Samsung Galaxy S8 review: Plans | Pricing | Specs

-
- Battery Score
4
- Camera Score
4
- Design Score
4
- Performance Score
4
- Battery Score
4
Summary
The Samsung Galaxy S8 is a superb phone in almost every respect and still one of the best phones you can buy.
- Stylish design
- Excellent battery life
- Great display screen
- CAT16 connectivity
- Fingerprint sensor is terribly placed
- Bixby isn’t smart enough at launch
- Edge display still functionally worthless
- Mono speaker only
Details
Pricing & Availability
Launch price (RRP) | $1,199 |
Launch date | 2017-04 |
There’s no doubting that Samsung had a rocky time leading up to the launch of the Galaxy S8. The Galaxy Note 7 should have been a triumph and but for that pesky issue with handsets bursting into flames, it would have been.
The Note 7’s untimely demise put Samsung in the tricky position of heavily marketing the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge at a time when it should have been building up the hype for the Galaxy S8 prior to Mobile World Congress. Instead, Samsung used its MWC 2017 launch to show off some shiny new tablets for both Android and Windows 10, with just a simple announcement that the Galaxy S8 would be launched nearly a month later.
The Samsung Galaxy S8, as Samsung pitched it, was a revolutionary device that would "unbox your phone" and deliver so much more than any smartphone had before. While Samsung has enjoyed a dominating position in the Android space, those were still bold claims for the Galaxy S8 to live up to. We've assiduously tested the Galaxy S8 here at finder to separate the hype from the reality of the Galaxy S8 and the news is (mostly) good.
Design
- The curved "Infinity" display is mighty attractive and maximises usable screen space without increasing phone size.
- Water resistance remains top-notch.

Camera
- The single-lens approach lacks the versatility of many competing smartphones.
- Nevertheless, the Galaxy S8 is capable of taking quality shots suitable for on-the-go photography.

Performance
- Handles even the most demanding apps without a hitch.
- Not quite as impressive for playing 3D games.
Battery life
- All-day battery even under heavy use.
- Supports both fast charging and wireless charging.

Verdict
- Not ground-breaking, but still an excellent example of premium smartphone design.

Pricing and availability
- Price: RRP $999
- Where to buy: The Good Guys | eBay | Kogan
Specifications
Display
Camera
Physical Dimensions
Connectivity
Power, storage and battery
Device features
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Alex Finder
Senior editor
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