Nokia 8 vs. iPhone 7 vs. Galaxy S8: COMPARISON

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With the Nokia 8 having been announced in the last few days, the Nokia 8 vs. iPhone 7 vs. Galaxy S8 war now begins. This new contender will be expected to compete with the Apple and Samsung flagships, so how does it match up against the Apple and Samsung flagships?

Size

Firstly, the Nokia 8 will be the largest of these three handsets, perhaps somewhat surprisingly. Measuring 151.5 x 73.7 x 7.9 mm (5.96 x 2.90 x 0.31 in), the device is marginally larger than the Galaxy S8, which has dimensions of 148.9 x 68.1 x 8 mm (5.86 x 2.68 x 0.31 in). Meanwhile, the iPhone 7 is undoubtedly the smallest of the three by some distance, at 138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1 mm (5.44 x 2.64 x 0.28 in), but this is largely due to its smaller display.

Weight

The Nokia 8 is also, unsurprisingly, the heftiest of the three devices in weight terms. Its 160g weight is slightly heavier than the 155g of the Galaxy S8, while the iPhone 7 is quite a bit lighter, weighing only 138g. Apple has particularly concentrated on delivering sleek and compact mobiles in previous generations, so it will be intriguing to witness the design of the iPhone 8; rumored to feature a 5.8-inch screen.

Display

The Galaxy S8 certainly trumps the other two mobiles in this area, delivering by far the largest display of the three devices. The 5.8-inch screen is almost 25 per cent larger than the 4.7-inch display included in the iPhone 7, while the Nokia 8 neatly dissects the two, with a screen size of 5.3-inches. In the Nokia 8 vs. iPhone 7 vs. Galaxy S8 comparison, the iPhone certainly comes off worst here.

iPhone 8 Preview
Image Source: Andrea Cau / Chris Burns / YouTube video (screenshot)

Resolution

Again, the Galaxy S8 outperforms the two other smartphone contenders in this department, although the Nokia 8 is a more than credible contender. The Galaxy S8 exceeds Quad HD, enabling the screen to display 1,440 x 2,960 pixels (~570 ppi pixel density). The Nokia 8 is more of a true Quad HD device, delivering 1,440 x 2,560 pixels (~554 ppi pixel density), while the iPhone 7 is lagging some way behind here, being capable of displaying only 750 x 1,334 pixels (~326 ppi pixel density).

Processor

Processors are obviously a major aspect of the Nokia 8 vs. iPhone 7 vs. Galaxy S8 battle, and, impressively, the new Nokia 8 will deliver what is probably the most powerful processor of the three devices. The Nokia has been fitted with an octa-core unit, with 4 x 2.45 GHz Kryo & 4 x 1.9 GHz Kryo bundles of cores included.

This means that the Nokia 8 should be faster than the Galaxy S8, with the Samsung’s devices octa-core processor clocked at a lower speed. The flagship phone features 4 x 2.35 GHz Kryo & 4 x 1.9 GHz Kryo in the USA & China.

Apple has always relied on its combination of proprietary hardware and software to deliver performance, but it must still be stated that the iPhone 7 only benefits from a quad-core processor. Clocked at 2.34 GHz, though, this is still a nifty unit, and the capabilities of the Apple device are usually highly praised.

Memory

Two version of the Nokia 8 will be made available, and interestingly they feature completely different memory provisions. One of the Nokia 8 units will have 4GB of memory, while the larger device will feature 6GB of RAM. This latter version certainly compares favorably to either of the other smartphones. The Galaxy S8 delivers 4GB of memory, while the iPhone 7 has just 2GB at its disposal.

Samsung Galaxy S8 Active
Image Source: AT&T.com (screenshot)

Storage

The Nokia 8 provides users with a choice between 64 and 128GB versions, which is definitely more options than the solitary 64GB model of the Galaxy S8. However, it should be noted that the Galaxy S8 also features micro SD, enabling users to upgrade the memory of the device flexibly.

Apple’s iPhone 7 is the clear winner in this department, though, delivering 32, 128 and 256GB native storage versions. Apple has yet to embrace micro SD, but if it ever did so then Apple consumers would be particularly well-provisioned in this area.

Camera

In the Nokia 8 vs. iPhone 7 vs. Galaxy S8 contest, it is notable that the camera provisions and qualities of these three smartphones are pretty diverse in nature. They can be summarized thus:

Nokia 8 – Dual 13 MP, f/2.0, laser & phase detection autofocus, Carl Zeiss optics, OIS, dual-LED (dual tone) flash

Galaxy S8 – 12 MP, f/1.7, 26mm, phase detection autofocus, OIS, LED flash

iPhone 7 – 12 MP, f/1.8, 28mm, phase detection autofocus, OIS, quad-LED (dual tone) flash

The Nokia 8 introduces a new dual-camera selfie, referred to as the ‘bothie,’ which the developer is pushing as a major innovation. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S8 is designed to achieve improved shooting in lower light conditions, while the iPhone 7 was praised for its quad-LED flash.

Battery

Of the three devices compared here, the Nokia 8 has the largest battery, once again impressing. The 3,090mAh unit included in the smartphone is larger than the 3,000 mAh battery of the Galaxy S8, and the cell is far larger than the 1,960 mAh battery provided by Apple with the iPhone 7. When looking at these figures, it is perhaps not surprising that the battery life of the iPhone 7 has been criticized in some quarters.

Conclusion

In the Nokia 8 vs. iPhone 7 vs. Galaxy S8 battle, based on the specs released ahead of the emergence of the Nokia 8, the smartphone certainly looks like an extremely viable unit. It compares very favorably with both the market leaders in the smartphone category, delivering specifications that are really rather impressive. While the manufacturers of the Nokia 8 face a challenge to establish it as a mainstream smartphone, it certainly has the raw materials required in order to compete.

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