The Samsung Galaxy S8, announced on March 29, 2017, and released on April 24, 2017, was a groundbreaking smartphone that set new standards in design, performance, and features. With its sleek and futuristic appearance, cutting-edge technology, and innovative features, the Galaxy S8 quickly gained popularity among smartphone enthusiasts and users alike.
Design and Display
The design of the Samsung Galaxy S8 is truly a masterpiece. It features a stunning glass front and back, protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5, and an aluminum frame that exudes premium craftsmanship. The dimensions of 148.9 x 68.1 x 8 mm (5.86 x 2.68 x 0.31 in) and a weight of 155 g (5.47 oz) make it comfortable to hold and use with one hand.
The highlight of the Galaxy S8’s design is its revolutionary “Infinity Display.” The Super AMOLED display measures 5.8 inches with a resolution of 1440 x 2960 pixels and an 18.5:9 aspect ratio, offering an immersive and cinematic viewing experience. The HDR10 support delivers vibrant colors and deep blacks, making the content come to life on the screen.
The Galaxy S8’s display also boasts Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for added durability and protection against scratches and accidental drops. The 3D Touch feature, available only on the home button, provides a quick and convenient way to access commonly used functions and apps. Additionally, the always-on display feature allows users to check time, date, and notifications at a glance without waking up the device, saving battery life.
Performance and Operating System
The Samsung Galaxy S8 is powered by the Exynos 8895 (10 nm) chipset in the EMEA region and the Qualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 835 (10 nm) chipset in the USA and China region. The octa-core processor, comprising of either the Mongoose M2 and Cortex-A53 cores in the EMEA region or the Kryo cores in the USA and China region, delivers exceptional performance and efficiency for smooth multitasking, app launching, and gaming.
The Galaxy S8 comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, which can be expanded using a microSDXC card in the hybrid dual SIM model. The storage is based on the fast UFS 2.0 or UFS 2.1 technology, providing quick access to apps, files, and multimedia content.
The operating system on the Galaxy S8 is Android 7.0 (Nougat), upgradable to Android 9.0 (Pie), with Samsung’s One UI overlay, which offers a clean and intuitive user interface. The One UI provides several customization options, including themes, icons, and wallpapers, allowing users to personalize their devices to their liking. The software also includes Bixby, Samsung’s virtual assistant, which offers natural language commands and dictation for convenient voice control of the device.
Camera
The Samsung Galaxy S8 features a 12MP single rear camera with a wide f/1.7 aperture, 26mm focal length, 1/2.55″ sensor size, and dual pixel PDAF (Phase Detection Autofocus) for fast and accurate focusing. Optical image stabilization (OIS) helps in capturing sharp and steady photos, even in low-light conditions. The LED flash, auto-HDR, and panorama features further enhance the camera capabilities.
The rear camera on the Galaxy S8 also supports 4K video recording at 30fps, 1080p recording at 60fps, and slow-motion video recording at 720p at 240fps, allowing users to capture stunning videos with rich detail and clarity.
The front-facing camera on the Galaxy S8 is an 8MP camera with a wide f/1.7 aperture and autofocus, making it ideal for selfies and video calls. The camera also supports 1440p video recording at 30fps, ensuring high-quality video calls and selfie videos.
One of the unique features of the Galaxy S8’s camera is its augmented reality (AR) capabilities. The camera can overlay virtual objects onto the real world, allowing users to interact with virtual elements in their surroundings. This feature opens up new possibilities for creative expression, gaming, and entertainment.
Biometric Security
The Samsung Galaxy S8 offers multiple biometric security options to protect user data and ensure device security. It includes a fingerprint scanner, an iris scanner, and facial recognition.
The fingerprint scanner, located at the back of the device near the camera, provides a convenient and secure way to unlock the device and authenticate purchases. The scanner is fast and accurate, allowing users to quickly access their device with just a touch of their finger.
The iris scanner, located on the front of the device, uses infrared technology to scan the unique patterns of the user’s irises for enhanced security. The iris scanner is highly secure and works well even in low-light conditions.
The facial recognition feature on the Galaxy S8 uses the front-facing camera to scan the user’s face and unlock the device. While it is convenient, it may not be as secure as the fingerprint or iris scanner, as it can be easily fooled with a photo or video of the user’s face.
Connectivity and Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy S8 offers a wide range of connectivity options, including 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GPS, and USB Type-C. The device also supports wireless charging, making it convenient to charge the device without having to plug in a cable.
The Galaxy S8 has a non-removable 3000mAh battery, which provides all-day battery life with moderate to heavy usage. The device also supports fast charging, allowing users to quickly charge their device and get back to using it in no time.
Water and Dust Resistance
The Samsung Galaxy S8 is IP68 rated for water and dust resistance, making it capable of withstanding immersion in up to 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes. This feature provides added durability and protection, ensuring that the device can withstand accidental splashes, spills, and exposure to dust and dirt.
Additional Features
The Samsung Galaxy S8 comes with a range of additional features that enhance the overall user experience. Some of the notable features include:
- DeX (Desktop Experience): The Galaxy S8 can be connected to a compatible dock or a monitor using a dedicated accessory called DeX, which provides a desktop-like experience with a full-screen interface, support for mouse and keyboard, and the ability to run multiple apps in resizable windows.
- Samsung Knox: The Galaxy S8 comes with Samsung’s Knox security platform, which provides advanced security features, such as real-time monitoring, secure boot, and app isolation, to protect user data and ensure device security.
- Samsung Pay: The Galaxy S8 supports Samsung Pay, a mobile payment service that allows users to make payments at supported payment terminals using their devices, eliminating the need for physical credit cards.
- Bixby: Samsung’s virtual assistant, Bixby, is integrated into the Galaxy S8, offering voice commands, personalized recommendations, and contextual information to help users get things done more efficiently.
- Gear VR Compatibility: The Samsung Galaxy S8 is compatible with Samsung’s Gear VR, a virtual reality headset that provides an immersive and interactive virtual reality experience. Users can enjoy a wide range of virtual reality content, including games, videos, and experiences, by simply connecting their Galaxy S8 to the Gear VR headset.
- Always-On Display: The Galaxy S8 features an Always-On Display, which allows users to view important information, such as time, date, notifications, and calendar events, without having to wake up the device. This feature is convenient and helps to conserve battery life as users can quickly glance at the information without unlocking the device.
- Expandable Storage: The Galaxy S8 comes with 64GB of internal storage, which can be expanded up to 256GB using a microSD card. This provides ample storage space for apps, photos, videos, and other files, allowing users to store a large amount of data on their device.
- Enhanced Audio Experience: The Galaxy S8 features stereo speakers tuned by AKG, a renowned audio brand, which provides a premium audio experience for watching videos, playing games, and listening to music. The device also supports high-quality audio codecs, such as aptX and LDAC, for superior audio quality when using Bluetooth headphones.
- Samsung Health: The Galaxy S8 comes with Samsung Health, a comprehensive health and fitness app that allows users to track their physical activities, monitor their heart rate, set fitness goals, and track their progress over time. The app also provides personalized health insights and offers various workout programs to help users maintain a healthy lifestyle.
- Customization Options: The Galaxy S8 offers a range of customization options, allowing users to personalize their devices according to their preferences. Users can customize the home screen, app icons, themes, wallpapers, and even the navigation buttons to create a unique and personalized look for their device.
Conclusion: The Samsung Galaxy S8 is a feature-packed smartphone that offers a premium and cutting-edge experience to its users. With its stunning design, powerful performance, exceptional camera capabilities, biometric security options, water and dust resistance, and a range of additional features, the Galaxy S8 delivers a top-notch user experience.
Whether it’s for capturing stunning photos and videos, staying connected with fast and reliable connectivity options, enjoying immersive virtual reality experiences, or tracking health and fitness goals, the Galaxy S8 has something to offer for everyone.
However, it’s worth mentioning that the Galaxy S8 is now an older model, and there are newer smartphones available in the market with even more advanced features. Nevertheless, if you’re looking for a reliable and capable smartphone that still holds up in terms of performance and features, the Samsung Galaxy S8 is still a solid choice.
In conclusion, the Samsung Galaxy S8 is a flagship smartphone that offers a premium and feature-packed experience to its users. Its design, performance, camera capabilities, biometric security options, water, and dust resistance, and additional features make it a reliable and capable device for various needs. If you’re in the market for a smartphone that delivers a top-notch user experience, the Samsung Galaxy S8 is definitely worth considering.