samsung galaxy S8

samsung reveals its two new super-sized superphones, with super screens and super power. That’s a lot of super…

The Samsung Galaxy S8 is one of those phones that just has to do well. After all, last year’s best phone was the Galaxy S7, so it should do. But with some impressive competition from the rest of the industry, Samsung needs to pull something special out of the bag to be sure it stays number one. The good news is that this is shaping up to be one hell of a phone.

And it’s not just the one kickass device – there are two of them to contend with. The Galaxy S8 is Samsung’s mainstream handset – the one that’s going to sell by the bucket-load – with a 5.8-inch screen, while the plus-sized S8+ features a whopper of a display: a massive 6.2 inches of screen real estate, making it one of the biggest smartphone screens on the planet. But the key is Samsung’s new screen tech, which dominates almost the entirety of the handset. Both phones aren’t actually that big, and that’s down

security

One of the S8’s most exciting features is its new, more secure login facilities. With an iris scanner on the front, you simply look at the S8 and it will unlock and send you straight to the home screen. It will also enable you to log into secure services, such as your favourite banking facility, so even though you get a fingerprint reader on the back, there probably won’t be much reason to use it. Samsung has also bundled facial recognition technology, meaning you can log into your phone quicker than you would be able to with the iris scanner. It’s not as secure, mind, but it’s more convenient.

design

Clearly, a huge reason to buy the Galaxy S8, or S8+, is for its looks. With a serious lack of bezel action, the phone feels smaller than the screen lets on. The subtle curve at the sides gives the impression of a curved screen, without being overtly so, a la S7 Edge. The front looks super smooth thanks to the hidden Home button and the relocation of the fingerprint reader to the back. Big deal alert: the phone is IP68 certified, so it’s water- and dust-proof. There’s also wireless charging on-board, so you won’t even need to plug it in. The S8 comes in Midnight, Orchid Gray and Arctic Silver.

screen

The Galaxy S8 is all about the screen. With an 18.5:9 stretched screen, it’s perfect for watching movies and for multitasking. The Super AMOLED display is bright and colourful, with WQHD+ resolution. The display is also HDR-ready so you’ll be able to stream HDR TV and movies to the handset from the likes of Amazon and Netflix.

camera

Not surprisingly, given the S7’s excellent snapping prowess, the S8’s camera is the part of the phone that’s been least overhauled by Samsung. So you still get a 12MP sensor on the rear, with f/ 1.7 aperture, but what you do now get is multi-frame processing, so whenever you take a picture you get several shots to choose from. The front-facing selfie-snapper has also been given a boost, to 8MP, with a better low-light sensor.

to the new Infinity Display. Samsung has crushed bezels in an effort to increase the size of the S8’s screen without making the handset bigger.

Not only do you get an almost all-screen phone, the lack of bezels makes the S8 one of the most attractive phones has ever seen. Every corner and edge has been rounded, making it feel pleasing in the hand – like a next-level S7 Edge. Samsung has made changes to accommodate the all-encompassing display. For starters there’s no home button – instead a pressure-sensitive key is nestled beneath the screen. Then there’s the fingerprint reader, which has been moved to the back. You may dislike this, but whatever your opinion, fear not – you won’t need it because the S8 features extra biometric authentication. With an iris scanner on the front, you can unlock your phone just by looking at it.

As a result of these changes, Samsung has redesigned the phone inside-out. The layout of the components has been reorganised. It features a cutting-edge Samsung-made processor, which it says makes the phone 20 per cent more powerful than last year’s S7, yet also much more power-friendly.

The S8 could be Samsung’s best phone ever, and it’s costliest one too, but with that incredible display and a plethora of tech, we’re sure you won’t be able to resist.

performance

The S8’s components have been shrunk to suit the phone’s near-bezeless front, which would make you naturally assume that compromises to its performance have been made. Not so – the S8 has more power than ever, its Samsung- derived 2.3GHz Quad + 1.7/ 1.9GHz Quad octa- core processor and 4GB of RAM making this the fastest Samsung handset to date.

battery

While the 3000mAh (S8) and 3500mAh (S8+) battery capacities are unchanged from the S7, the CPU and GPU are said to be much more efficient with the available battery power. The S8 also offers fast- charging for quick top-ups, both in wired or wireless flavours.