still has the same rear sensor and lens from the Galaxy S7 which was then inherited by the Galaxy Note 7. It’s a 12-megapixel Dual Pixel focus camera with a f/1.7 aperture and optical image stabilization.

What’s upgraded is the selfie camera. It’s now bumped to 8-megapixel complete with f/1.7 aperture and even autofocus for sharper and bokehlicious selfies.

Fast Wireless Charging

Most modern phones feature fast charging through the USB port. The Galaxy S8, with its USB-C port, features adaptive fast charging but it’s also capable of fuelling up juice wirelessly.

With Samsung’s wireless charging dock, users can simply place the phone on it and let phone fill up power to last you a full day. Other wireless charging docks are also compatible but it might miss on the fast charging.

Iris Scanner

First seen on the Galaxy Note 7, the iris scanner makes a comeback with the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. We find the iris scanner to be a crucial feature for the S8 since the fingerprint scanner is now located on the rear which can be hard to reach at times due to its unusual rear position.

Users can set the iris scanner for the lock screen and other encrypted folders on the phone. Iris scanning is also more secure than fingerprints.

IP68 Water and Dust Resistance

When the Galaxy S7 was announced, it brags water and dust resistance with the added bulk unlike most rugged handsets in the market. Of course, Samsung continues to bring IP68 certification with the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+.

Like before, there are no unwanted flaps covering the ports making the phone the water and dust resistant while keeping a low profile.

Bixby Personal Assistant

While its name is rather hard to enunciate, Bixby looks promising. Samsung own virtual assistant is not just another Siri, Cortana, or Google Assistant that mainly functions for web search and some basic tasks. Samsung designed it to function on top of an application and can support what the application is capable of performing. For example, they demoed it to us acting on a command by the user to send an image to a contact within the gallery.

Bixby is built into the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. There’s even a Bixby button to call it out anytime you need it. Soon, it’ll also be found on other smart appliances by Samsung as part of the IoT future.

Samsung Dex

Familiar with Windows Continuum? The new Samsung flagship will also have something similar and it’s called Samsung Dex. This feature is not native on the phone as it requires a dedicated dock wherein the Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+ will sit. You then connect it to a monitor and peripherals like a keyboard and mouse to create a desktop environment.

Basically, it transforms the Samsung UI to a desktop-grade experience. All your apps and files will be available for access on the desktop interface.

READ: Samsung Galaxy S8 Review