The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ are finally here. Although these two phones have been leaked extensively over the past few months (leaving very little to the imagination) they have all the makings to be the Korean company’s best flagship phones yet – Samsung is definitely coming back strong after the Galaxy Note 7 incident.
Let’s start with arguably the most interesting hardware of the Galaxy S8 and S8+: the new Infinity Display. Aside from the very minimal bezels, both the S8 and S8+’s 1440p Super AMOLED displays – 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch respectively – have an aspect ratio of 18.5:9. According to Samsung, this taller aspect ratio allows users to multitask more effectively, not to mention the fact that it makes gripping the devices easier.
In the performance department, the Galaxy S8 and S8+ are equipped with either Samsung’s new Exynos 8895 processor or Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 chipset; both are built on the 10nm process, which promises better power efficiency. For the Malaysian market, we will likely get the slightly faster Exynos variant. The Snapdragon 835 model is usually reserved for the North American market.
Another new feature introduced alongside the Galaxy S8 and S8+ is Samsung’s very own digital assistant: Bixby. In a lot of ways, it is essentially the company’s answer to Google Assistant. Samsung promises that anything you can do with touch on your phone can be done with voice commands on Bixby. Also, there’s Samsung DeX, a dock that “transforms your smartphone into a desktop.”
Other specifications of the Galaxy S8 and S8+ are really what we already know from leaks. Both devices have 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM, 64GB of fast UFS 2.1 storage, microSD card slots, the same 12MP dual-pixel f/1.7 rear cameras found in their predecessors, 8MP front-facing shooters with autofocus, as well as IP68 ratings. In terms of biometric security, the Galaxy S8 and S8+ also sport iris and facial recognition on top of the rear fingerprint sensor – yes, it’s right beside the camera lens.
And then we have the battery capacities of the Galaxy S8 and S8+, which are rated at 3,000mAh and 3,500mAh respectively. Now, these battery sizes are quite a concern, especially given the fact that S8 and S8+ have 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch displays respectively. Then again, it’s worth noting that the 10nm processors powering these two devices promise greater energy efficiency, so they may still have good battery life regardless.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ are really two of Samsung’s most interesting smartphones yet, and they will be available in five colours: Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Arctic Silver, Maple Gold, and of course, Coral Blue. The Galaxy S8 and S8+ will begin shipping from 21 April onwards.
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