Samsung had a lot to live up to with the Galaxy S8. The S7 was just about the perfect phone, and the Note 7 was an unmitigated disaster - but the company has proven itself once again with its two new flagships.
Release date and price
Release date: 28 April 2017 in the UK.
Price: Expensive. The regular Samsung Galaxy S8 costs £609, while the S8+ costs £689 - though both are of course available on contract plans. (Including deals with unlimited data, and plans with no upfront cost.)
Take a look at all the available S8 and S8+ deals:
Design and display
We'll say it now: the Galaxy S8 is a beauty. Just look at it.
It's a decent step up from the previous S7. The screen is massive, with an insane ratio of 18.5:9, and bezels around it are practically non-existent - there's just a thin sliver at the top and bottom, and the sides are curved down like the S7 Edge. It's not called an 'Infinity Display' for nothing.
The larger S8+ is the same, only even bigger: the screen measures a whopping 6.2 inches.
And yes, the lack of space at the bottom means there's no physical home button, which Samsung's finally done away with. Instead there are three soft buttons on the display - and the middle one is pressure-sensitive, just like the screen on the iPhone 7.
As for the rest of the buttons, there's a new one on the side (just under the volume rocker) dedicated to the new AI, Bixby, and the fingerprint scanner has been shifted to the back - right next to the camera.
Features
Like every Samsung flagship, the Galaxy S8 comes packed with some brand new stuff. Such as...
Bixby
Yep, Samsung has a new AI personal assistant, built by some of Siri's early developers. It's still in the early stages comparatively, but it can do stuff like work out where you are using the camera. And if you don't like it, don't worry - the regular Google Assistant is still there too.
DeX dock
With the DeX dock, you can connect your S8 or S8+ to a monitor, meaning you can essentially use your phone as a computer. It's got the processing power after all, so why not?
Iris scanner
Biometrics are here! We're a step closer to that cyberpunk future of our dreams!
The new iris scanner on the front of the phone means you can unlock it just by looking at it - which you may find useful, given that the fingerprint scanner is now all the way round the back.
HDR
As if the screen isn't already impressive enough, it's also HDR-enabled for the first time. That means superbly bright and crisp colours when you watch compatible videos.
Specifications
Here's the nitty gritty of the two phones for you mobile geeks.
| Samsung Galaxy S8 | Samsung Galaxy S8+ | |
| Size | 148.9 x 68.1 x 8mm, 155g | 159.5 x 73.4 x 8.1mm, 173g |
| Display | 5.8 inches, 1440 x 2960px, HDR | 6.2 inches, 1440 x 2960px, HDR |
| Chipset | Exynos 8895 Octa | Exynos 8895 Octa |
| Storage | 64GB | 64GB |
| RAM | 4GB | 4GB |
| Cameras | Rear: 12MP, f/1.7, phase detection autofocus, OIS. Front: 8MP, f/1.7, autofocus | Rear: 12MP, f/1.7, phase detection autofocus, OIS. Front: 8MP, f/1.7, autofocus |
| Battery | 3,000mAh, fast charging, wireless charging | 3,500mAh, fast charging, wireless charging |
| Features | USB Type-C port, 3.5mm headphone jack, 3D Touch home button, iris scanner, rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, heart rate monitor | USB Type-C port, 3.5mm headphone jack, 3D Touch home button, iris scanner, rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, heart rate monitor |
| Colours | Midnight black, orchid grey, arctic silver. Coral blue and maple gold available in other regions. | Midnight black, orchid grey, arctic silver. Coral blue and maple gold available in other regions. |
