Samsung s8 specifications. Samsung Galaxy S8 specifications, user reviews, description, pros and cons of the smartphone. Should I buy
Long, bezel-less, with a great camera and top performance
Samsung has recently officially unveiled its long-awaited flagship smartphones Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 + in Russia. Even with major setbacks in the recent past, Samsung's flagship phones not only continue to be the main competitor to Apple's iPhones, but are some of the most technologically advanced Android smartphones out there. Compared to the previous (seventh) generation, a lot has changed here, from the design in general to the arrangement of individual elements in particular, not to mention the improved hardware and updated software filling. Not all changes are for the better, but there are so many of them that we can say that Samsung has decided to start from scratch. It should be noted that, to the delight of many, the difference between the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 + models is only in the dimensions, almost everything else is the same. There are no various modifications with a variable amount of built-in memory or RAM, different performance, the presence or absence of certain elements. The user does not need to bother with the choice, it is enough just to decide on the preferred device dimensions. The technical characteristics of both models are almost identical, and we will begin this review with their listing, choosing the Galaxy S8 + as a sample.
Key Features Samsung Galaxy S8 + (Model SM-G955F)
- SoC Samsung Exynos 8895 Octa, 8 cores: [email protected], 3 GHz (Exynos M1) + [email protected], 7 GHz (ARM Cortex-A53)
(another modification of the smartphone is based on SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 835) - GPU Mali-G71
- Operating system Android 7.0
- 6,2 ″ Super AMOLED touchscreen display, 2960 × 1440, 529 ppi
- Random access memory (RAM) 4 GB, internal memory 64 GB
- Nano-SIM support (2 pcs.)
- MicroSD support up to 256GB
- GSM / GPRS / EDGE networks (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
- WCDMA / HSPA + networks (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 networks
- TD LTE Band 38-41 networks
- Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac (2.4 and 5 GHz) MIMO
- Bluetooth 5.0 LE
- GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, BDS
- USB Type-C, USB OTG
- Main camera 12 MP (f / 1.7), autofocus, 4K video
- Front camera 8 MP (f / 1.7), autofocus
- Waterproof IP68
- Proximity sensor, lighting, heart rate, magnetic field, accelerometer, gyroscope, barometer
- Iris scanner, fingerprint scanner
- 3500 mAh battery, fast charging
- Wireless Charging (WPC, PMA)
- Dimensions 160 x 73 x 8.1 mm
- Weight 173 g
Contents of delivery
Samsung Galaxy S8 + received a stylishly designed matte black cardboard box with a laconic design. The lid cannot be removed completely, it leans back like a casket. Contents are neatly packaged in separate cells.
The set, in the best traditions of Samsung, turned out to be extensive. The package of the smartphone includes a USB Type-C connecting cable, a network adapter with a variable output current and voltage of 5/9 V 1.67 / 2 A, a key of an unusual shape for removing cards, a Micro-USB - USB Type-C adapter, a second USB adapter - USB Type-C.
The company also included high-quality wired double-driver AKG stereo headphones with a set of interchangeable in-ear pads.
Appearance and usability
Samsung Galaxy S8 / S8 + design is unusual and attractive. The streamlined body is completely made of metal and glass, there is no plastic here. A metal frame rounded on all sides, symmetrically tapering at the sides and expanding at the top and bottom ends, connects two glass panels - the front and rear. The cover is Gorilla Glass 5, the glasses have noticeable curvatures on the sides. The frame in the front plane of the screen is completely hidden behind the bend of the glass, so here we can talk about a truly frameless version.
The case of the Samsung Galaxy S8 + is absolutely symmetrical, the back side is also completely covered with Gorilla Glass 5 with curved edges. The edges of the glasses are rounded so strongly that they almost seamlessly (not counting the frames) merge into one another, creating a finished shape without a single sharp corner and straight edge. For this form, Samsung marketers have dubbed their new brainchild “smartphone without borders”.
Samsung Galaxy S8 + looks very attractive. And although this design may seem too "licked" and "pampered", but such are the modern realities, the absolute majority of users liked it.
Due to the unusual aspect ratio of the display (not 16: 9, but 18.5: 9), the case turned out to be very elongated in height. At the same time, the absence of a frame on the sides of the screen in the front plane made it possible to make the body so narrow that it is quite comfortable to hold it in the hand even with a screen diagonal of 6.2 inches. True, the device is quite slippery due to its glass panels, smooth frame and streamlined shape.
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The curved edges of the front glass work in conjunction with the associated software in the same way as in previous models of the Galaxy Edge series. A complete set of elements can be found above the screen, including an LED event indicator and even an iris scanner.
The scanner works tolerably, but the very process of setting the blocking and constant recognition is quite tedious, because this system works only under certain light conditions and at a certain distance from the eyes. It is much easier and faster to use the fingerprint scanner, although its location here causes some bewilderment.
There are no more control buttons under the screen, only on the screen itself. This is not typical for Samsung, its Galaxy smartphones always had a hardware key on the front (in the latest models - with an inscribed fingerprint sensor). Now its place is taken by a virtual button on the screen, but it is also not quite ordinary. In order for the static button, which is constantly illuminated in the Always On Display mode, not to cause pixel burnout, it was made movable. Thus, at first glance, the central button on the screen, which is static at first glance, is actually constantly shifting imperceptibly in various directions.
The fingerprint scanner has been moved to the back. At the same time, it is strongly shifted from the center to the right, so that it is inconvenient for a left-hander to reach with his finger. In addition, the tactile platform of the fingerprint sensor does not differ from the neighboring elements, it is difficult to feel it blindly, you need to get used to it. In general, this is, perhaps, the most unusual and inconvenient variant of the location of this element from all of the previously encountered, Samsung has again been overly clever with a fingerprint sensor.
Next to the scanner, you can find a camera module with a flash, as well as a heart rate sensor familiar to Samsung smartphones. None of the elements protrude beyond the surface, so the smartphone is stable on the table, does not sway when you touch the screen. The flash is as bright as possible.
There are no complaints about the operation of the fingerprint scanner itself, it works quickly, clearly and accurately. But, as already mentioned, reaching for him, holding the smartphone in his left hand, is very uncomfortable.
The slot for installing cards is located on the upper end. The cover of the removable slide, on which the cards are stacked, has a rubberized gasket, since the Samsung Galaxy S8 +, like the LG G6, meets the IP68 protection category, that is, the case is completely protected from dust and can be immersed in water to a depth of 1.5 m for 30 minutes. However, the developers did not go further: the design here is not designed for harsh operating conditions, like the LG G6, so the hero of the review does not have a certification of the military standard.
It uses a standard hybrid slot that accepts either two Nano-SIM cards or one SIM and one microSD card. The slide is made of flexible plastic, the device itself reports on the need to tightly close the connector cover to protect it from water.
The volume control button has been moved to the left side edge, here it is adjacent to a separate key for calling the Bixby smart assistant, with which you can work with the available services and applications via the touch screen, voice or text commands. The power key remained on the right side edge. The buttons are not very large, but the handling is quite comfortable, the keys are easily groped blindly.
All other interface elements are located at the bottom end. A USB Type-C connector is installed here, which supports the connection of external devices in USB OTG mode, the main speaker is brought here, as well as a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a spoken microphone hole. Surprisingly, the developers were unable to install any of the elements exactly, each of them turned out to be offset relative to the longitudinal axis of the end, which spoils the impression a little.
After examining the structure of the Galaxy S8 + case, let's compare it with the previous model Galaxy S7 Edge. With the naked eye, you can see that the width of these smartphones is almost identical.
However, the Galaxy S8 + is equipped with a more elongated display with a custom aspect ratio, which allowed for more surface area under the screen. As a result, the 6.2-inch Galaxy S8 + sits in the palm of your hand just as comfortably as the 5.5-inch Galaxy S7 Edge.
In addition, the sides of the body of the review hero have become less slippery due to the increased width of the metal frame: the curved edges of the screen on the Galaxy S8 + have been reduced, the frame is now exactly in the middle between the front and rear panels. So, in general, the changes were only beneficial to the new product.
Samsung Galaxy S8 + is presented on the Russian market in three colors: black ("Black Diamond"), gray ("Mystical Amethyst") and gold ("Yellow Topaz").
Screen
The Samsung Galaxy S8 + features a Super AMOLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 with highly rounded edges. The physical dimensions of the screen are approximately 70 × 142 mm with a diagonal of 6.2 inches, that is, the aspect ratio is 18.5: 9. The screen resolution is 2960 × 1440, the dot density is about 529 ppi. The corners of the screen, like the LG G6, are rounded, there are no side frames in the front plane of the screen, the upper and lower segments surrounding the screen are only about 8.5 mm high.
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The display brightness can be manually adjusted or automatic settings based on the ambient light sensor. HDR10 mode supported. The AnTuTu test diagnoses support for 10 simultaneous multitouch touches. There is a vision protection mode (preventing eye fatigue). In the Always-on mode, the off screen displays information about the current time and date, as well as about missed events.
In the display settings section, you can choose the resolution and applications that should be used in full screen proportions. It seems that the developers first made a screen with an unusual aspect ratio, just so that it was "not like everyone else's", and then they added various "crutches" to the software so that the programs would work normally with such a screen.
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A detailed examination using measuring devices was carried out by the editor of the "Monitors" and "Projectors and TV" sections Alexey Kudryavtsev... Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the test sample.
The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, resistant to scratches. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are better than that of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected in the turned off screens (on the left - Nexus 7, on the right - Samsung Galaxy S8 +, then they can be distinguished by their size):
The screen of the Samsung Galaxy S8 + is slightly darker (brightness in the photos is 107 versus 115 for the Nexus 7) and does not have a pronounced shade. The doubling of reflected objects on the Samsung Galaxy S8 + screen is very weak, which indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen. Due to the smaller number of boundaries (such as glass / air) with very different refractive indices, screens without an air gap look better in conditions of intense ambient light, but their repair in the case of cracked outer glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be changed. The outer surface of the Samsung Galaxy S8 + screen has a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effective, better than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are much easier to remove, and appear at a slower rate than in the case of regular glass.
When the white field was displayed in full screen and with manual brightness control, its maximum value was 370 cd / m² under normal conditions and rises to 580 cd / m² in very bright light. You also need to take into account the fact that in this case, the smaller the white area on the screen, the lighter it is, that is, the actual maximum brightness of the white areas will almost always be higher than the specified value. For example, when displaying a white field on half of the screen and black on the other half, for the above conditions, we obtained values \u200b\u200bof 460 cd / m² and 725 cd / m². As a result, readability in the daytime in the sun should be at a good level. The minimum value is 1.6 cd / m². The reduced brightness level allows you to use the device without any problems even in complete darkness. Automatic brightness control works according to the light sensor (it is located to the left of the slot of the front speaker). The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment slider, with which the user can try to set the desired brightness level in the current conditions. If the brightness slider is set to maximum in an office environment, then in complete darkness the auto-brightness function reduces the brightness to 6.4 cd / m² (a bit dark), in an office lit with artificial light (about 550 lx) sets it to 340 cd / m² (excessively bright) , in a very bright environment (equivalent to a bright day outdoors, but no direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or slightly more) increases to 545 cd / m² (sufficient). If, in complete darkness and in an office environment, set the brightness a little higher and lower, then the screen brightness for the three conditions mentioned above is as follows: 13, 180, 545 cd / m² (ideal combination). It turns out that the automatic brightness control function works adequately and to some extent allows the user to customize their work to individual requirements. At any brightness level, there is significant modulation with a frequency of about 60 or 240 Hz. The figure below shows the dependence of brightness (vertical axis) on time (horizontal axis) for several values \u200b\u200bof brightness adjustment:
It can be seen that at the maximum brightness and close to it, the modulation amplitude is not very large, as a result, there is no visible flicker. However, when the brightness decreases, modulation appears with a large relative amplitude, its presence can already be seen in the test for the presence of a stroboscopic effect or simply with rapid eye movement. Depending on individual sensitivity, such flickering can cause increased fatigue.
This screen uses a Super AMOLED matrix - an active matrix on organic light-emitting diodes. A full color image is created using subpixels of three colors - red (R), green (G) and blue (B), but there are twice as many green subpixels, which can be referred to as RGBG. This is confirmed by a fragment of a micrograph:
For comparison, you can see the gallery of photomicrographs of screens used in mobile technology.
In the fragment above, you can count 4 green subpixels, 2 red (4 halves) and 2 blue (1 whole and 4 quarters), while repeating these fragments, you can lay out the entire screen without gaps and overlaps. For such matrices, Samsung has introduced the name PenTile RGBG. The manufacturer considers the screen resolution for green subpixels, for the other two it will be two times lower. The location and shape of the subpixels in this version is close to the case of the Samsung Galaxy S4 screen and some other newer Samsung devices (and not only) with AMOLED screens. This PenTile RGBG version is better than the old one with red squares, blue rectangles and green subpixel stripes. Nevertheless, some uneven contrast borders and other artifacts are still present. However, due to the very high resolution, they only have a minimal effect on image quality.
The screen has excellent viewing angles. True, when deviated even at small angles, the white color alternately acquires a light blue-green and pinkish tint, but the black color remains simply black at any angle. It is so black that the contrast setting is not applicable in this case. For comparison, here are the photos on which the screens of the Samsung Galaxy S8 + (profile Main) and the second comparison participant displayed the same images, while the brightness of the screens was initially set to about 200 cd / m2, and the color balance on the camera was forcibly switched to 6500 K.
White box:
Note the good uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field (except for a slight darkening and a change in hue towards the curved edges).
And the test picture (profile Main):
The color rendition is good, the colors are moderately saturated, the color balance of the screens is slightly different. Recall that photography can not serve as a reliable source of information about the quality of color and is provided only for a conditional visual illustration. In particular, the pronounced reddish tint of white and gray fields present in the photographs of the Samsung Galaxy S8 + screen is visually absent when viewed from a perpendicular view, which is confirmed by hardware tests using a spectrophotometer. The reason is that the spectral sensitivity of the camera sensor does not exactly match this characteristic of human vision. Note that in this case the picture occupies in height (with this screen orientation) the entire area available for displaying the image and goes over the folded edges of the screen, which leads to darkening and color distortion. Also, in the light, these areas almost always glare, which further interferes when viewing images displayed in full screen. And even the picture of films with an aspect ratio of 16: 9 goes to the folds, which greatly interferes with watching a movie.
The photo above was taken after selecting a profile Main in the screen settings, there are four of them:
Profile Adaptive display differs in some kind of automatic adjustment of color rendition to the type of displayed image and the surrounding conditions:
Saturation and color contrast are greatly increased, looks awful. What happens when you select the two remaining profiles is shown below.
AMOLED movie:
Saturation and color contrast are also increased, but not as much.
AMOLED Photo:
Saturation is slightly lower, but color contrast is slightly higher than in the case AMOLED movie.
Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen (profile Main).
White box:
The brightness at an angle on both screens has noticeably decreased (to avoid severe darkening, the shutter speed is increased compared to previous photos), but in the case of Samsung, the drop in brightness is much less pronounced. As a result, with formally the same brightness, the Samsung Galaxy S8 + screen visually looks much brighter (in comparison with LCD screens), since you often have to look at the screen of a mobile device at least from a slight angle.
And the test picture:
It can be seen that the colors have not changed much on both screens and the brightness of the Samsung smartphone is noticeably higher at an angle. The switching of the state of the matrix elements is performed almost instantly, but at the turn-on front there may be a step with a width of about 17 ms (which corresponds to a screen refresh rate of 60 Hz). For example, this is how the dependence of brightness on time looks like when switching from black to white and back:
In some conditions, the presence of such a step can lead to plumes trailing behind moving objects. However, dynamic scenes in films on OLED screens are distinguished by high definition and even some "jerky" movements.
The gamma curve plotted using 32 points with equal intervals in terms of the numerical value of the shade of gray showed that there is no significant blockage either in the highlights or in the shadows. The exponent of the approximating power function is 2.09, which is slightly less than the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma curve deviates little from the power dependence:
Recall that in the case of OLED screens, the brightness of image fragments dynamically changes in accordance with the nature of the displayed image - it decreases for generally light images. As a result, the obtained dependence of brightness on the hue (gamma curve), most likely, does not correspond a little to the gamma curve of a static image, since the measurements were carried out with sequential output of shades of gray on almost the entire screen.
Color gamut in case of profile Adaptive display very wide:
In the profile AMOLED movie coverage is slightly narrower:
When choosing a profile AMOLED Photo the coverage is compressed to the boundaries of Adobe RGB:
When choosing a profile Main coverage is compressed to sRGB borders:
Without correction, the spectra of the components are very well separated:
In case of a profile Main with maximum correction, the color components are already noticeably mixed with each other:
Note that normal sRGB-optimized images appear unnaturally saturated on screens with a wide gamut without proper color correction. Hence the recommendation - in most cases, watching movies, photographs and everything natural is better when choosing a profile Main, and only if the photo was taken on the Adobe RGB setting, it makes sense to switch the profile to AMOLED Photo... Profile AMOLED moviedespite the name, the least suitable for watching movies and anything else.
The gray scale balance is good. The color temperature is close to 6500 K, while this parameter does not change very much in a significant part of the gray scale, which improves the visual perception of color balance. The deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) remains below 10 units for most of the gray scale, which is considered a good indicator for a consumer device:
(In most cases, the darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since the color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)
For some reason, only when choosing a profile Adaptive display it becomes possible to adjust the color balance with three adjustments of the intensity of the primary colors, but due to the too wide color gamut, it makes no sense to correct the balance in this particular profile.
Let's summarize. The screen has a very high maximum brightness and has excellent anti-glare properties, so the device can be used outdoors without any problems, even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be lowered to a comfortable value. It is permissible to use the mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works adequately. The advantages of the screen include an effective oleophobic coating, as well as a color gamut close to sRGB and a good color balance. At the same time, let's recall the general advantages of OLED screens: true black color (if nothing is reflected in the screen), noticeably less than that of an LCD, the drop in image brightness when viewed from an angle. The disadvantages include modulation of screen brightness. Users who are particularly sensitive to flicker may experience fatigue as a result. However, the overall screen quality is very high. Separately, we note that from the point of view of image quality, curled edges only harm, since this design find introduces very noticeable color tone distortions and reduces brightness at the edges of the picture, and in ambient light conditions leads to inevitable glare at least along one long side of the screen.
Camera
The front 8-megapixel camera does not receive its own flash, but it has a fast f / 1.7 lens and even supports intelligent autofocus with face detection. As a front flash, you can use the "fill" bright illumination of the screen directly at the moment of shooting. Naturally, there is a mode for retouching selfie photos. The front camera shoots well for its level, there are no particular complaints about detail and sharpness, but it's hard to say that this camera is somehow better than its counterparts from Huawei, for example. Not bad, but nothing more.
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The main camera uses a 12-megapixel sensor with a pixel size of 1.4 microns, as well as a fast f / 1.7 aperture lens, OIS and Dual Pixel technology, which is designed to provide fast enough autofocus to capture even the sharpest movements in low light conditions. There is a very bright LED flash.
The camera shoots in automatic or manual mode. In manual mode, you can adjust shutter speed (from 1/24000 to 10 s), sensitivity (up to ISO 800), white balance and exposure compensation. There is the possibility of retouching images, support for HDR auto and a selective focus mode for changing the depth of field on the finished image. The camera is also connected to the Bixby smart assistant, which must recognize subjects, find locations and translate texts from the screen.
Using the Camera2 API, you can transfer camera control to third-party applications. It is also possible to save images in RAW.
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The camera can shoot video in 4K resolution (3840 × 2160), but only at 30 fps, and 60 fps is available only in Full HD (1920 × 1080). There is also a shooting mode at an intermediate resolution of 2560 × 1440, also at 30 fps. There is an optical image stabilization feature that really makes handheld shooting extremely smooth. In any of the resolutions, the camera copes very well with video: sharpness, color rendition and detail are normal, there is enough brightness, artifacts and slowdowns are out of the question. There are no complaints about sound recording either: the microphone sensitivity is high, the sound is clear, loud, the noise reduction system adequately copes with the wind noise.
- Movie # 1 (87 MB, 3840 × [email protected] fps, H.264, AAC)
- Movie # 2 (33 MB, 2560 × [email protected] fps, H.264, AAC)
- Movie # 3 (28 MB, 1920 × [email protected] fps, H.264, AAC)
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Good sharpness across the frame. |
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Quite good detail in the distant shots. |
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For indoor shooting, the detail is excellent. |
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The camera handles fine and complex details well. |
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Good detail when shooting at dusk. |
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The text has been worked out perfectly. |
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The camera copes well with macro photography. |
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Good sharpness in the field of the frame and in plans. |
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With the removal of the plan, the sharpness falls off slowly and smoothly. |
We also tested the camera on a laboratory bench using our method.
| Jpeg | RAW |
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Illumination ≈3200 lux. |
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Illumination ≈1400 lux. |
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Lighting ≈130 lux. |
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Illumination ≈130 lux, flash. |
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Lighting<1 люкс, вспышка. |
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Samsung continues to improve the quality of its cameras. The megapixel race, fortunately, has been forgotten, and now the manufacturer pays more attention to detail. Even in complex scenes, the camera does not forget about small details, so the images look good even in low light. Soapiness is gradually disappearing, which means that the algorithms of the program have improved. The program has practically ceased to "eat" the details, and sharping is almost invisible. Of course, if you look closely, you can find both, but this is nit-picking.
A lab test confirms that the camera has remained virtually unchanged from the previous generation. However, there are differences, they simply lie in the little things that are difficult to reflect on the stand. For those who like to tinker with photo processing, the manufacturer has made a very good RAW, which in some situations really allows you to get a result better than an intra-camera JPEG.
In general, the camera turned out to be quite flagship and will perfectly cope with many different scenes.
Telephone part and communications
The communication capabilities of the Samsung Galaxy S8 + include support for the advanced LTE Cat.16 technology, all three LTE FDD frequency bands of interest to us (Band 3, 7, 20) are supported, and there is also support for four TDD LTE bands (Band 38-41). It supports two Wi-Fi bands (2.4 and 5 GHz), there is Bluetooth 5.0 LE, you can organize a wireless access point via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth channels. The developers claim that thanks to support for Wi-Fi 1204-QAM and LTE Cat.16 standards, the download speed compared to previous flagships Samsung Galaxy S7 / S7 edge is increased by 20% both over Wi-Fi and over the mobile Internet. The device behaves confidently in the city limits of the Moscow region, the quality of signal reception raises no objections, the device demonstrates high speeds in the usual testing places, and quickly restores communication after a break.
There is an NFC module in the device, but it does not support work with electronic travel cards. The USB Type-C connector supports connecting external devices in USB OTG mode, the corresponding adapter is included in the accessory kit. The data transfer speed between a computer and a smartphone via a cable connected in the case of a PC to USB 3.1 Type-C ports is about 26 MB / s.
The navigation module works with GPS (with A-GPS), with domestic Glonass and with the Chinese Beidou. The first satellites during a cold start are detected within the first seconds, the positioning clarity is maximum. There is a built-in magnetic compass.
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The phone application supports Smart Dial, that is, when dialing a phone number, a search is immediately carried out by the first letters in contacts. In the conversational dynamics, the voice of a familiar interlocutor is well recognizable, there is no extraneous noise, the sound is natural, clear, the volume reserve is sufficient. The power of the vibrating alert is much higher than the average level; its intensity can be changed manually.
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Software and multimedia
As a software platform, the Samsung Galaxy S8 + uses Android version 7.0 Nougat with its own proprietary shell. There is a convenient opportunity to quickly transfer all data from an old smartphone to a new Samsung Galaxy S8 or S8 + using the OTG adapter that is included in the package.
First of all, it should be noted that the enlarged display with a changed aspect ratio and high resolution provides more space for any information, text or graphics, so a lot of attention has been paid to the dual-window mode. Not every application here can be made to work in a small window; for this, each has a corresponding icon displayed in the menu of the last opened programs. That is, you first need to start and minimize the application in order to understand whether it has the ability to work in two-window mode, and then find the second one. Not a very simple and intuitive option, but you can get used to it. In addition, these windows can be resized. There is also the possibility of reducing the entire working area of \u200b\u200bthe screen for ease of control with one hand. We cannot say that this functionality is convenient in practice, since all elements on the screen become too small, especially the buttons of the virtual keyboard, but there is such a possibility.
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Due to the non-standard aspect ratio of the screen, the video in the player is displayed with black bars on the sides, but using scaling, the image can be stretched to the very edges of the screen. Some games report possible display issues, but overall we have not encountered any unsolvable issues.
Another feature of the Samsung Galaxy S8 + screen is the ability to use its curved sides, available for interaction with fingers due to the lack of frames. There is nothing new here: as before, an illuminated virtual strip can be displayed on the side of the screen, when pressed, a menu is opened that is responsible for quick contacts and instant access to the most used applications. Also here it becomes possible to select and save any part of the screen with further text recognition.
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But of course, the main feature of the software of the new Korean smartphones was the emergence of Samsung's voice assistant - Bixby, which is a direct competitor to both Siri and Google Assistant, which, incidentally, remained in place. As conceived by the developers, Bixby will be able not only to answer questions by collecting information on the Web, but also to identify a product using a camera and search for it on Amazon, translate texts in real time, and recognize landmarks. But the functions that will allow you to fully control the smartphone through voice commands are not yet available and will appear later.
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As already mentioned, the smartphone's camera is paired with the Bixby smart assistant, which is supposed to recognize subjects, find places and translate texts from the screen. True, in practice, for the Russian realities, all this is still difficult for him. Even if the main language of the device is Russian, the program will persistently offer to translate from any other language, but not from Russian. The assistant also does not know everything yet. At the same time, there were no problems with the translation from English into Russian.
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There are very few additional programs, and those that exist are represented mainly by a set of Microsoft applications. Of particular note is Game Launcher, a handy game aggregator that automatically collects all installed game applications in one place, and also provides additional functions related to this. For example, it is possible to start recording the gameplay from the screen right during the game, with its further broadcast on the network. You can also use Game Launcher to improve system performance when launching selected games to enhance your gaming experience.
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To listen to music, only a regular Google Play Music player is provided, supplemented by a powerful set of manual settings and equalizer presets, as well as Adapt sound technology for headphones. The smartphone comes with two-driver AKG headphones with a very good sound quality for their level. But if everything is fine with the sound in the headphones, then the main speaker of the smartphone is not so impressive. It produces a rather monotonous and flat sound, without noticeable depth and saturation, although there are no complaints about the purity and volume reserve.
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Performance
The hardware platform of the Samsung Galaxy S8 + is built on the Samsung Exynos 8895 Octa SoC with 8 cores in two clusters: 4 Exynos M1 cores up to 2.3 GHz and 4 ARM Cortex-A53 cores up to 1.7 GHz. This SoC is made using the latest 10nm process technology. The Mali-G71 video accelerator with support for the Vulkan graphics API is responsible for graphics processing. The amount of RAM is 4 GB, and the internal memory is 64 GB, of which about 1.6 GB of RAM and 52.5 GB of ROM are initially free.
It should be noted that traditionally for Samsung Galaxy devices can be based on different SoCs: in this case, it is Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 or Exynos 8895. As always, the question of supply of this or that modification will depend on the region. The smartphone we received for tests ran on the Samsung Exynos 8895 platform.
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According to the results of all SoC tests, without exception, Samsung Exynos 8895 showed the maximum results, this is the most powerful mobile platform at the moment of all we tested. Accordingly, the Samsung Galaxy S8 + is one of the most powerful smartphones available today and has a significant headroom for future updates. The smartphone can confidently cope with any tasks in real scenarios, and thanks to the powerful video accelerator, it behaves perfectly in the most demanding games. These videos of the gameplay in Modern Combat 5 and in Mortal Kombat X were recorded by the built-in means of the smartphone itself using the Game Launcher application.
Benchmarking AnTuTu and GeekBench:
All the results obtained by us when testing the smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks, we summarized for convenience in tables. Several other devices from different segments are usually added to the table, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry numbers). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison, it is impossible to present the results from different versions of benchmarks, therefore, many worthy and relevant models remain "behind the scenes" - due to the fact that they once passed the "obstacle course" on previous versions of test programs.
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Testing the graphics subsystem in gaming tests 3DMark, GFXBenchmark and Bonsai Benchmark:
When testing in 3DMark for the highest performing smartphones, it is now possible to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (which can cause the speed to rise above 60 fps).
| Samsung Galaxy S8 + (Samsung Exynos 8895 Octa) |
Lg g6 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 821) |
Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe (Qualcomm Snapdragon 820) |
Honor 8 Pro (HiSilicon Kirin 960) |
Meizu Pro 6 Plus (Samsung Exynos 8890 Octa) |
|
| 3DMark Ice Storm Sling Shot ES 3.1 (more is better) |
2628 | 2409 | 2676 | 1417 | 1869 |
| GFXBenchmark Manhattan ES 3.1 (Onscreen, fps) | 19 | 12 | 31 | 18 | 13 |
| GFXBenchmark Manhattan ES 3.1 (1080p Offscreen, fps) | 36 | 24 | 32 | 21 | 24 |
| GFXBenchmark T-Rex (Onscreen, fps) | 57 | 38 | 59 | 46 | 52 |
| GFXBenchmark T-Rex (1080p Offscreen, fps) | 103 | 61 | 92 | 57 | 71 |
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Browser cross-platform tests:
As for benchmarks for evaluating the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowances for the fact that the results in them significantly depend on the browser in which they are launched, so that the comparison can be truly correct only on the same OS and browsers, and this possibility is available when testing not always. In the case of Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.
| Samsung Galaxy S8 + (Samsung Exynos 8895 Octa) |
Lg g6 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 821) |
Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe (Qualcomm Snapdragon 820) |
Honor 8 Pro (HiSilicon Kirin 960) |
Meizu Pro 6 Plus (Samsung Exynos 8890 Octa) |
|
| Mozilla kraken (ms, less is better) |
2535 | 2494 | 2931 | 3139 | 13047 |
| Google octane 2 (more is better) |
9905 | 10036 | 9287 | 10155 | 3116 |
| SunSpider (ms, less is better) |
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Testing has traditionally been conducted at typical power consumption levels without using power saving features. In the settings of the Samsung Galaxy S8 +, you can find operating modes from high-performance to economy, the choice of which will affect a lot, right down to the brightness and even the screen resolution.
Continuous reading in the Moon + Reader program (with a standard, light theme) at the minimum comfortable brightness level (the brightness was set to 100 cd / m2) with auto scrolling lasted 21.5 hours until the battery was fully discharged, and with continuous high quality video viewing (720p ) with the same brightness level via a home Wi-Fi network, the device operates up to 14.5 hours. In 3D games mode, the smartphone can work for more than 5 hours.
The smartphone should support fast charging, but we were not able to test this, since at the time of writing this review, the test device did not come with an AC adapter. However, from a conventional charger (5 V 2 A), the device charges quite quickly, for about an hour and a half with a current of 1.75 A at a voltage of 5 V. Wireless charging is also supported (WPC and PMA).
Outcome
The prices for the Russian market are as follows: On April 28, the Galaxy S8 and S8 + smartphones went on sale in Russia at a suggested retail price of 54,990 and 59,990, respectively. It is not entirely clear why the difference in the cost of devices of the same functionality with a slight difference only in the size of the display and the battery is as much as 5 thousand. Be that as it may, in the case of the Samsung Galaxy S8 + for 60 thousand, the manufacturer offers one of the best smartphones in many respects, including camera quality, hardware platform performance and very advanced communication capabilities, in an attractive and very unusual case, as well as with a lot of additional functions, many of which, however, were available in previous models of the series.
At the same time, one cannot say that the smartphone has become some kind of breakthrough, a new word in the creation of mobile devices and is completely devoid of disadvantages. A single main camera, although it is one of the best on the market, still looks rather strange against the background of the general movement towards increasing the number of modules. Also, we cannot praise the sound of the main speaker: in terms of sound, the device is clearly inferior to the flagship smartphones Apple and Huawei. The decision to move the fingerprint scanner to the back, and even to such an unfortunate location, was also highly questionable. Well, one cannot but recall the recent problems with the ignition of the batteries of Samsung mobile devices, against the background of which users may now be wary of paying a very high price, which the manufacturer asked for its mobile novelties, right away. And nevertheless, interest in the flagship devices of the Korean company has not weakened, it can be seen. Even those who were not going to shell out 60 thousand rubles for a smartphone are now eagerly discussing its capabilities on the Internet. However, something in the testing process remained undisclosed for us as well, since we did not have the final commercial sample in our hands. Most likely, we are still waiting for, at least, a meeting with the brought to mind Bixby assistant, as well as with camera firmware updates, which may well expand its already remarkable capabilities.
In conclusion, we suggest watching our video review of the Samsung Galaxy S8 + smartphone:
We also suggest watching our video review comparing smartphones Samsung Galaxy S8 + and Galaxy S7 Edge:
Information about the brand, model and alternative names of a specific device, if any.
Design
Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Materials used, offered colors, 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. | 8 mm (millimeters) 0.8 cm (centimeters) 0.03 ft (feet) 0.31 in (inches) |
| The weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement. | 155 g (grams) 0.34 lbs (pounds) 5.47 oz (ounces) |
| Volume The approximate volume of the device, based on the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with a rectangular parallelepiped shape. | 81.12 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 4.93 in³ (cubic inches) |
| Colors Information about the colors in which this unit is offered for sale. | The black Silver Golden Blue Grey Pink Red |
| Materials for the manufacture of the case Materials used to make the device body. | Glass Aluminium alloy |
| Certification Information about the standards by which this device is certified. | IP68 |
SIM card
A 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 analog mobile network (1G). For this reason, GSM is often referred to as a 2G mobile network. It is enhanced 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 stands for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. It is based on the GSM standard and refers to 3G mobile networks. Developed by 3GPP and its biggest advantage is to provide more 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 with the aim of increasing the capacity and speed of wireless mobile networks. The subsequent development of technologies 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 technology and data rates
Communication between devices in mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data rates.
Operating system
An operating system is the system software that controls and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device.
SoC (System on a Chip)
A system on a chip (SoC) integrates all the major hardware components of a mobile device into a single chip.
| SoC (System on a 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 required for their operation. | Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 MSM8998 |
| Technological process Information about the technological process by which the chip is manufactured. The value in nanometers is half the distance between the elements in the processor. | 10 nm (nanometers) |
| Processor (CPU) The main function of the processor (CPU) of a mobile device is to interpret and execute instructions contained in software applications. | 4x 2.35 GHz Kryo 280, 4x 1.9 GHz Kryo 280 |
| Bit processor The capacity (bits) of the processor is determined by the size (in bits) of registers, address buses and buses for data. 64-bit processors offer better performance than 32-bit processors, which are more efficient than 16-bit processors. | 64 bit |
| Instruction set architecture Instructions are commands with which the software sets / controls the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute. | ARMv8-A |
| Level 1 cache (L1) The cache memory is used by the processor to reduce the time it takes to access more frequently used data and instructions. L1 (level 1) cache is small and is much faster than both system memory and other levels of cache. 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) |
| L2 cache L2 (level 2) cache is slower than L1, but instead has a larger capacity, allowing more data to be cached. 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 them in L3 cache memory (if available) or in RAM memory. | 3072 KB (kilobytes) 3 MB (megabytes) |
| The number of processor cores The processor core executes program instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing multiple instructions to execute in parallel. | 8 |
| CPU clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). | 2350 MHz (megahertz) |
| Graphics processing unit (GPU) A graphics processing unit (GPU) handles computation for a variety of 2D / 3D graphics applications. In mobile devices, it is most commonly used by games, consumer interfaces, video applications, and more. | Qualcomm Adreno 540 |
| GPU clock speed Speed \u200b\u200bis the clock speed of the GPU and is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). | 710 MHz (megahertz) |
| The amount of random access memory (RAM) Random access memory (RAM) is used by the operating system and all installed applications. The data that is saved in RAM is lost after the device is turned off or restarted. | 4 GB (gigabytes) |
| Memory type (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 means higher data rates. | Two-channel |
| RAM frequency The frequency of the 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) fixed memory.
Memory cards
Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage space for 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 image quality of information directly depends. | Super AMOLED |
| Diagonal On mobile devices, screen size is expressed in terms of 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 aspect ratio of the long side of the screen to its short side | 2.056:1 |
| Resolution Screen resolution indicates the number of pixels horizontally and vertically on the screen. Higher resolution means sharper 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 shown on the screen in 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 the screen can display. | 24 bit 16777216 flowers |
| Screen area The approximate percentage of the display area on the front of the device. | 84.47% (percent) |
| Other characteristics Information about other functions and features of the screen. | Capacitive Multitouch Scratch resistant |
| 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 metrics into signals that the mobile device can recognize.
Rear camera
The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on its rear panel and can be combined with one or more additional cameras.
| Sensor model | Sony IMX333 Exmor RS |
| Sensor type | |
| Sensor format | 1/2.55" |
| Pixel size | 1.4 μm (micrometers) 0.001400 mm (millimeters) |
| Light-strength | f / 1.7 |
| Focal length | 4.2 mm (millimeters) 26 mm (millimeters) * (35 mm / full frame) |
| line of sight | 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. | Dual LED |
| Image Resolution | 4032 x 3024 pixels 12.19 MP (megapixels) |
| Video resolution | 3840 x 2160 pixels 8.29 MP (megapixels) |
| 30 frames / sec (frames per second) | |
| Specifications Information about additional software and hardware features of the rear (rear) camera. | Autofocus Burst shooting Digital zoom Optical image stabilization Geographic tags Panoramic shooting HDR shooting Touch focus Face recognition Adjusting the white balance 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 different designs - pop-up camera, PTZ camera, notch or hole in the display, camera under the display.
| Sensor model Information about the make and model of the sensor used by the camera. | Sony IMX320 Exmor RS |
| Sensor type Information about the type of camera sensor. Some of the most widely used types of sensors in mobile cameras are CMOS, BSI, ISOCELL, and others. | 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 capable of capturing more light and therefore provide better low-light performance 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) |
| Light-strength Aperture (also known as aperture, aperture, or f-number) is a measure of the size of the lens 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. Usually, the f-number is indicated, which corresponds to the maximum possible aperture of the aperture. | f / 1.7 |
| Focal length The 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, equated to the focal length of a 35mm full-frame sensor, which will achieve the same angle of view. It is calculated by multiplying the real focal length of the mobile device camera by the crop factor of its sensor. The crop factor can be defined as the ratio between the diagonals of a 35mm full-size sensor and a mobile device sensor. | 2.95 mm (millimeters) 25 mm (millimeters) * (35 mm / full frame) |
| line of sight The field of view shows how much of the scene in front of the camera will be filmed. It depends not only on the focal length, but also on the size of the sensor. It can be calculated through the angle of view of the optics and the crop factor of the sensor. Angle of view is the angle between the two farthest diagonal points in the frame. | 80 ° (degrees) |
| Image Resolution Resolution is one of the main characteristics of cameras. It represents the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in the image. For convenience, smartphone manufacturers often quote resolutions 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 rate (frame rate) Information about the maximum recording rate (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. | 30 frames / sec (frames per second) |
| Available also with Samsung S5K3H1 Auto HDR |
Audio
Information about the type of speakers and audio technology supported by the device.
Radio
The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.
Locating
Information about the navigation and positioning technologies supported by the device.
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi is a technology that enables wireless communication for transferring data over short distances between various devices.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless transfer of data between different types of devices over short distances.
| Version There are several versions of Bluetooth, each of which improves communication speed, coverage, and makes it easier to find and connect devices. Information about the Bluetooth version of the device. | 5.0 |
| Specifications Bluetooth uses different profiles and protocols to provide faster communication, energy savings, better device discovery, and more. 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, which is also called an audio connector. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.
Connecting devices
Information about other important connection technologies supported by the device.
Browser
A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.
| Browser Information about some of the main features and standards supported by the device 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 in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge required for their function.
| Capacity The capacity of a battery indicates the maximum charge it can store, measured in milliampere-hours. | 3000 mAh (milliampere-hours) |
| A type The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more precisely, by the chemicals used. There are different types of batteries, with the most common mobile devices using lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries. | Li-Ion (Lithium-ion) |
| Talk time 2G Talk time in 2G 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 |
| Talk time 3G Talk time in 3G 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 strength of the electric current (measured in amperes) and the electric voltage (measured in volts) that the charger is supplying (output power). Higher power output provides faster battery charging. | 5 V (volts) / 2 A (amps) 9 V (volts) / 1.67 A (amps) |
| Specifications Information about some additional characteristics of the device battery. | Wireless charger Fast charging Non-removable |
| Qi / PMA wireless charging |
Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)
SAR level refers to the amount of electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the human body when using a mobile device.
| Head SAR (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 gram of human tissue. US mobile devices are controlled by CTIA and the FCC conducts tests and sets their SAR values. | 0.24 W / kg (Watts per kilogram) |
| Body SAR (US) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation to which the human body is exposed if the mobile device is held at hip level. The highest SAR value in the United States is 1.6 W / kg per gram of human tissue. This value is set by the FCC and CTIA monitors mobile devices for compliance with this standard. | 0.48 W / kg (Watts per kilogram) |
The Samsung Galaxy S8 was released relatively long ago by industry standards - March 29, 2017. But thanks to the power reserve laid down by the manufacturer, it remains a relevant smartphone to this day. The model differs from its predecessors by the enlarged screen, as well as the absence of the "home" button. It was replaced by a tactile element - it is located under the glass. A similar technology is used on the iPhone 7. Reviews of the Samsung Galaxy S8 are positive, and users liked it.
The design of the Samsung Galaxy S8 is somewhat different from its counterparts. The first thing to notice is that there is no Samsung inscription above the screen. The company's engineers simply could not find a place for it. At the same time, the shape of the smartphone is unique, there are no analogues in terms of design on the market today. What makes the owner of the phone stand out from other smartphone users.
The flagship itself is made of glass and metal. When using it, you should be careful. The device is not only slippery, but also instantly covered in fingerprints. It is worth using wipes more often - this will keep your smartphone attractive throughout the day. The glass covers the entire front and back sides of the case. The frame is made of metal.
The model is presented simultaneously in several colors:
- ⦁ golden;
⦁ blue;
⦁ gray;
⦁ black
The speakers have disappeared from the back. The case itself is assembled as reliably as possible. But there is a small gap between the glass of the front panel and the metal frame. The nail does not go there. But dust easily gets in. This is especially unpleasant if the phone is in black. Contamination is immediately visible against a dark background.
There is a fingerprint sensor on the back cover - right next to the lens. Moreover, the latter is now made on the same level with the plane of the body. There is a heart rate monitor, as well as an analyzer of oxygen saturation of the user's body.
Smartphone is a good solution for sports people. It is possible to keep a training diary, to take measurements of your body in automatic mode. Stylish and expensive body will distinguish the owner of the S8 from other smartphone users.
Design and ergonomics
The curvature of the Samsung Galaxy S8 is very similar to the geometry of Note 7. But the model in question is small, it sits comfortably in the hand. Comparing the Samsung Galaxy S8 to its closest competitor, the iPhone 8, easily holds up in specs and looks. The dimensions of the model are relatively small:
- length - 148.9 mm;
- width - 68.1 mm;
- thickness - 8 mm.
Moreover, the weight is only 152 g. The model will look great both in a strong male palm and thin female fingers. The device is universal. The geometry of the case and the location of the home button make it comfortable for everyone, regardless of the length of the fingers and the width of the palm. The S8 doesn't feel big. The main reason for this is that it is slightly elongated compared to its counterparts with the same screen diagonal.
Thanks to the good balancing, it is convenient to work with the phone, despite the sloping body, it does not slip out. On the left side there is a "swing" that allows you to easily adjust the volume. There is also a special key to launch the assistant for Bixby. It doesn't work in our country. But you can find a special application on Google Play that allows you to easily reassign a button to another action.
Display
The Samsung Galaxy S8's screen is the first thing that grabs attention. Moreover, developers and marketers have even come up with a special name for it - Infinity Display. The display occupies 97% of the front area of \u200b\u200bthe case, has a QHD + resolution (2,960 × 1,440 pixels). The installed screen is very high quality, there are no dots.
SuperAmoled matrices were used in the assembly. This is the latest generation, improved in comparison with those used in the Note 7 model. Significant changes have undergone an algorithm for automatic brightness control - depending on ambient lighting conditions. Experts have improved the mode called AlwaysOn Display. Buttons placed on the screen are hidden when applications are running. The diagonal of the display is exactly 5.8 inches.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 uses technologies that were previously only used in the development of TVs. In addition, the phone itself constantly analyzes the image present on the screen. There is not only an indicator of the amount of light, but also an RGB color analyzer. It independently, without user intervention, adjusts the screen tones in accordance with external conditions.
The use of Mobile HDR Premium technology should also be attributed to serious advantages over competitors. It was developed literally in 2017 specifically for devices that support 4K resolution. According to experts, the screen in the Galaxy S8 is the most technologically advanced in the world. Its main differences:
- automatic brightness adjustment sets 1000 candela at maximum illumination - you can easily read even small text in sunlight;
- uses DCI-P3 Color - also used on 4K TVs;
- there are simultaneously 2 sensors analyzing the amount of light - on both front panels;
- night mode excludes the presence of blue in the glow spectrum - this allows you to avoid unnecessary excitement of the psyche;
- a separate circuit for working with Always On technology is built-in - which allows you to significantly save battery power.
Equipment
The delivery set contains a standard list of items:
- the smartphone itself;
- device for connecting to a 220 V electrical network for recharging the battery;
- paper clip - allows you to remove the tray for placing a SIM card in it;
- headset type AKG - wired type;
- special adapter - for connecting additional equipment - OTG;
- instruction.
The OTG cable deserves special attention. With its help, it is possible to connect various external devices to the smartphone. Including all kinds of information carriers. These are USB sticks, as well as other equipment. The AKG headset allows you to listen to music. It cannot boast of impressive sound. But for watching movies, video from the Internet is perfect. The device is delivered in a cardboard box.
Samsung Galaxy S8 specifications
Even a year after its release, the device is still relevant. Perhaps this is due to the characteristics of the Samsung Galaxy S8:
- CPU - Exynos 8895, 8 cores, 2.3 GHz frequency of each;
- built-in video accelerator - Mali-G71 MP20;
- rAM (RAM) - 4 GB;
- the amount of ROM (read-only memory) - 64 GB (several GB are deducted for installing the operating system).
It should be remembered that the model is produced for different markets with different technical characteristics. For example, the Chinese version comes with 6 GB of RAM instead of 4. In the US, the exclusive Samsung Galaxy S8 is being sold on the Snapdragon 835 processor. That is why some devices show higher results in various synthetic tests.
Performance
Various software tests don't always show how fast the Samsung Galaxy S8 is. But it is worth noting that there is no gap between clicking on the application icon and launching it at all. Even in comparison with the S7 and Note 7, for which there have never been any complaints in terms of speed, the S8 seriously wins.
We should also highlight the changes in terms of memory. The improvement can be seen already in the transition from UFS 2.0 to UFS 2.1. This can significantly reduce the time it takes to boot your smartphone. In addition, switching times between different applications are reduced to a minimum. The S8 was the first device from Samsung to be equipped with UFS 2.1 memory.
Among users of alternative devices, there is still a rumor about the slowness of the work of smartphones from Samsung. But such stereotypes are usually the result of installing a huge amount of third-party software on the device. Samsung Galaxy S8 review will give an idea of \u200b\u200bthe real performance of the device.
Cameras
Using the device to take pictures and record videos is appropriate - the Samsung Galaxy S8 camera is worthy of all praise. The frontal resolution is as much as 8 megapixels, while it is fast. The widest aperture is f / 1.7. Due to this, pictures can be taken bright and sharp even with a significant lack of light. There are many built-in effects.
It seems to many that the main camera with a resolution of 12 megapixels has remained the same. DualPixel technology is used. As with earlier models, the supplier is Sony. Separately, it is necessary to dwell on the increased system performance. Photos of the Samsung Galaxy S8 are richer. The camera model has its own memory.
Due to this, the speed of work increases by an order of magnitude. There is also a comfortable mode called Burst Mode. Thanks to him, you can take several dozen pictures in a row. The high performance of the system allows the camera to focus faster, better handle complex scenes. This is especially noticeable in comparison with the Galaxy S7.
A photo
A feature of Samsung Galaxy S8 photography is the ability to form a panorama with an impressive 50.6 megapixels. Which makes the quality of the images fantastic.
High power LED flash will illuminate shadows and also make the subject more detailed in shadows.
Video
Shooting video on the Samsung Galaxy S8 is as good as the photo. There is an opportunity to shoot video up to Ultra HD resolution. Recording is carried out at 60 frames per second. There is electronic image stabilization. But only in Full HD mode. In night mode, the video will also delight the smartphone user. Dynamic range, vibrant colors, and a good high ISO range make shooting easy and fun.
Front-camera
The characteristics of the front camera in comparison with the external one cannot be called outstanding. But she offers quite an acceptable result. Perfect for filming yourself while traveling.
It is necessary to work carefully in rooms with insufficient lighting. It all depends on the amount of light and other factors.
Sound and quality of music playback
The sound of the Samsung Galaxy S8 deserves special attention. Since Samsung applies a completely new development to its smartphone. It continuously analyzes the actions performed by the user. For example, if the owner of the smartphone is talking on Skype, then the sound in the headphones is automatically increased. All frequencies, extraneous noise - which can interfere with communication are also cut off.
In addition, the smartphone constantly evaluates the sound level around the device itself. Automatic adaptation to the situation is carried out. Moreover, the sound processor does not carry out all these actions; only the amplifier is used to solve the assigned tasks.
Another "feature" of the model is the automatic recognition of repetitive sounds. For example, if the headphones constantly rub against clothes, skin, then the device tries to clean such noises from the music when listening to it. The sound quality depends on the headphones used, as well as the sound profiles that apply in a particular case.
Samsung has designed and assembled the included headset to match the specifications of the S8. All the delights of musical compositions are perfectly revealed thanks to the DSP Cirrus Logic SC43130. The main feature of the module is its versatility, it fits well with most headphones - without any exceptions.
Communication capabilities
As competitors, the Samsung Galaxy S8 supports USB Type C version 3.0. This is the first smartphone of its year of release where the latest generation Bluetooth protocol is present - 5.0. There is also aptX as well as other built-in audio codecs for audio playback. There is an LTE module, the frequencies used will depend on the specific operator, as well as the country of use of the device. Moreover, in the network of the LTE category, the device shows the maximum data download speed.
In the network on the territory of Moscow with the mobile operator MTS, the download speed reached 430 Mbit / s. Moreover, the theoretical limit of this indicator is only 450 Mbit / s. There is a dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11. There are no major improvements from Samsung in this direction.
operating system
At the time of the release of the device, the latest operating system was installed on it - Android 7.0. The proprietary Experiense 8.1 shell is installed on top. It functions quickly enough, there is a proprietary animation. It is somewhat similar to similar effects in Windows.
The GPU executes all actions in the operating system as quickly as possible, without delays and "brakes", artifacts on the screen.
Autonomy
A standard Samsung Galaxy S8 battery has a capacity of 3,500 mAh. Charging can be done in two ways:
- via a standard USB Type C connector;
- using a wireless charger.
Moreover, in the second case, recharging is carried out automatically - you just need to place the device on a special wireless station. Several energy saving profiles should be noted separately. They became more aggressive. This saves power and extends the operating time of the device. For example, video playback time is 18-19 hours with maximum brightness.
Pros and cons of a smartphone
The Samsung Galaxy S8 has its own pros and cons. The main advantages include:
- elongated display - this makes it convenient to use;
- well-fitting details, bright screen;
- high-quality cameras, the ability to shoot video in Ultra HD resolution;
- comfortable interface and performance;
- notification indicator, dust and moisture protection;
- external speaker volume.
There are also obvious disadvantages. The Samsung Galaxy S8 smartphone is reviewed in detail in the review, the main disadvantages include:
- easily soiled case - fingerprints remain permanently;
- the back glass is highly prone to scratches;
- if you use a smartphone for games, then the edge of the USB connector is constantly rubbing your finger;
- fragile design requires a case;
- lack of a convenient way to quickly unlock the device.
In general, all the disadvantages are easily offset by a large number of advantages. The device does an excellent job with all the functions assigned to it.
Comparison with competitors
The main competitor in this price category for the Samsung Galaxy S8 is the iPhone 8. Comparison of the device by the main parameters:
- the S8's display is 5.8 inches versus 4.7 for the iPhone 8. Samsung's product benefits not only in size, but in more advanced technology and resolution;
- in terms of performance, the Snapdragon 835 processor is one step lower than the A11 Bionic. Apple's developments in this industry are products of a completely different category (this is easily confirmed by the Geekbench test);
- the cameras of these devices give almost identical results. The Apple product has some advantage in brighter lighting;
- the wireless charging dock comes standard with Samsung products. An Apple product will need to be purchased separately;
- in terms of standalone mode, both devices will not let their users down. Samsung Galaxy S8 has 1 hour of active talk time longer.
In general, both devices will be a great solution. But it's worth remembering that there are differences in performance as well as functionality. It is important to consider the dramatic differences in operating systems.
Final review
Despite the fact that the Samsung Galaxy S8 was released relatively long ago (more than 1 year ago), it is still in high demand in stores. The reason for this is good performance, high-quality images and long battery life. It is worth remembering that the use of this device without a cover threatens the back glass with scratches. There are other nuances of operation.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 performs well regardless of the processor installed. The communication quality is at the highest level. The ability to work with Wi-Fi in two bands at the same time deserves special attention. Another advantage is that the cost of the model dropped significantly during the year after its release.
For fans of the Samsung brand, another holiday has come, two wonderful smartphones will appear on sale at once - Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 +. Followers of the Galaxy S7 and direct competitors to the Apple iPhone 7, both devices are worthy of their owners. The Galaxy S8's user-friendly design and powerful hardware is impressive, which is worth talking about in more detail.
Design and interface
Touching and swiping, pinching and spreading fingers - all this is included in the properties of the touchscreen interface. Changing apps is improved by 3D Touch technology that distinguishes the force of finger pressure (Peek, Pop). All electronics are housed in a durable glass case, with the display being 5.8 inches diagonally. The front panel almost entirely belongs to the screen, the edges of which are rounded even on the side edges. A small strip is left on top, on which you can see the main camera's 12 megapixel peephole and a double flash LED. The rear panel houses an 8 megapixel front camera, light flash and biometric scanner. Below is the brand's signature. By color scheme Samsung Galaxy S8 will be available in only three versions: dark black, orchid gray and silver. But even this choice will be enough not to miss the moment of purchase.
The novelty of the device is the use of a DeX docking station, which is connected to a USB Type-C cable. The appearance of additional HDMI outputs and two USB ports significantly expand the functionality of the gadget, like a PC. Another useful assistant is the Bixby option - a voice command assistant.
Operating systems and more
The Android platform, even of the latest generation, is somewhat different in content from the "apple" indicators of iOS, even surpassing its competitor in some moments. The proprietary processor (for Russia) is represented by the Exynos 8895 brand, for the USA it will be replaced by the Snapdragon 835 from Qualcomm. According to its main parameters, it is designed to work with 4 GB of RAM, while the main one will not exceed 64 GB. Expansion through a microchip 128/256 GB is allowed. Responsibility for the graphics software is assigned to the Mali G71 accelerator, which is quite enough for high-quality images of not only text information, but also photo and video material. High-speed performance is also possible thanks to the universal Flash Storage, and with the built-in Generation of the second version.
Powerful smartphone Samsung Galaxy S8 in a thin case made of metal and 3D glass with a large curved on both sides 5.8-inch Super AMOLED high-resolution screen of 2960 x 1440 pixels and Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The novelty runs on the latest Android operating system, is equipped with a powerful processor, large built-in and RAM. Now your smartphone has the most reliable protection of personal information and data, the technology that allows you to scan the iris of the eyes will help you quickly unlock your phone while guaranteed to protect information from unauthorized persons.
The main characteristics of Samsung Galaxy S8: 2 SIM cards, support for 4G LTE networks, 5.8-inch screen with a resolution of 2960 x 1440 pixels, Android 7.0 Nougat operating system, 8-core processor with a frequency of 2500 MHz, 3000 mAh battery with fast charging function, 12 MP main camera with Dual technology Pixel, 64GB onboard storage, 4GB RAM and support for memory cards up to 256GB.
Large RAM and the latest 10nm processor ensure high performance and optimal power consumption. The user of Samsung Galaxy 8 has 64 GB of native memory, expandable by installing a memory card up to 256 GB in the phone. The Galaxy S8 will be sold in three color versions - Black, Gold and Orchid Gray. Now it is already possible to pre-order a smartphone, the price of Galaxy S8 is 54,990 rubles, the cost is indicated at the start of sales and at present it may be lower.
The smartphone supports two SIM cards, works in 4G LTE Cat 16 networks providing high-speed Internet on the phone. The main 12 MP camera of the Samsung Galaxy S8 with Dual Pixel technology allows you to take great pictures and video with a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels, for selfies, there is a front 8 MP camera with intelligent autofocus and face detection. You can transfer data from your old phone to a new one with the OTG adapter that comes with your smartphone. The elegant case of Galaxy C 8 is made of metal and glass and is protected from water and dust according to the IP68 standard.
- For more detailed specifications and reviews for the Galaxy S8, see below.
- If you know something about the pros and cons of Galaxy C 8 or you have additional information or useful tips for a smartphone, then please share by adding your review below.
- Thank you for your responsiveness, helpful tips and information to your smartphone !!!
All technical specifications of the smartphone Samsung Galaxy S8.
- SIM card quantity: 2 sim cards / alternate
- SIM type: Nano-SIM
- Body material: metal and 3D glass
- Protection against water and dust: according to IP68 standard
- Processor: 8-core 2.5 GHz / Samsung Exynos 8895
- Video processor: Mali-G71 MP20
- Operating System: Android 7.0 Nougat
- Screen: 5.8-inch diagonal / Super AMOLED / 2960 x 1440 pixels / Gorilla Glass 5
- Battery: 3000 mAh capacity / non-removable / fast charging function / wireless charging support
- Main camera: 12 MP. / Dual Pixel technology / LED flash dual color / digital zoom / autofocus / face and smile detection
- Front camera: 8 MP.
- Video shooting: 3840 x 2160 pixels
- Built-in memory: 64 GB
- RAM: 4 GB
- Memory card: MicroSD up to 256 GB
- 3G support: yes
- 4G LTE support: Cat 16
- Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n
- Wi-Fi Direct: Supports
- Wi-Fi hotspot: Supports
- Bluetooth: version 5.0 LE
- NFC: Supports
- USB: USB Type C
- Navigation: GPS / A-GPS / GLONASS
- Fingerprint scanner: yes
- Iris scanner: yes
- Sensors: Accelerometer / Proximity / Light / Compass / Geomagnetic / Barometer / Heart Rate / Hall
- Dimensions: (H.W.T) 149 x 68 x 8 mm
- Weight: 155 grams
