Samsung Galaxy S8

Samsung

Samsung and Apple have been going head to head the past few years to produce the ultimate phone. In the latest one-upmanship, Samsung announced two new models: the Galaxy S8 (5.8") and the Galaxy S8+ (6.2"). Beyond being faster and more powerful than the previous generation, here are the big updates:

Design Changes

The phone is super sleek. One of our favorite features is the near-invisible bezel (what they refer to as "infinity display") that wraps around the curves of the phone. This not only allows for more visual real estate — perfect for Netflix binging — but also gives enough space to split the screen between two tasks. This means you can watch the viral clip everyone is talking about and text your husband at the same time. Samsung also removed the physical home button from earlier models and replaced it with an "invisible" pressure-sensitive one, which we've easily adapted to for the most part on other phones.

Built-in Tech

This Samsung model keeps up with technology updates like facial recognition and iris scanning that are designed for convenience and enhanced security. The fingerprint scanner that unlocks the phone has been moved to the back (until we have the chance to test the product in our labs, we reserve comment on its usability).

Another addition is a feature called DeX that lets you connect your phone screen to a monitor to display media from a select number of apps. But the biggest news for this device is the inclusion of Bixby, Samsung's take on a Siri-like intelligent assistant. Bixby is responsive through all modes of input – voice, text and even visual. While voice and text will likely lag behind Siri, the visual component, which includes QR code detection, landmark recognition and shopping, is something we are keen to test. You also have Google Assistant built into the phone, which gives backup for features that don't yet support Bixby. However, like Amazon's Alexa platform, there are plans to release a tool for third party developers to make Bixby-enabled apps. Along with these new specs, Samsung Connect lets you control SmartThings-enabled smart home appliances remotely with your phone.

Picture Quality

Cameras haven't been upgraded spec-wise, but they're still top-notch with 12 MP rear and 8 MP front-facing cameras. The real upgrade comes in the bolstered photo technology that will supposedly allow for better quality selfies, stickers and filters built in to augment your photos. Photo shooting features like auto image focus, processing enhancements to improve picture quality and the ability to manually adjust settings in Pro Mode are great for the more advanced photographer.

Additional Specs

One of the less-hyped features that we are really excited about is the upgrade to Bluetooth 5.0. This enhancement offers upwards of twice the speed of its predecessor and four times the range, meaning you'll be able to connect your devices upwards of 650 feet away. This feature also supports the use of two wireless headphones simultaneously.

As with many high-end phones, the S8 family is water- and dust-resistant (it comes with a IP68 rating, meaning it can be submerged up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes). The phones are available in five colors and can be wirelessly charged. One additional perk that some users may be pleased with: This phone is keeping the 3.5 mm headphone jack, which means you won't need to purchase an adaptor for your wired headphones, like you do with other newer phone models.

Bottom Line

While we have yet to test them out, our initial consensus is that these phones are iterative, albeit beautiful and powerful, compared to the previous model. While it's not necessarily transformative, we are happy that Samsung packed more high-end features into this phone than it had in the past. With just about every industry-leading feature built into the S8 and S8+, they will definitely be at the top of the pack for 2017.

Samsung is set to release the Galaxy S8 (5.8") and the Galaxy S8+ (6.2") April 21, but is available for pre-order now. Cost depends on carrier, but the S8 runs about $30 per month, or $720 SIM-free. The near Gear VR virtual reality headset with controller will be included for free .

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