Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus (2017) Review
Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus review:
A big-phone lover's dream, but man, that fingerprint reader
If you believe that more screen equals better screen, you're in luck. The Galaxy S8 Plus is exactly the Galaxy S8 with a larger display: 6.2 inches instead of 5.8.
That makes it taller and wider, with a bigger battery (3,500mAh instead of 3,000mAh) and a higher price ($850, £779 or AU$1,349). And... what else?
That's it.
You get all the same core software features and hardware guts as the smaller S8. Like a vast, crystal-clear display, a superspeedy processor and a camera that takes great shots in bright daylight and low light.
There's no second camera lens like the iPhone 7 Plus, no extra perk that comes in the box. As with the Google Pixel XL, the S8 Plus is simply a larger option for people who like big phones.
And as far as its dimensions go, the S8 Plus is a winner. It's slimmer than you'd expect for a phone with a bigger screen than the iPhone 7 Plus, Google Pixel XL and OnePlus 3T, all with their 5.5-inch displays. That gives you a way bigger canvas for typing, reading, watching movies and gazing at your photos. Plus, the Plus is dead sexy. And it's kind of amazing that it sticks out of pockets just a tad higher than the smaller-screened Google Pixel XL.
But the downside here is that you'll be stretching to reach the vertical fingerprint reader on the back of the phone -- it's awkwardly placed to the left of the camera lens (as you look at the screen; it's on the right if you look at the back, as below).
If I found it hard to cover the entire sensor with my fingertip on the S8, the taller S8 Plus is harder still. I had to angle my hand or arm in weird ways, and it's easy to smear the camera -- the software even warns you to be careful of the lens. Sometimes I got the S8 Plus unlocked on the first try. Other times I had to keep stabbing where I thought the sensor was, to get into the phone.
When this happens a couple times, no big deal. When it happens multiple times a day, for multiple days on end, it becomes frustrating and even a little obnoxious. Especially since there are so many fast, accurate fingerprint readers out there on other phones.
Compare that to the Pixel XL, which has a round target about a half inch lower than the S8 Plus' oblong scanner, and the iPhone 7 Plus, whose fingerprint reader lives in the home button. (The latest rumor is that the iPhone 8 may not even get one.)
You don't have to use the fingerprint scanner, of course. You can also use the iris scanner, which has some of its own drawbacks, and face unlock, which I barely count because you can't use it to secure Samsung Pay (it'll work with your prints and iris scan). You get the point.
Still, this is one flaw that, for some, will be completely ignorable. And I like the S8 Plus quite a lot. It's a terrific handset with excellent all-around performance that you can read about here in my fullGalaxy S8 review.
If you're into large-screen phones, you'll find here a pricey phone with all the trimmings, that satisfies your phone needs in every way -- except maybe that hard-to-reach fingerprint reader in the back.
Galaxy S8 Plus versus LG G6, Pixel XL, iPhone 7 Plus, OnePlus 3T
| Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus | Google Pixel XL | LG G6 | Apple iPhone 7 Plus | OnePlus 3T | |
| Display size, resolution | 6.2-inch; 2,960x1,440 pixels | 5.5-inch; 2,560x1,440 pixels | 5.7-inch, 2,880x1,440 pixels | 5.5-inch; 1,920x1,080 pixels | 5.5-inch; 1,920x1,080 pixels |
| Pixel density | 529ppi | 534ppi | 565ppi | 401ppi | 401ppi |
| Dimensions (Inches) | 6.3 x 2.9 x 0.32 in | 6.1 x 3 x 0.34 in | 5.9 x 2.8 x 0.31 in | 6.2 x 3.1 x 0.29 in | 6 x 2.9 x 0.29 in |
| Dimensions (Millimeters) | 160 x 73 x 8.1 mm | 155 x 76 x 8.6 mm | 149 x 72 x 7.9 mm | 158 x 78 x 7.3 mm | 153 x 75 x 7.35 mm |
| Weight (Ounces, Grams) | 6.1 oz; 173g | 5.92 oz; 168g | 5.7 oz, 162g | 6.63 oz; 188g | 5.57 oz; 158g |
| Mobile software | Android 7.0 Nougat | Android 7.1 Nougat | Android 7.0 Nougat | Apple iOS 10 | Android 7.0 Nougat |
| Camera (megapixels) | 12 | 12.3 | 13 (standard), 13 (wide) | 12 (telephoto), 12 (wide) | 16 |
| Front-facing camera (megapixels) | 8 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 16 |
| Video capture | 4K | 4K | 4K | 4K | 4K |
| Processor | Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (2.35GHz + 1.9GHz) or octa-core Samsung Exynos 8895 (2.35GHz + 1.7GHz) | 2.15GHz + 1.6GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 | 2.35GHz Snapdragon 821 with Adreno 530 GPU | Apple A10 chip (64-bit) | 2.35GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 |
| Storage | 64GB | 32GB, 128GB | 32GB | 32GB, 128GB, 256GB | 64GB, 128GB |
| RAM | 4GB | 4GB | 4GB | 3GB | 6GB |
| Expandable storage | Up to 2TB | None | Up to 2TB | None | None |
| Battery (all nonremovable) | 3,500mAh | 3,450mAh | 3,300mAh | 2,900mAh | 3,400mAh |
| Fingerprint sensor | Back | Back | Back | Home button | Home button |
| Connector | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C | Lightning | USB-C |
| Special features | Water-resistant (IP68), wireless charging, Gigabit LTE-ready | Google Assistant; unlimited cloud storage; Daydream VR-ready | 18:9 aspect ratio; wireless charging (US-only); water-resistant | Water and dust-resistant; portrait image mode | Dual-SIM, Dash Charging |
| Price off-contract (USD) | AT&T: $850; Verizon: $840; T-Mobile: $850; Sprint: $850; US Cellular: $785 | $769 (32GB); $869 (128GB) | AT&T: $720, Sprint: $708, T-Mobile: $650, Verizon: $672, US Cellular: $597.60 | $769 (32GB); $869 (128GB); $969 (256GB) | $439 (16GB), $479 (128GB) |
| Price (GBP) | £779 | £719 (32GB); £819 (128GB) | £649 | £719 (32GB); £819 (128GB); £919 (256GB) | £399 (16GB), £439 (128GB) |
| Price (AUD) | AU$1,349 | AU$1,269 (32GB); AU$1,419 (128GB) | AU$1,008 | AU$1,269 (32GB); AU$1,419 (128GB); AU$1,569 (256GB) | Converts to AU$590 (16GB), AU$652 (128GB) |
WHAT YOU'LL PAY
- Amazon.com$984.99
- T-Mobile USA$850.00
- Best Buy
- Amazon Marketplace$984.99
- AT&T Wireless$849.99
Comments
Post a Comment