The Galaxy Note 8 was finally given an official announcement by Samsung. This smartphone was perhaps the worst kept secret in the smartphone industry. Accurate renders, leaks of marketing materials, and images of the device all made their way onto the internet at some point this summer. There really were no surprises left for Samsung to reveal. The launch event was more of a formality than anything. Of course, now that the Galaxy Note 8 is official we can start comparing it to some of the competition on the market. In this article we aim to compare two Samsung flagships. Get ready for the Galaxy Note 8 vs Galaxy S8 Plus battle.
Image: Samsung / FlickrGalaxy Note 8 Vs Galaxy S8 Plus Comparison
In this Galaxy Note 8 vs Galaxy S8 Plus comparison I will take a look at some of the most important aspects of each device and compare them. What’s good? What’s not so good? What’s the same? Hopefully, if you’re on the fence about what device to pick up, this will help you decide.
Design
Design is a big thing to consider when picking out your next device. Of course, we all want to get the best specs possible. However, those specs don’t mean a whole lot if you don’t want to be caught in public holding the phone in your hand. Both the Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy S8 Plus share a lot of the same design cues but there are a few minor differences. The bezel-less design introduced with the Galaxy S8 Plus has continued into the Galaxy Note lineup. Putting the size of the devices aside, they pretty much look exactly the same. In fact, even when it comes to size, the two devices are very similar. The Galaxy Note 8 only offers 0.1-inch more screen real estate.
The inclusion of the S Pen is one of the main differences when comparing the Galaxy Note 8 vs Galaxy S8 Plus. The S Pen offers a lot of functionality. Simply popping the S Pen out of its storage slot on the bottom of the Galaxy Note 8 opens up several options for users to streamline their organization process. Taking notes is incredibly simple and it’s only a couple taps on the lock screen to continue editing notes.
On the back side, the fingerprint sensor has been moved on the Galaxy Note 8. Many people complained about the proximity of the camera and fingerprint sensors on the Galaxy S8 Plus. A lot of people found that they had fingerprint smudges on their camera sensor because the fingerprint sensor was set up right beside the camera. On the Galaxy Note 8, the fingerprint sensor is further away from the camera. This is a small but smart design choice.
Overall, the Galaxy Note 8 offers a similar design to the Galaxy S8 Plus with some small improvements. If you think you would put the S Pen to good use then it’s a no brainer to go with the Galaxy Note 8. Even if the S Pen isn’t interesting to you, the Galaxy Note 8 still offers a better design.
Camera
The camera will be the biggest difference in the Galaxy Note 8 vs Galaxy S8 Plus battle. The Galaxy Note 8 features a dual camera sensor while the Galaxy S8 Plus only has a single camera sensor. The dual camera sensor will obviously offer better low-light performance. More sensors means more light can be taken in to form the image. However, the advantages for the Galaxy Note 8 don’t end there. The Note 8 camera also offers optical zoom rather than digital zoom. This means that objects in the distance will appear much sharper and detailed when zoomed in.
There are also some software features in the Galaxy Note 8 that are only possible because of its incredible camera. For starters, the ability to take portrait photos looks to rival that of the iPhone 7 Plus – a leader in that area. The dual camera sensors on the Galaxy Note 8 also allowed Samsung to bake in some interesting features like perspective change as well as height and distance measurement of subjects. These features simply cannot be offered in a single camera sensor. There’s no question here: the Galaxy Note 8 has the far better camera of the two devices.
Display
Continuing with the Galaxy Note 8 vs Galaxy S8 Plus battle… The Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy S8 Plus both offer beautiful infinity displays that sport a resolution of 2960 x 1440. These are arguably the best smartphone displays on the market. The Galaxy Note 8, as mentioned, provides 0.1-inch more screen real estate. There’s really not much to say in this section. The displays are incredible and the differences between the two are minor. You can’t go wrong either way.
Specs
So, what’s under the hood? What makes these smartphones purr? In the U.S. you can find the Snapdragon 835 in both devices. Chalk that up as a tie. The Galaxy Note 8 comes standard with 6GB of RAM while the S8 Plus only has 4GB. Both are very respectable numbers but if you have a lot of multitasking to do or you just like to keep a lot of Chrome tabs open then the Galaxy Note 8 has the advantage here. Both devices have 64GB of onboard storage and can also be purchased with more storage included.
It’s somewhat surprising to see that the Galaxy Note 8 has a smaller battery than the Galaxy S8 Plus. In the Galaxy Note 8 you can find a 3,300mAh battery while the Galaxy S8 Plus carries 3,500mAh of juice. Of course, software plays a big part in battery performance. Perhaps Samsung felt that the Galaxy Note 8 could get by just as well with a smaller battery. Or, perhaps they just wanted to err on the side of caution and hope that these batteries don’t burn their customer’s crotches.
Verdict
So, in the great battle of Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy S8 Plus – what do you get for yourself? I believe pricing will play a major role in your decision. While it may be tempting to pick up the Galaxy Note 8 and have the newest, hottest thing; the Galaxy S8 Plus is still a great device that can compete with any other flagship. Being several hundred dollars cheaper should also make the Galaxy S8 Plus seem much more attractive.
I don’t want to pick a winner here. Both devices have their benefits. The Galaxy Note 8 is brand new on the market. Obviously it will have some advantages over an older device. The question you have to ask is if those additional features are worth the cost of admission. If money is no object then the Galaxy Note 8 is the way to go. If you’re working on a budget then you will definitely want to check out the Galaxy S8 Plus.
Galaxy Note 8 Vs Galaxy S8 Plus Specs Sheet
