Samsung’s Galaxy S8 gives it a shot at reputation rehabilitation

those upper corners, Samsung has put in a “one-handed” mode that will shrink the display down to a more manageable size temporarily.

The screen’s quality, however, overrode the proportional weirdness for me. tacts or glasses. (Not sunglasses, however, which is perhaps to be expected.)

The rear-mounted fingerprint reader was a little awkward to hold, but it worked well. The Galaxy S8Plus survived a dunk in my sink, without missing a frame of the video it was playing. And calls – remember those? – were very clear. on its subject, making for crisp and well-composed selfies. Samsung didn’t push the boundaries with the battery in these phones – for obvious reasons – but managed with software to ensure that its increased screen size doesn’t drain the battery away.

I had no problems with overheating. Of course, it’s impossible for me to assure anyone that this phone won’t have the same problem as the Galaxy Note 7.

But I can say that I had no problems with the phone I was provided. It never seemed under stress or alarmingly warm to the touch – even while watching video in sunlight.

Overall, I was impressed with the battery life. In practical terms, I could easily get through a day with- out having to recharge the phone.

I even once forgot to plug it in overnight and still managed to get a morning’s use out of it. (Not that I’d recommend making it a habit.)

The phone charges quickly, either with a USB-C cord or using Samsung’s wireless charger. Ten minutes of charging would generally bring the phone back to a point where I wasn’t panicked that it was going to die on me.

I had one gripe though: the battery drained very quickly while I was testing the phone’s extremes, dropping 25% in 20 minutes.

While that wasn’t my general experience in using it like a normal person, it may be a hint to frequent gamers and video-streamers to keep a cord handy. Samsung made some big promises at its launch event about Bixby, the company’s voice assistant, which provides a chance for the company to show it can really play with Apple and Google when it comes to phone voice assistants.

Except… Bixby isn’t launching in all its glory along with the phone. Samsung announced earlier this month that Bixby’s voice features would be delayed. Talk about the air going out of the balloon.

Still, other Bixby features do work. Samsung has a centralised hub for its assistant – accessible through a dedicated button.

It also has Bixby Vision, a feature that allows users to use the camera to scan objects and get more information about them, such as where to buy them.

Samsung’s partnered with companies including Foursquare and wine app Vivino to provide these services, but you don’t have to down- Overall, Samsung has made an impressive, solid phone that shows that the company is still trying to move ahead – though with perhaps a bit more caution than before.

That’s all right, though: this is a phone that balances a careful polish with a few features that still push the envelope. Upgrading from the Galaxy S6, users would notice a marked improvement in speed, as well as enjoying that beautiful screen.

Even Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge users may want to think about going for the newer model, if the thought of a buttonless front appeals to them.

Still, those on the fence about picking up the S8 or the S8 Plus or the upcoming iPhone – may consider waiting.

Apple, after all, is rumoured to be including some of the same features as the S8 line in its next phone, including a buttonless screen.

In a vacuum, Samsung’s made a pair of phones that give it a real shot at redemption. In the real world?

Most users will probably want to see what the competition has to offer. – The Washington Post.