With Samsung and Apple having now made their major releases for the year, there is an obvious Galaxy Note 8 vs iPhone X vs iPhone 8 Plus comparison to be made. These will be the defining mobile devices of 2017, and it is thus interesting to see how the Galaxy and iPhone releases stack up against one another.
Size
The Galaxy Note 8 vs iPhone X vs iPhone 8 Plus battle begins with a comparison between the sizes of the devices. It is notable that the Galaxy Note 8 is definitely larger than both the iPhone X and iPhone 8 Plus, with the premium Apple mobile actually rather compact. The Galaxy Note 8 measures 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.6 mm (6.40 x 2.94 x 0.34 in), which is around 50 percent larger than the iPhone X dimensions of 143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7 mm (5.65 x 2.79 x 0.30 in). The iPhone 8 Plus completely dissects the two, measuring 158.4 x 78.1 x 7.5 mm (6.24 x 3.07 x 0.30 in).
Weight
However, the iPhone 8 Plus is heavier than the other two devices compared here, weighing in at over 200g. The weight of the iPhone 8 Plus is 7g heavier than the Galaxy Note 8, but the iPhone X is by far the lightest of the three devices, weighing just 174g. This is around 15 percent lighter than the Galaxy Note 8.
Display
Display technology was always going to be a key front in the Galaxy Note 8 vs iPhone X vs iPhone 8 Plus war, and the size of the screen is an obvious place to begin. The Galaxy Note 8 has the largest display of the three devices, with a mammoth 6.3-inch screen. The 5.8-inch display of the iPhone X is the largest in the history of Apple smartphone releases, while the 5.5-inch screen in the iPhone 8 Plus is respectable, but clearly inferior to its cousin and the Samsung effort.
Resolution
And the Galaxy Note 8 vs iPhone X vs iPhone 8 Plus battle also hots up in the resolution included in the three devices. The Galaxy Note 8 is capable of displaying 1,440 x 2,960 pixels (~521 ppi pixel density), which gives it an edge over either of the two Apple releases. The iPhone X possesses by far the most impressive screen ever to appear in an Apple mobile, but its 1,125 x 2,436 pixel (~458 ppi pixel density) resolution is still inferior to the Samsung release.
The iPhone 8 has a decent full HD resolution, but does suffer in comparison to the other two handsets here.
Memory
Apple has never prioritized the memory quantity included in its smartphone series, and thus both the iPhone X and iPhone 8 Plus have been frozen at 3GB of RAM memory. With the Korean corporation having increased the memory in the Galaxy Note 8, this means that the 6GB of the phablet is double that of either the Apple handsets.
Storage
Storage in each of the three devices reaches a maximum of 256GB, but Samsung has addressed the weaknesses it was criticized for in this area previously by also including a 128GB model; something that Apple has declined to do with both the iPhone X and iPhone 8 Plus.
Main camera
Camera technology is undoubtedly a major battleground in the Galaxy Note 8 vs iPhone X vs iPhone 8 Plus war, and it is thus intriguing to compare the three handsets in this department. Firstly, it is informative to list the specifications of the three devices, considering the wealth of features that modern smartphone cameras possess.
Galaxy Note 8 – Dual 12 MP (26mm, f/1.7, PDAF & 52mm, f/2.4, AF), OIS, autofocus, 2x optical zoom, dual-LED (dual tone) flash
iPhone X – Dual 12 MP, f/1.8 & f/2.4, phase detection autofocus, OIS, 2x optical zoom, quad-LED (dual tone) flash
iPhone 8 Plus – Dual 12 MP, (28mm, f/1.8, OIS & 56mm, f/2.8), phase detection autofocus, 2x optical zoom, quad-LED (dual tone) flash
What can be said with some confidence is that the Galaxy Note 8 camera is marginally better than the iPhone X, and we can expect the photographic performance of the device to be slightly superior to even the premium Apple model. With the iPhone 8 Plus also possessing a dual camera, the capabilities of the phablet are pretty good, despite the lesser aperture of this release.
Secondary camera
It is also informative to list the specifications for the rear cameras in the three devices.
Galaxy Note 8 – 8 MP, f/1.7, autofocus, 1/3.6″ sensor size, 1.22 µm pixel size, 1440p@30fps, dual video call, Auto HDR
iPhone X – 7 MP, f/2.2, 1080p@30fps, 720p@240fps, face detection, HDR, panorama
iPhone 8 Plus – 7 MP, f/2.2, 1080p@30fps, 720p@240fps, face detection, HDR, panorama
Again, with its superior aperture and slightly elevated megapixel rating, the Galaxy Note 8 selfie snapper is particularly outstanding.
Battery
The non-removable Li-Ion 3300 mAh battery included in the Galaxy Note 8 is larger than both the 2,716 mAh cell of the iPhone X and the 26,91 mAh battery of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Colors
It is surprising that there is such a contrast when we make the Galaxy Note 8 vs iPhone X vs iPhone 8 Plus comparison in this area. Clearly Apple felt that making a large number of color choices available was unnecessary this year.
Thus, the Galaxy Note 8 can be purchased in Midnight Black, Maple Gold, Orchid Grey and Deep Sea Blue, while Star Pink is also available in Taiwan. This contrasts with the iPhone range, with the iPhone 8 Plus being available in Gold, Space Gray and Silver, and the iPhone X jettisoning even the gold option.
Price
Finally, a key area of the Galaxy Note 8 vs iPhone X vs iPhone 8 Plus comparison is the pricing of the three devices. The Samsung handset is currently available for $930 on Amazon.com, which is marginally more affordable than the iPhone X, which carries a retail price of $999 for the most affordable version.
However, the iPhone 8 Plus arguably offers the best value for money of the three devices, being available at the cheapest retail price currently.
