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  • hansmuff - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    It'd be good if you indicated which CPU the Galaxy S6 is using in the graphs.
  • hansmuff - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    Nevermind I thought there were dual versions of the S6..
  • darkich - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    Please get your hands on the Exynos version. It again appears to be (surprise,surprise) the superior one
  • Ryan Smith - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    It will be happening.=)
  • tijag - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    For the US, what limitations are there for getting the Exynos version? Does it not cover all the frequencies used by the carriers here? Or is it just a market segmentation thing?
  • lilmoe - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    I'm not entirely sure what the new Shannon modem stack covers. But even if it does, I believe Qualcomm's modems are better suited (and more supported) in the US. The gap between the Snapdragon and Exynos variants this year isn't nearly as wide as last year though. If you live in the US, it's a safer bet to go with the local variant.
  • Krispytech - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    The Qualcomm modem and Exynos both support cat 16/13. The Exynos modem is GSM only because Qualcomm owns all the CDMA patents in the US. If your in the US that means no support for Verizon or Sprint. It will work with Tmobile or ATT and supports all LTE bands. Out of the box it may not support carrier specific things like wifi calling.
  • tijag - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    Tmo here. So that means the exynos version should be completely viable for me. Especially if I don't care about wifi calling?
  • Jedi2155 - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    You don't care about wifi calling until you need it. It actually works great in some places where there is limited signal strength but plenty of wifi hotspots. Examples would be international traveling, underground malls, or garages.
  • leo_sk - Saturday, April 22, 2017 - link

    Arent there multiple apps for that purpose. Aznog is one and its free
  • lilmoe - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    and if you also don't care about warranty...
  • Krispytech - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    Yes. Though there are still workarounds to get wifi calling working. People got it to work on the Exynos s7. The hardware supports it, it's just a hack to get it working.

    B&H sells the international S7 in the US with warranty so if they start selling the S8 you may want to check them out.
  • Basilisk - Friday, April 28, 2017 - link

    Kudos for its WiFi calling. I'm currently in an urban environment where T-Mob is well supported, but I've traveled the US western mountain states where I've spent a week without T-Mob but always spent nights and many meals where WiFi was available... but at that time I lacked the s/w supporting WiFi. My S8+ came with the WiFi enabling during setup, and most of my calls have seamlessly used WiFi as I'm amidst established networks.
  • Ej24 - Saturday, April 29, 2017 - link

    Im on Verizon and I have a Galaxy S6 which only came with exynos soc and Shannon modems. It's obviously works on CDMA or Verizon wouldn't have sold it.
  • metayoshi - Monday, May 1, 2017 - link

    The Verizon and Sprint variants of the Galaxy S6 use a standalone Qualcomm modem, the MDM9635, along side the Exynos SoC. They don't use the Shannon modem.
  • francescop1 - Saturday, April 22, 2017 - link

    Are the battery life tests performed on full resolution or 1080p? Thanks
  • aryonoco - Saturday, April 22, 2017 - link

    Yes. We need clarification on this. All battery and GPU tests need to be performed on both, the default 1080p resolution and the native 3K resolution. Thanks
  • SunnyNW - Sunday, April 23, 2017 - link

    Can we please get an answer to this question.
  • SunnyNW - Sunday, April 23, 2017 - link

    ugh nvm
  • Notmyusualid - Monday, April 24, 2017 - link

    @ Ryan

    Good luck with that.

    I went to over a dozen stores here in mainland China on Saturday, and I got promises of ordering it in, but no physical hardware.
  • tuxRoller - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    That seems somewhat uncertain as Samsung tends to not integrate Snapdragon as well as some other companies.
    I'm curious as to what is happening with the photo editing test. That's quite a divergence from the reference hardware, which it otherwise tracks closely.
  • Eden-K121D - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    Galaxy S8 is a very small upgrade from the S7 overall except for the display.
    Also Matt did you test the battery in default mode with FHD+ resolution or the WQHD+ with performance mode
  • Matt Humrick - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    I ran this test with default settings (Optimized, FHD+). I'll test with WQHD+ also in our full report.
  • lilmoe - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    Please keep it at the default FHD+ resolution for your in depth analysis. The battery/performance gains in browsing, gaming, and other UI navigation is pretty darn significant, even on my GS7e (which, after the latest update, was running FHD+ by default as well). And while CPU efficiency gains for video streaming isn't as significant (since it's fixed function decoding), the bandwidth saved from streaming lower resolution files (FHD vs QHD) are significant and contribute more to battery life than the CPU.

    I believe this is very critical, since it portrays a truer, real world image of the device performance for the average user (which gets FHD+ by default, and will probably leave it at that). But I'm also interested to see your take on the difference.

    Oh, and please, PLEASE try to get your hands on the Exynos variant. It would be really nice to see a head-to-head deep dive of the different SoCs.
  • gigathlete - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    Hi Matt, is the letter boxing while playing 16:9 videos or using apps annoying?
  • gigathlete - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    Also when you test battery life can you try to make sure there is no letter boxing? Having part of the screen off would not be a good representation of total power usage. Thank you.
  • Matt Humrick - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    I do not find the letter boxing annoying. The black bars are on the left and right sides of the video, and, at least in the YouTube app, there's a hidden button to crop the video and play it full screen.
  • lilmoe - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    "Galaxy S8 is a very small upgrade from the S7 overall except for the display"

    No it's not. It's a fairly significant upgrade, especially for US customers.
    - The design and display thing is pretty obvious, and very significant.
    - The processor is a huge step up from last year's SD820 in terms of process and better, much more efficient load distribution (more cores). Looks like Qualcomm has significantly improved their image processing blocks this time (not exactly Exynos levels, but much better than last year). The Exynos model sees a slightly less significant upgrade, but surely not insignificant (especially in image processing and video encoding/decoding).
    - UFS 2.1 is a HUGE upgrade in storage performance, which actually matters in both speed and general power efficiency.
    - Much better, 32bit audio processing and output, especially for the US models.
    - The battery has a much improved life span (has to be tested though).

    Not sure what people are expecting. Other than some blemishes (like the fingerprint sensor placement, which isn't a deal breaker by any means), the GS8 will most probably be the best flagship of 2017, only bested by the Note 8, as tradition has it.

    The default resolution of FHD/FHD+ in Samsung's latest implementation is a revelation. After so much LOUD nagging from myself and numerous sensible users, they've FINALLY allowed us to change the screen resolution. QHD or higher on this screen size is simply pointless, if you can see a difference, then you're only one of a handful of users, and you still can change it back. But just look at the battery life gains.... Who wouldn't want better battery life and optimal performance for a MOBILE device???

    I'm not sure why everyone is asking reviewers to set the screen resolution to max. They shouldn't, because that's what everyone's getting. And no, I don't believe it's a downgrade, you still get the BEST display in the business and the sharpest FHD screen (since there's more than 3 sub-pixles per pixel), while still enjoying the best screen characteristics (brightness, color accuracy, HDR, infinite contrast, etc...)

    Here's the thing. Galaxies only get better, faster and smoother with each major update, the most significant lately was the new Grace UX (or Samsung Experience like they like to call it). The lower screen resolution has contributed greatly to that. Some people say that they get sluggish over time (warranting a factory reset), but that's a thing of Android that Google needs to fix, in addition with irresponsible user habits (which Samsung sort-of remedies with the latest update in the form of Device maintenance in the settings menu).
  • Meteor2 - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    I hope Google release something decent.
  • lmcd - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    They're tied to HTC's release schedule.

    I hope Google never releases a phone again, or buys HTC and gives them the brand backing they deserve.
  • lilmoe - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    I don't know... The Pixel was such an overpriced, overhyped failure of an iPhone clone, it's not even funny. And honestly speaking, Google's take on Android is too boring and dumbed down, to the point that those who bought a Pixel, and didn't want to fiddle with it, should really have bought an iPhone since that's what they most probably wanted, and it's the better device.

    Galaxies, LGs, Sonys, and HTCs (and even Huaweis) are a different story. They offer MUCH more value and a better overall package than Google hardware. Flagship Galaxies, in particular, are the only devices better than iPhones.
  • Che - Monday, April 24, 2017 - link

    Well, I bought a Pixel after suffering with 4 years of Samsung phones that over all I enjoyed EXCEPT for the insane shutter, slowdowns, weird battery drain issues (Samsung baby cry detector, I'm looking at you).

    Now 7 months in with the Pixel and I am loving every last moment of it. I prefer the Samsung hardware and style, but can not put up with the bloat any longer. It was amazing to un-install all the Verizon apps and not have the Samsung ones pushed down my throat.

    Also, I would never purchase an iPhone.
  • rubyonrails3 - Tuesday, April 25, 2017 - link

    Pixel is the best phone I've ever used and I've used a lot of phones, from HTC One X to HTC 10, from S6 to S7 edge, LG g4, V10 and Moto X all generations, Oneplus 3, Axon 7 and iPhone 6s to iphone 7 plus. S8 even with greatest spec can't run as smooth as Pixel XL. Pixel is not expensive cuz it offer something unique software updates, best camera and best software experience on android. yes its not beautiful but User experience on it far superior than any Galaxy.
  • lmcd - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    FHD isn't even the bottleneck in optimal viewing experience. Most photos that users will be viewing are horribly compressed. Most games that users will be playing will play best at 1920x1080 or similar. Most video recording still does better with a 1920x1080 viewfinder. When all of these things change, then maybe it is time to consider higher resolutions.
  • ZeDestructor - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    And then you have people like me, who primarily read stuff on their phones. For reading western scripts, I've found ~400ppi (~1200 subpixels per inch) to be the point where I stop giving a crap about the pixel grid when it comes to text.

    Given the RGBG pixel layout of AMOLED panels, I'm still hoping for 600ppi AMOLED to become a thing, to hit that magical 1200subpixels per inch mark. The S8 gets real close though, at 570ppi, and if I did get an S8+, I'd probably hold it further away so it would work out to about the same.

    I want more pixels, and I want it rendered at native res, not upscaled!
  • serendip - Sunday, April 23, 2017 - link

    I find fonts have a big part in making text easy to read on phones. I'm using a 6.4" 1080p screen with a lowly 342 ppi density, no problems reading web texts and ebooks on it with a dense serif font like Charis SIL ModifiedLarger. I can hold the phone further away and have dense text that's still easy to see.

    Light sans serif fonts need a larger font size to be legible at the same screen distance. Either that or I have to hold the phone closer. Those old eyes can't tell any difference beyond 300 ppi with the phone 2 feet from my eyes... Screen size matters most to me. I'd love to get a big 6.5" QHD screen with subsampling so I get a really sharp 1080p.
  • ZeDestructor - Monday, April 24, 2017 - link

    Fonts are super-important as reading choices go. I just use very small fonts because I like information density and my eyes are objectively amazing (well, they were the last time I did a proper eyechart test about a year go...)
  • serendip - Sunday, April 23, 2017 - link

    Another cultural difference between east and west: scripts like Chinese, Japanese and Korean are information-dense, with each character representing a word. For example, the letter 'a' is legible further away than the character 我.

    Maybe that's why people in east Asian countries tend to bring their phones closer to their eyes. Small, high ppi screens allow for clearer East Asian scripts at small font sizes.
  • akdj - Monday, April 24, 2017 - link

    "我" rendered amazingly well and is incredibly legible at my normal, alphabet reading distances on my iPad Pro 9.7" model this morning.
    I was very impressed, thanks for sharing as it's very cool how intricate, yet detailed on display the symbol/'character' is - what does it mean?
    Thx
    J
  • ZeDestructor - Monday, April 24, 2017 - link

    I always bring out this relic when people say 300ppi is enough: http://i.imgur.com/wEe6DxE.jpg (JDI's 651ppi prototype from 2012). Of course, these days with Sony's (JDI OEM I think) 4K 5.5" screens we're well into the 800ppi range, a point at which I think even the nuttiest far eastern readers will agree is dense enough.
  • fanofanand - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    A 47% increase in battery life is a very small upgrade? Do we really need more processing power in phones? Most people would gladly take the increased battery life over more performance. Seems to me like they focused on the right things this time around. I would still prefer removable batteries, but that seems to be a pipe dream these days.
  • JeffFlanagan - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    Sure, but it's a nice upgrade from the S6. I'm not a fan of the curved display, but it's much more responsive, and runs much cooler than my S6. I expect it to be much better for VR.
  • Alexvrb - Saturday, April 22, 2017 - link

    You're on crack! The 835 SoC is MASSIVELY faster than the 82x. Did you read the article and actually see how the S7 stacks up?? The stopgap 820 is showing its age.
  • Chidoro - Sunday, April 23, 2017 - link

    The 835 is not a very small upgrade over the 820.
  • Cliff34 - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    How come in the graph S6 is rated faster than S7?
  • StevoLincolnite - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    Because different SoCs.

    The S7 had the Snapdragon 820 while the S6 had the Exynos 7420.
  • dstarr3 - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    No removable battery, no sale. You'd think Samsung of all companies would've learned. The whole Note 7 fiasco could've been averted if they could've just shipped customers new batteries. But nope, they need to save 0.5mm on the phone's thickness, and god forbid they make a phone that you can keep operating for over two years.
  • frowertr - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    Going to be harder and harder to buy smart phones for you I think if you decide to not buy them for that reason alone.
  • IronicTonic - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    They couldn't design a sleek and slim body like this without ditching the removable battery. Battery life has improved over the years, and with options like quick charging, wireless charging, it's irrelevant that it does not have a removable battery. To be honest, I consider it more of hassle to have to remove my battery and replace it on the go rather than just use my brain to remember to charge it periodically. People who want removable batteries need to get over it and join the rest of us in the 21st century. Seriously. Move on and stop holding back progress for the sake of your inability to adapt.
  • lilmoe - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    I get the design aspect of it and I'm not blaming Samsung for bending to public pressure. But saying that demanding a removable battery is backwards thinking is going too far. I still would like a "Classic" variant of the Galaxy S with a removable battery. I'd ditch my GS7e for that in a heart beat.
  • dstarr3 - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    The charging method doesn't at all make a removable battery irrelevant. The problem is that batteries can only be recharged so many times, and in every single phone I've owned, it was the battery that was the first part to fail. Sometimes even the only part to fail, in phones that I upgraded simply because of age of technology. But now, when the battery fails, which it will, the entire phone is junk. And there is no way I'm spending $600-$800 on a phone that I'll only get 2-3 years of use out of, max.

    Honestly, if I have to spend the rest of my life using dumb-phones because of this, I will. Cell phones are not worth the money they cost when considering the frequency with which they need to be replaced now.
  • Meteor2 - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    The problem I had with replaceable batteries is that by the time the OEM battery had lost so much capacity I wanted to replace it, the only batteries I could get were cheap knock-offs which actually had less capacity than the tired original battery :(.

    TBH I don't mind spending that kind of money (well, the bottom end) every two or three years, as the tech moves on so far in that span of time.
  • lilmoe - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    Good practice would be buying an extra battery regardless of the health of the original battery. I did that for non replaceable s7 battery and it's kept safe in the box. I'll need it someday. I wouldn't mind trading water resistance after replacing the battery for extending the life of the device an additional 2- 3 years
  • grant3 - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    A lithium battery in storage will permanently lose ~3% of capacity, depending on temperature.
  • grant3 - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    There are plenty of smartphones available for much less than $600-$800.
  • Yongsta - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    I've had the One Plus One and Iphone 6 for 3 years now, the battery life still is great on both phones. I'm looking for an upgrade this year but batteries now can be recharged so many times without any issue. My old Samsung Galaxy Note 2 phone I used for 2 years and gave to my mom 2 years ago, it's near 5 years old and battery life is still fine.
  • philehidiot - Saturday, April 22, 2017 - link

    I've got a HTC M9. The battery life was borderline acceptable at birth but now, 20 or so months later it requires charging twice a day and I've got to carry a portable charger. Granted I use it a fair amount but it's still unacceptable. Compare that to my girlfriend's new S7 and that lasts to the end of the day with 60%+ (although her use is less than mine). Whilst yes, mine has the problem of the S810 SoC, I still think this classifies as making a product unfit for purpose. If it can't be used properly (and those of us who pay for a flagship phone are not exactly going to be leaving it in our pockets, nor should you, in my opinion, have to cripple it by turning off all the high speed cores or reducing the screen brightness to squint inducing levels) for the life of the contract it is tied to then it's not fit for purpose.

    I think part of the problem is the obsession with fast charging. I don't see the point in it most of the time as you're recharging it overnight (as long as the damn thing lasts the day, if it's a mid day recharge then it's from my portable battery which is only 1A max output anyway). I think the default charging method should be a slow charge to minimise heat and battery degradation. When you connect it to a compatible charger a drop down notification could easily pop up asking if you want to fast charge or not. As a result of this perceived problem (which some people on this site have confirmed is an issue and the advancements being advertised by one of the Chinese firms (I forget which one) seem to also confirm) I now connect my phone to a 1A output charger for overnight charging and only to a higher output when I need a quicker charge. I think in my case the damage is already done and the horse bolted so long ago the stable has been demolished and the door is for sale on ebay.

    Perhaps I will abandon my love affair with HTC and go for a Samsung next time around as they finally appear to have stopped bastardising the interface so much and my experience with the S7 is just so much better than the M9. The camera latency is just incredible as is the screen. Plus the battery improvements. I'm not sure if the S8 is worth it for me but the S7 might be nice and cheap soon....
  • serendip - Sunday, April 23, 2017 - link

    Fast charging isn't bad as long as you keep temperatures down. I'd also limit the depth of discharge and maintain state of charge between 40-80%, with 100% charge only used on occasionally when you really need that power. Limited discharge means longer cycles before total capacity goes down, so you could still see something like 90% capacity after 2 years.
  • m2inor - Wednesday, April 26, 2017 - link

    Perhaps the cell phone companies could learn something from Toyota about charging and maintaining batteries.

    Anyone owning a hybrid car will typically drive their car everyday, and the battery is charged and discharged several times per day.

    When I read about Toyota's battery management, I learned several things:
    - NiMH instead of Lithium
    - batteries only permitted to discharge to 10-20%

    I have 10 years on my RX400h, and all is still doing well. I asked the dealer how many batteries they've had to replace since the vehicle was introduced back in 2006. 1, and that was due to an accident that damaged the battery.

    I've had a Samsung Note 3 for several years but I had been using a double sized battery with a flip case from Seidio. That's what it takes to get thru the day on one charge. The 3rd party battery is finally starting to show its age, and I purchased a spare battery at same time. 3+ years of life.

    Just switched to S7 Edge / 128GB version that Samsung is selling in the UAE. Great phone. Was tempted by the S8 and S8+ but that Edge did everything I cared about for a few hundred dollars less.

    Too bad Samsung limits the market of their premier phones. Yes, dual SIM versions of the S8/8+ are being offered in UAE and other Asian markets, but not 128GB yet. I was pleasantly surprised that my S7 Edge 128GB ad some of the S8 improvements, too, and came with Nougat 7.0 already installed.
  • marcplante - Sunday, May 14, 2017 - link

    Some of us don't mind keeping a phone for 3-4 years. I have been able to do that because I could update the battery at 2 years. If my s5 had 32gb of memory, I'd probably hold onto it for a couple more years, but I bought an s8 and this will be retired as a nice tv remote. I'm gonna miss the ir blaster in the phone.
  • Chidoro - Sunday, April 23, 2017 - link

    My Droid turbo is 2 1/2 years old and the battery life on it is still better than most new phones.
    Sure, it's a 3900 mah pack, but that's the whole point and one of the primary reasons why I purchased it.
  • trparky - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    I am impressed, the software does look pretty damn polished when compared to years ago. However until both Samsung and the United States carriers agree to a guaranteed monthly software patch schedule which includes not only security patches but core Android updates I won't buy an Android phone.

    Windows, Linux, Google Chrome, and Firefox can all do monthly software updates and patches. Why the hell can't Samsung?!?!
  • lilmoe - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    They.....do? I'm on the April security patch on my GS7e, my wife's Note 4 is on March's.
  • phoenix_rizzen - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    It depends on the carrier. Canadian GS7 is stuck on the Feb security release ATM, although we did just receive an update to Android 7.0.1 this month.
  • anactoraaron - Monday, April 24, 2017 - link

    And yet the US unlocked variants (SM-G930U and SM-G935U) are still on 6.0.1, March 2017 security patch, while just about every version of S6 and even the Note 5 are on 7.0. They recently promised monthly security patches (after releasing what was supposedly their last quarterly update) and yet here we are at the end of April and no April patch, and still no timeline on 7.0 or if we few unlucky souls will ever get 7.0 on this flagship device.

    So it depends on which version of flagship you own from Samsung as to whether you get updates and support.

    My advise is to NEVER buy a US unlocked ANYTHING from Samsung. Ever.
  • m2inor - Wednesday, April 26, 2017 - link

    I just got the S7 Edge 128GB unlocked. Came from UAE, and 7.0 was factory installed.

    Great phone, and dual-SIM, too.

    You can peruse the Samsung UAE website for specs. Souq.com is a reseller but does not ship outside the local market; they use Amazon's online software, and Amazon is moving to purchase the business. There are US resellers over on eBay at good prices,a nd fast delivery, too.
  • lmcd - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    Sadly, Windows Mobile just cut off the majority of its base from new updates. Linux has a major problem with distros failing to backport consistently. Google Chrome auto-updates on Windows and Mac, but uses the Linux repository system and in many ways isn't convenient to upgrade on Linux (in my opinion). Firefox updates are mostly smooth, but haven't managed to fix many of the problems that need updated.

    Nobody's perfect.
  • tuxRoller - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    Looks like apple is!
  • tuxRoller - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    Um, you know that companies other than Samsung make Android devices?
    Some even provide guarantees regarding updates (iirc, Samsung actually announced an update policy for their phones this year).
  • frowertr - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    The fingerprint sensor location in fine for those of us using a case. You can easily "feel" where the sensor is from the cutouts in the back of the case.
  • erwos - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    Yeah, I have no idea what the author is talking about with that being a problem. I use an Axon 7 with a back finger print sensor and it's terrific. You pick up the phone and your index finger naturally falls on the sensor. Very intuitive.

    IMHO, front finger print sensors suck, as they prevent you from doing a one-handed unlock using it.
  • lmcd - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    As one of 5 Alcatel Idol 4S owners, I can tell you that rear fingerprint sensors can have downsides.
  • Matt Humrick - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    With the S8 and S8+, your finger does not naturally fall on the fingerprint sensor. That's the problem.
  • lioncat55 - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    After holding one, my finger did fall on the finger print sensor. It was a stretch to hit the camera.
  • JeffFlanagan - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    Maybe your finger does not fall on the sensor. My finger does, not that I need it with the iris scanner present.
  • realbabilu - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    Still same Qualcomm QC 2.0 for S8? Why? Hoping will be have a charging time test.
  • SydneyBlue120d - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    Is the TouchWiz UX Vulkan based?
  • lmcd - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    I know Vulkan's a cool buzzword but ideally TouchWiz caps out at RenderScript or OpenVG or something of that nature.
  • tuxRoller - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    Openvg isn't really a thing anymore.
    When most embedded devices have moved to a general purpose 3d gpu.
    Vulkan is nice because you only need to pay for what you use.
  • SydneyBlue120d - Saturday, April 22, 2017 - link

    http://www.phonearena.com/news/Samsungs-experiment...
  • Cakefish - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    I wish you would compare to the Exynos Galaxy S7 also. Comparing it only to the US Snapdragon edition doesn't help non-US readers. This article makes it clear that the Snapdragon 835 performance and battery life is light years ahead of the Snapdragon 820 but what about the Exynos 8890?

    As of now, there's a giant elephant in the room.
  • jrs77 - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    Google "Samsung Galaxy S8 red display"...

    You would think that they learned their lesson with the batteries in the Note 7.

    Anyways... No user-replacable battery no sale. Atleast it has a mSD-slot.
  • Yongsta - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    That's like 98% of the phones out there (no user-replaceable battery).
  • jrs77 - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    I know, and that's why I still use a Nokia 520 and probably will keep using it for the next decade if the hardware doesn't break or I run out of replacement batteries.
  • Yongsta - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    I guess different use cases. Back when I had a Startac I had extra batteries because it was poor but now I use the phone a full day and still have around 30% before I go to sleep (which I just place on a charger).
  • jrs77 - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    The battery of my phone lasts me for a couple of days, as I only use it for making phonecalls, sending texts or listening to some music.
    Has nothing to do with replacing batteries on the go, but replacing batteries in the device to extend it's lifetime.
    When the battery dies in an iPhone or all of thoose with integrated batteries I need to buy a new phone, instead of just buying a battery for $10-15.

    For surfing the web, playing some games etc I carry a 11" notebook, which I need for work anyways.
  • shabby - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    Just because a phone doesn't have a removable battery doesn't mean you can't replace it.
  • jrs77 - Saturday, April 22, 2017 - link

    Can I replace it myself without any tools? No. Can I take the battery out so that my phone can't be tracked anymore? No. Can I buy a cheap replacement for $15? No.

    See. There's people like me, who use their phones in a different way than the generation X or the millenials. There's people with a brain left.
  • Icehawk - Sunday, April 23, 2017 - link

    Apple will replace batteries, it's not cheap but nothing from Cupertino is
  • Notmyusualid - Monday, April 24, 2017 - link

    @Yongsta

    I don't think that is true.
  • SilthDraeth - Friday, April 21, 2017 - link

    So face unlock can't recognize your face, yet can unlock via a picture of your face?
  • Agent Smith - Saturday, April 22, 2017 - link

    Why no Apple iPhone comparisons, is this a joke?
  • vision33r - Sunday, April 23, 2017 - link

    Because the SD835 still doesn't even beat the iPhone 6S in performance and just barely beats iPhone 6. That's how sad the state of the Android vs iPhone performance. But it doesn't matter unless you are into heavy gaming.
  • Notmyusualid - Monday, April 24, 2017 - link

    If the Cr@pple was 5x faster - I still wouldn't buy it.
  • IUU - Saturday, April 22, 2017 - link

    So, you read about all the nice specs, relatively powerful cpus and gpus(at least in the mobile space), sweet beautiful screens, at last decent amounts of storage and ram(for the price a flagship phone commands) and about to post a positive comment, when you see the last spec....

    and you can't help bitching, even if you don't like it!

    3000 mah battery , why? All the gains in efficiency practically nullified. A bigger screen and a smaller battery ??? Those making "mobile" devices need to understand , that phones are now computers with a newly established "need" to be used as such. So, using the "phone" as described, will barely get you through the day(don't talk to me about fast charging, when you run out of battery there is usually no socket around to charge). If it was a "budget" phone, this would be a sacrifice you would be willing to make to get the functionality , while being a bit socket anxious, and restrained in your daily use.

    But this is a flagship phone, that will cost about as a lower range ,midrange pc. If the newer model does not make substantial gains towards lasting more, it is a lost game. I belong to a group of consumers who are value aware regarding computing devices. Meaning , I subconsciously and automatically measure their performance and classify them as more capable , less capable and in this way , if they deserve the price they ask. In smartphones, part of their value is to have your computing with you always no matter if you are tied to a chair and a socket or not. There's no way I would spend this kind of money , to get this kind of battery life, especially if they seem to wish to make a fool out of me by providing the same battery with a larger screen. I will look for another phone, with better battery specs.

    Being miserly in RAM, and storage was always ticking me off in the past. Not that I am completely satisfied now. But seeing this lame behavior still in 2017 , directed towards battery is annoying as hell. If it is about the edge that restricts the engineers, then I say to them I would gladly buy a phone with edges if it was making improvements in battery. So, you will say, are you blind , haven't you seen the gains in efficiency bla bla bla? What are they for if you increase screen size, and what you would get if you put a battery with increased capacity to match screen size increase?
  • lilmoe - Saturday, April 22, 2017 - link

    I believe if you're being "value aware", you shouldn't be thinking about the latest flagship at this point in a mature smartphone market. There are lots of devices that offer MUCH better value. If you want to stick with a Galaxy, and you're not living in the US, I'd strongly recommend considering the Exynos GS7e. It's a much better value than premium mid-range devices like the OnePlus 3T, especially after the latest update. Battery life is stellar.
  • IUU - Sunday, April 23, 2017 - link

    In fact I examine all my options. And of course l will go to another solution, given the circumstances. Plus, the better performance will almost never be seen , as you will almost always be relying on good old cortex a53 to keep your battery. Plus, the faster cores are not so fast, nor can you use this phone in productivity environments easily (not any other phone for that matter), because of lack of universal connectivity with common peripherals. Thus, the better performance is mostly a moot point.This, added to the fact of subpar battery makes me so vocal.At least, they are not Apple where you beg to have storage versatility and you are always at a loss regarding the General organisation and structure of your files.
  • negusp - Sunday, April 23, 2017 - link

    Better price for value than the OP3T? Are you crazy?

    The OP3T costs around $200 less than an unlocked Exynos GS7e. Not to mention better dev support, warranty that covers unlocked bl's/root, and a fairly easily replaceable battery.
  • Chidoro - Sunday, April 23, 2017 - link

    Get a Motorola Z play and be done with it. If you are the odd one in a million that can not get a day of use out of that phone, slap a battery mod on the back.
    The SD625 is no slouch either.
  • zodiacfml - Saturday, April 22, 2017 - link

    Wow, amazing battery life result which haven't found elsewhere. The difference might have been bigger if there's less screen on during the test
  • Chaser - Saturday, April 22, 2017 - link

    I love this phone. Amazing.
  • AnnonymousCoward - Sunday, April 23, 2017 - link

    The serious problems:

    1. It's too big! It's 18% larger than my S6. What is with Samsung's obsession of continually forcing larger screens, while our hands and pockets stay the same.

    2. Loss of the IR blaster from the S6.

    3. The camera's aspect ratio of 4:3 doesn't match every modern screen! The S6 is suitably 16:9 and its pictures fit perfectly.

    4. The curved edges of the screen add obscure light reflections.
  • hp79 - Monday, April 24, 2017 - link

    1. Matter of personal taste
    2. I feel the pain
    3. 4:3 is better, easier for the optics. If you go too wide the lens distortion will be very noticeable. Otherwise, if you must have wide screen photos, you use the lower resolution (which defeats the purpose).
    4. Also personal preference.

    I had S6, and then S7 Edge. Couple months ago I dumped S7 Edge and jumped to iPhone SE. I couldn't stand the TouchWiz anymore. All those constant nag screens on volume up, airplane mode, data-off, whatever... along with the bad idle battery drain. The camera was really good though, but then a lot of the pictures looked artificial when you looked at it from a monitor screen. Inconsistent speed (especially with the camera launch) was also one of the problems of the S7 Edge. I'm using an iPhone SE right now, but will probably get a iPhone 8 when it comes out.
  • AnnonymousCoward - Monday, April 24, 2017 - link

    1. Size is hardly a "personal preference". Smaller is better.

    3. Then how did they pull off the S6? It doesn't distort images and its 16:9 pictures fit screens perfectly.

    4. No. Looking at obscure light reflections that are only on the sides of the screen is a bad thing for any viewer--not a personal preference.
  • loller86 - Sunday, April 23, 2017 - link

    "Your face probably will not be smiling if you try to rely on it to unlock the phone"

    No.

    But my legs will be!

    Because...

    You are very dumb.
  • fanofanand - Monday, April 24, 2017 - link

    95 comments in, and you win the award for the dumbest. Congratulations!
  • Allan_Hundeboll - Sunday, April 23, 2017 - link

    Reasonable priced phone offer everything a typical smartphone user needs, so please review Moto g5 and g5 plus
  • negusp - Sunday, April 23, 2017 - link

    G5 sucks ass.

    G5 plus looks OK- SD625 looks to be fairly powerful and the battery will be good.

    However, a G4 Plus is now $160 on Amazon vs $225 for the G5 Plus. Not to mention the G4 Plus also has a better camera.
  • Allan_Hundeboll - Monday, April 24, 2017 - link

    I know g4 plus is cheaper. But 2 GB ram isn't much and I think the 3 GB Moto g5 plus will get Android O, so it's a little more "future proof".
    But I would really like to read a thorough review before I recommend it to my best friend.
  • UtilityMax - Saturday, April 29, 2017 - link

    Both, the G4 Plus and the 2GB G5 Plus suck. Any Android phone with only 2GB of memory is effectively a single-tasking phone, because it boots any background apps out of memory very fast. Hence I need to wait 10 seconds while switching from the web browser back to the podcast app. There is a G5 Plus 4GB RAM version, but that one does cost 300USD.
  • amdwilliam1985 - Sunday, April 23, 2017 - link

    Any chance of checking on the file system? maybe they're finally move to f2fs, which they've invented?
    Can anyone shine a light to why f2fs is not being widely use yet?
    As far as I'm aware of, OnePlus 3T(soon OnePlus 3) are the only phone(s) that's using f2fs that was invented at Samsung, why?
  • FreidoNumeroUno - Monday, April 24, 2017 - link

    Whatever it is, I really hate curved display, except when it was really curved on note 4 edge. I would like the display to be convex curved. But not like that on Samsung phones. I just don't get the point. It will make the reflection double.
    Then I hated s7 edge. The ordinary model is okay, the flat faced one. But curved is really annoying.
    I like the s8 rear though. Camera seems better than iphone. But still, considering the queer skin Samsung has on its nougat on s8 makes it really fakey.
    The finger print arrangement seems childish. Sony has it best. Iphone comes second. Samsung comes last now. Their display is gorgeous. But best for media. Everything else, it's too much distraction. Phone should be of assistance. Not of distraction. It's too long as well.
    Is it true that Google pixel git the best cam? Can't believe. Are they using true free andro? Or do they have some proprietary piece of software in pixel now?
  • shm224 - Monday, April 24, 2017 - link

    Why does Anandtech continue to use web/js/browser benchmark ( web bbrowsing 2.0) misleadingly to compare the same underlying hardware (qualcomm 850 vs Samsung 850)?
  • wpwoodjr - Monday, April 24, 2017 - link

    I love the face recognition and HATE the fingerprint reader. Half the time the fingerprint reader doesn't work, and I can't use it without looking to make sure I'm not hitting the camera lens. The LG G6 fingerprint reader was amazing, never had any issues with it even with dry fingers. I have found the face recognition works REALLY well, it hasn't failed yet. Perhaps not as secure, but I think I would be taking the S8 back if I had to rely on the crappy Samsung fingerprint reader.
  • Galactica727 - Tuesday, April 25, 2017 - link

    So the Galaxy S8 is not using LPDDR4X RAM?
  • Didiron - Wednesday, April 26, 2017 - link

    Follow this huge source for latest daily news updates on galaxy S8, great place for anyone who is planning to buy one... http://mobilenewsflash.com/search/galaxy%20S8
  • hassantd - Thursday, April 27, 2017 - link

    Brand new Original Samsung Galaxy s8 and s8+ New Edition RED Apple iphone 7 and 7 128GB plus cost 550usd with 1year warranty.

    Serious buyer should contact us.
  • hassantd - Thursday, April 27, 2017 - link

    Brand new Original Samsung Galaxy s8 and s8+ New Edition RED Apple iphone 7 and 7 128GB plus cost 550usd with 1year warranty.

    Serious buyer should contact us.

    Skype: faisa.hassan102
  • Basilisk - Friday, April 28, 2017 - link

    I've had Zero problems with facial recognition - unless I forget to put on my glasses. In fact, it has an unnerving tendency to recognize me and log me on before I've thought about "posing". That a photo can fool it seems sad, but I can't imagine anyone knowing me and able to take a good pix would consider it, save as a prank.
  • UtilityMax - Friday, April 28, 2017 - link

    Call me another hater, but I will add my voice who are calling out S8's gimmicky and impractical exterior design. The curved screen edges mean that the image will be distorted at the boundaries. The curved screen and a glass back means that the grip without an external case will be poor and it will be easy to register false input while simply trying to hold the phone. The curved screen edges make using an external case on this phone very clumsy and impractical. The edge of the phone that has a case still is not protected from the impacts as you can't cover the viewable screen estate at the edges. Finding a curved protective glass cover that covers the entire screen will be problematic. These things don't always stick even to the flat screens, so forget about a curved one..

    The QHD screen is another gimmick that will mostly result in increased battery drain without obvious benefits. You can reduce the resolution, but that will actually look less accurate than displaying the same image on a true FHD screen because the pixels of the QHD screen will not align with the pixels that should have been on a FHD screen. It has been pretty much the rule of thumb that you want to run the LCDs at their native resolution because of this.

    And what else can I say? This device will come loaded with Samsung and carrier crap, resulting in 200+ pre-installed apps on a new device, which will take up storage, CPU cycles, and drain the battery faster.

    Because of these arguments, the Pixel family and the Oneplus 3T are still the best high end Android smartphones because they come with relatively lean ROMs, and carrier-indenpendent unlocked editions of Pixel are available.
  • hassaninc - Wednesday, May 3, 2017 - link

    Brand new Original Samsung Galaxy s8 and s8+ New Edition RED Apple iphone 7 and 7 128GB plus cost 550usd with 1year warranty.

    Serious buyer should contact us.

    Skype: faisa.hassan102
  • jamalinc - Thursday, May 11, 2017 - link

    Brand new Original Samsung Galaxy s8 and s8+ New Edition RED Apple iphone 7 and 7 128GB plus cost 550usd with 1year warranty.

    Serious buyer should contact us.

    skype: faisa.hassan102
  • bptrades - Tuesday, June 6, 2017 - link

    Guys when it the 2nd part coming out? The first part was April 21st it's now June 6th. I realize you try to be thorough etc, and there was the red tint issue, but otherwise it seems like this is a reoccurring theme with your review of Galaxy phones, they are always much later than iPhone reviews, the last review remember it took over 2 months for part 2 for the Galaxy. I've seen a lot of complaints in past comments about how there's a bias here for AAPL and one against Samsung, and I try to ignore that, however you can see why people think that. It just seems that you have less ambition or interest to finish these reviews on the Samsung phones, where as the Iphone reviews are much more timely. thanks
  • bptrades - Tuesday, June 6, 2017 - link

    actually that last Galaxy phone update was worse than I thought!

    - Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge Review Part 1: 3/8/16

    - Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge Review Part 2: 7/5/16!!

    ...
    Wowsa! last time it took for 4 months for the part 2 review of the Galaxy S7 to come out!

    If there was a part 1 review of the iphone, would they wait 4 months? Seriously ask yourself.

    Anandtech - I think you try to be non- biased but seriously you can see why a bunch of commentators think you have a bias. Get the non iphone reviews out faster please. Part 2 of Galaxy S8 is already getting late thx
  • Lau_Tech - Sunday, July 16, 2017 - link

    Bpttrades stupidly late android phone reviews are an endemic part of anandtech. It doesn't matter who they get (or don't get) to write the reviews.

    It is more helpful to think of anandtech as a technology commentary site, where you can go indepth into the state of the art for that year. Never ever think of anandtech as a site which can help inform any urgent, time-sensitive purchasing decision
  • az060693 - Thursday, July 20, 2017 - link

    Are we ever going to get a review?
  • Lau_Tech - Wednesday, August 30, 2017 - link

    Unless its an Iphone....nope
  • Iswara - Monday, August 7, 2017 - link

    The Samsung Galaxy S8 Is A Phone That Should Be One Of The Very First You Look At When Deciding Which New Phone You Buy. The Samsung Galaxy S8 Has A Boundary Breaking Design, With A 5.8- Inch Rounded Corner Infinity Display That Gives You More Screen In Your Hand. Choose From The Very Latest Mobile Phones And Tablets; Find Great Deals On Mobile Phones, Mobile Broadband And Pocket Wifi. The Samsung Galaxy S8 And Samsung Galaxy S8+ Are Android Smartphones Produced By Samsung Electronics As Part Of The Samsung Galaxy S Series. When Technology Never Seems To Be Able To Keep Up With Your Needs, The Samsung Galaxy S8 Comes To The Rescue. http://www.savebee.in/best-smartphones-under-12000...
  • pubg - Monday, August 21, 2017 - link

    I am impressed, the software does look pretty damn polished when compared to years ago. However until both Samsung and the United States carriers agree to a guaranteed monthly software patch schedule which includes not only security patches but core Android updates I won't buy an Android phone.

    Windows, Linux, Google Chrome, and Firefox can all do monthly software updates and patches. Why the hell can't Samsung?!?!

    http://battlegroundsarmory.com/

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