Introduction
Together with the S8, a bigger S8+ was unveiled. Both devices are available in the EU since April 28th. The main difference between these two devices is the size, i.e. the diagonal of the screen which measures 6.2” in the S8+. The fingerprint sensor is on the back next to the camera, and hardware buttons are replaced by on-screen ones. If we were to speak about the hardware and the new things built into the S8+, everything is pretty much the same as in the S8. The new Samsung’s chipset brings even more power, which will bring longer battery life compared to the predecessors. Also, the S8+, as well as the S8, brings the never before seen aspect ratio of the screen – 18.5:9. The improvements are also visible in the camera field. The sensor is actually the same as in the S8, as well as the front one with 8MP and auto-focus. The S8+ is available in several colors: Arctic Silver, Orchid Grey, Coral Blue, Maple Gold, Rose Pink and Midnight Black which we have for our review. Of course, water resistance is still on the list of specifications. Let’s now see in a little more detail what the S8+ brings.
Unboxing
Display
In the S8+, there is a 6.2” display which Samsung likes to call “Infinity Display”. It is a SuperAMOLED display with the WQHD+ resolution (2960 x 1440) that can show up to 16.7 million colors. The screen is protected by the Gorilla Glass 5. Also, there’s the Edge Screen which hides the shortcuts to the frequently used applications, and your favorite contacts. The thing that pronounces the S8+, alongside the edge screen and the resolution, is the aspect ratio – 18.5:9. This non-standard aspect ratio can, however, be a problem when viewing things which were designed for different aspect ratios. When this happens, we get black stipes on the edges and we can’t really use the whole screen of the S8+. The number of PPI is 529. AlwaysOn display is also there, and fits excellently in the whole story of the screen. The visibility on the sunlight is excellent, probably the best ever on a phone. The screen illumination sensor is very efficient, and with the auto mode provides great values of lowest and highest brightness.
Hardware and OS
Regarding hardware, as we have previously said, the S8+ is the same as the S8. It comes in two versions, Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 for American market, and Samsung Exynos 8895 Octa, which brought 10nm processors, for other markets. This chipset should provide up to 30% better performances, and about 40% longer battery life. Exynos version is octa core, with 4 cores clocked at 2.3 GHz, and other 4 clocked at 1.7 GHz. Faster cores are used for more intensive tasks, while the everyday use uses the slower cores. Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 is also an octa core CPU with 4 cores at 2.35 GHz, and other 4 at 1.9 GHz. Cores are also divided by more and less demanding use. There are 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM, while for the Chinese, Indian and Korean markets there is also a 6GB RAM and 128 GB of storage version, while everywhere else there is only one storage option – 64GB. As well as the S8, the S8+ positions itself at the very top of Android devices, and benchmarks showed the best results on Android devices. The S8+ comes with preinstalled Android 7.0 Nougat firmware, and the GraceUX user interface. One of the news in the S8 and the S8+ is the virtual assistant which Samsung calls – Bixby. Bixby is still very limited because the system is still under development for most regions. It also has a special start button on the left side of the device. Alongside Bixby, there is also the well-known Google assistant.
Camera
Galaxy S8+ uses 12MP Dual-Pixel main camera. For low light environment photo and video shooting there is an LED flash next to the camera. Parameters wise, the cameras of the S8 and the S8+ are identical, both on paper and in practice. The aperture is f/1.7, the width is 26mm, and it as well supports Phase Detection Auto-Focus (PDAF) and Optical Image Stabilization (OIS). Of course there are other options such as: Geo-Tagging, capability of taking 9MP photos during video capturing, Touch Focus, Face and Smile detection and HDR. Video is captured in 4K resolution at 30fps, but next to the classic 4K video shooting, there are options to record FullHD videos at 60fps, and HDR video. The biggest improvements are with the front facing camera. This time it is an 8MP sensor with the same aperture as the main camera, and HDR video is supported which is captured in 1440p resolution at 30fps. Both cameras take pictures which are definitely among the best when it comes to mobile phones. Color reproduction is perfect, and high level of details and shutter speed are only some of the qualities of the sensor and software of the S8+. Auto-focus is very quick are precise, and provides great results.
Connectivity
The list of connections contains everything there is to offer at this point: 2G, 3G, 4G networks, and the S8+ can achieve up to 1 Gbps download speeds and up to 150 Mbps upload speeds. For our review we have a SingleSIM version, but there is also a DualSIM version. Type-C connection has become standard for the upper middle and premium class Samsung devices, so we have it one the S8+ as well. In the box we have a microUSB to Type-C converter, as well as the Type-A to Type-C converter (OTG).
The rest of connections are:
- Wi-Fi (with HotSpot mode)
- Bluetooth v5.0
- NFC
- SamsungPay
- A-GPS
- 3.5mm audio port
Battery
The thing that is different in the S8+ compared to the S8 is the battery, which is bigger due to the bigger screen. It is a non-removable Li-Ion battery with the capacity of 3500 mAh.
Results are:
- around 24 hours of talk time
- around 13 hours of 3G usage
Final words
Galaxy S8+ represents everything Note7 should have been. An elegant device with enormous screen, good battery and even better hardware. The bigger form factor is completely justified by the bigger screen. If you need a bigger than average screen, and you can’t wait for the next device of the new series, Galaxy S8+ is the perfect choice for you.
Do you like the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus? We’d like to see your opinion in the comment section below. If you have any ideas or you would like to see a specific device being reviewed soon, feel free to let us know here or on our Facebook page. If you liked this review, subscribe to our Youtube channel, like us on Facebook, and sit back and relax while we make more of the same for you.
Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus Full Specifications
