Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ Review- The Other Perspective!

Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ Review- The Other Perspective!

So here we have the new Galaxies in the Market ready to storm out things and are already into record breaking pre-bookings. As you are reading this post chances are you might already have pre-booked the same and would be waiting eagerly for the delivery in the next few days. 

                                              Image Courtesy: Samsung India Page

Most of you tech junkies already must have memorized the specifications by heart now. So I won't get into the details of the same. Just to summarize- the S8 has a 5.8" while S8+ has a massive 6.2" curved super AMOLED QHD screens crammed into a relatively smaller footprint owing to ever so shrinking bezels (which widely believed is going to be the trend in 2017). The processers are the latest and greatest from Qualcomm and Samsung's own Exynos line-up (will vary basis the region-India will have the Exynos version). While the front facing camera gets a bump to 8MP the back camera remains the same 12MP of the last year line-up with just some improved processing technologies (multi-frame is what Samsung calls)

Key Aspects:

Design: The moment you hold the phone you will really appreciate its almost immaculate industrial design with front and glass backs curving fused to the frame. This makes the feel in the hand slimmer than what it actually is. Ergonomically this gives a much better feel than the S7. You might feel this is the next evolution of the controversial Note 7. While most aren't happy with the finger print sensor placement on the back next to the camera, Samsung has given other biometric ways to open the phone (Iris and Face Recognition). While there are ups on the design there are the lows as well. The glass slab makes for a fingerprint magnet and will require plenty of wipes for a smudge free look. The taller screen makes for a difficult to reach phone on all corners on most occasions and this applies majorly for the S8+. The phone overall feels very fragile and most will be scared to mishandle their prized possessions in spite of the coveted IP68 dust and water resistance rating and the front and back glasses being Gorilla Glass 5. While we can all argue with the plethora of cases and protectors all around- but why put an object of beauty hidden?

Screen: So here we come to the main selling point of the S8s- The Infinity Display. Basically is a marketing term which Samsung is using to highlight the screen. Samsung AMOLED panels were already appreciated since long for its deep blacks and vivid colors (though accuracy was always debatable). Now of course we can tweak the color temperatures to suit our viewing pleasure.

                                                 Image Courtesy: Samsung India Page

But this screen is the best AMOLED panel coming from Samsung to date. But then you do expect that to be there in the latest and greatest offerings from any top company. And of course taking advantage of this technology is the always on screen which is now improved and is much more helpful to display relevant data and notification counts. The issue on the screen however the fact that its now more taller with an odd aspect ratio of 18.5:9 (slightly taller than the LG G6). The software gives an option to scale everything including videos- else there is always a black bar present on both sides of the screen. Developers will take time to adjust to this and we all are unsure how many of then will get this working. I'll leave it to the users for the usefulness of loading apps side by side and the Samsung side panel with plenty of widgets and actions. 

Software & User Interface: The phones run Android Nougat with custom Samsung UI which is now called Samsung Experience (instead of the infamous Touch Wiz). The software now is far more less obtrusive and follows Google Material Design principles. The phone apps are now designed in a more subtle manner and feels refreshing. It however lacks the uniformness as in the pixel launcher of the latest Google phones with perfectly round icons which feel more cohesive in general. Of course there are a plethora of launchers and Samsung's own theme store to get the exact look basis user preference. The lack of bezels in the bottom of the screen now allows for software based buttons and the new home key which is now pressure sensitive (though the feel isn't like the one on the new apple phones). In general the software feels snappy and responsive with lot of options to tweak various settings for a more customized user experience. Coming down to one of the major highlights of the software- or what Samsung feels it is- Meet Bixby! It's the newest kid on the growing stage of virtual assistants (as if we needed it?).So what does it offer differently which Google assistant and Siri (or others) don't do? Well- currently it's half baked and it only serves as a list of card based context aware lists aka Google style. Some other tricks that it offers is it can search visually about a building or a place (aka Google Goggles) or search for an object and help make a purchase of the same via Amazon (though the accuracy currently isn't the best of it).Though Samsung touts that once the Bixby voice service will be available one shall be able to do anything on the phone which we normally do via finger inputs (say for example grab a screenshot and send it to a contact). And to add the importance of the same there is a physical hardware button to summon Bixby.

In the Box: Apart from the phone and paper works you would get an adaptive fast charger and data sync cable (Usb-C), sim ejector tool, adapter for use of older micro-usb accessories and the AKG branded ear phones (the quality of which is a mixed bag) with additional ear plugs.

                                                       Image Courtesy: Samsung India Page

Final Views- The other Perspective:  So then, is the latest and greatest from Samsung the best android phones to date? Well not really. Yes they are marvels of design, good to hold and feels premium. But the whole user experience isn't the best bang for your buck. At INR 57,900 (USD 902) for the S8 and INR 64,900 (USD 1011) for the S8+,  these are pretty expensive offerings considering the market now has plenty of options which are similar in hardware and offer much more vanilla software experience. The ever so sluggish nature of Samsung UI which one feels can never match the stock experience and coupled with waste of spaces in stock apps owing to the tall display doesn't quite looks polished. Adding to it is the lack of frequent and timely software updates. The phone still runs Android 7.0 though most new phones come with 7.1. How will the software hold on in the long run that is yet to be seen but going by previous experiences it might be a mixed bag. The camera is one of the best in the market and performs great in almost all conditions including some good shots in low light mode. But it isn't quite the leader by far and doesn't offer a particular standout feature. The competition has certainly caught up on all fronts. The battery performance is also on an average side with Samsung taking no risks to cram a large battery capacity this time (the S8 has 3000 mAh and the S8+ has 3500 mAh). Yes their is fast charging and also wireless charging but then nothing can match an actual endurance.

The marketing team is going great guns all around with the tagline "Unbox your phone" and it might be a best seller but it will never be the ideal flagship one could simply vouch for!

So will this be in your pocket in the next few days and be there to be flashed in your next business meeting- You ought to decide!