Samsung Galaxy S8 & S8+ pre-registrations begin: First look of the devices

The Samsung Galaxy S8 has a 5.8-inch screen, while the Galaxy S8+ features a 6.2-inch screen

After hitting the rumour mill time and again, Samsung has finally taken the wraps off the much-awaited Samsung Galaxy S8 and Samsung Galaxy S8+ smartphones.

The devices are going to be available in India very soon and pre-registrations for them have already begun Samsung India's official website.

The eighth iteration in the line of ‘Galaxy S’ series, which the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Samsung Galaxy S8+ devices have been the most discussed in the tech community. There had been huge expectations from these devices in terms of the utility they offer and the innovation factor that Samsung brings in to its flagship devices year after year.

The recent Samsung Galaxy Note 7 fiasco was another reason why the world was looking forward to the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Samsung Galaxy S8+ smartphones.

The expectations were high and that can easily be judged just by looking at the rumours that were there before the launch of the new devices. So, how do Samsung Galaxy S8 and Samsung Galaxy S8+ smartphones fare  against  expectations. Let’s take a look.
 

Display

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Samsung Galaxy S8+ devices are built on the same bezel-less curved edge design that Samsung introduced with Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge. However, the new smartphones take the definition of curved screen to another level by covering it under the Gorilla Glass 5 protection.

The two premium smartphones from Samsung differ mainly in their screen sizes. The Samsung Galaxy S8 has a 5.8-inch screen, whereas the Galaxy S8+ features a 6.2-inch screen. Both the screens are of Super AMOLED breed, with an extra wide aspect ratio of 18.5:9 and a resolution of 1,440 x 2,960 pixels. Also, the corners are no more edgy; they have been rounded in the new flagship devices.

The devices support HDR10, which was there in Samsung Note 7, too, without Dolby Vision. Also, the display on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are the first to feature Ultra Dynamic Range (UDR).

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ smartphones do away with the hardware navigation keys below the screen. It has been replaced by pressure-sensitive on-screen buttons. The two smartphones get a new key which brings Samsung Digital Assistant – Bixby – into play.

Bixby is capable of answering voice queries, adjusting and learning from the world around. It can recognise things using device camera and make an online search about them.

Camera

On the camera front, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ don't see any major upgrade in terms of sensor. The  two smartphones feature at the rear the same 12-megapixel Dual Pixel sensor that was there in the Samsung Galaxy S7 but with improved algorithms and software processing. On the front, there is an 8 MP camera that supports autofocus.

Hardware

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ will come with two different chipset options – Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 and Exynos 8895 – but, as per the company claims, the performance would remain identical irrespective of the chipset. 

The duo of devices are the first in the smartphones to offer 1 gigabit LTE speed. The phones get 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage and there is a UFS/microSD hybrid card slot for external memory.

Battery

The Samsung Galaxy S8 is powered by a 3,000 mAh battery, and the bigger Galaxy S8+ is equipped with a 3,500 mAh pack. Both are sealed and feature Samsung’s Adaptive Fast Charging. Also, the devices support fast wireless charging too.

Others

The flagship duo is waterproof (rating not yet disclosed) and will come with a pair of AKG headphones. There is a mono loudspeaker and the fingerprint scanner is moved at the back of the device next to the camera. There is facial recognition and IRIS scanner that adds to the overall security of the devices.

Overall, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ lacks the awe and shock that they used to deliver with every Galaxy S smartphone. Apart from the screen and cosmetic changes, everything else seems to be regular stuff. It would be unfair to pass the judgement already without reviewing the device and therefore we will reserve our judgement on the actual utility of the devices and their features.