Samsung has finally unveiled the hotly anticipated Galaxy S8. This next generation smartphone will compete in an already crowded marketplace, particularly with the iPhone 7, while the Korean company will also hope to convince Galaxy S7 owners to upgrade. So how do the three devices compare with one another?
Dimensions
The Galaxy S8 is the largest of the three devices, which is not particularly surprising considering the larger screen included. The Galaxy S8 measures 148.5 x 68.2 x 8 mm, meaning that it is around 8% larger than the iPhone 7, which features dimensions of 138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1mm. The previous Galaxy S7 handset was also smaller than the Galaxy S8, measuring 142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9mm.
Weight
Again, the Galaxy S8 is unsurprisingly the heaviest of the three devices, but the efforts that Samsung have made to slim down the bezels in its flagship are evident here. The Galaxy S8 weighs just 3 grammes more than the Galaxy S7, weighing in at 155 grammes. Considering that the display included in the Galaxy S8 is 0.7 inches larger than that of the Galaxy S7, and over an inch larger than the iPhone 7, one can see that Samsung has been pretty successful at keeping this smartphone compact.
However, the iPhone 7 remains the most nimble of these smartphones, weighing 138g; over 10 per cent less than the Galaxy S8.
Screen size
Samsung has included a larger display in the Galaxy S8 than any previous release in this range, with a 5.8-inch screen intended to be a big selling point. The Galaxy S7 featured featured a 5.1-inch display, while the iPhone 7 has a 4.7-inch screen.
Resolution
It was largely expected that Samsung would retain the screen resolution from the Galaxy S7 when the Galaxy S8 arrived, but this has not turned out to be the case. The Galaxy S8 is capable of displaying 2,960 x 1,440 pixels, which is significantly more than the predecessor in the series. The Galaxy S7 is a quad HD mobile, with a display resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels.
Both of the Samsung devices feature considerably more detailed screen technology than the iPhone 7, with the Apple device only able to display 1,334 x 750 pixels.
Home button
The Home button has been a common feature of numerous smartphones for many years, but Samsung has finally taken the plunge and removed the Home button from the Galaxy S8. This is a change from the Galaxy S7 generation, while Apple has also relied on the Home button for the iPhone 7, even if there have been a wide range of reports suggesting that it will ditch the feature for the iPhone 8.
Camera
Samsung has made minimal improvements to the camera included in the Galaxy S8, with the megapixel rating remaining at 12-megapixels; equal to both the iPhone 7 and Galaxy S7. However, both of the Samsung units benefit from dual-cameras, while the iPhone 7 relies on a single-lens unit, unlike the larger iPhone 7 Plus.
Processor
The next generation Galaxy S8 is notable for featuring a more powerful processor than previous releases. The octa-core unit features two bundles of quad cores, clocked at 2.3 GHz and 1.7 GHz respectively. This means that the processor will be marginally more powerful than the one included in the last generation Galaxy S7, with the cores in this smartphone having been clocked at 2.3 GHz and 1.6 GHz.
Galaxy S8 vs. iPhone 7 vs. Galaxy S7 Specs
Apple has yet to include an octa-core processor in the iPhone range, with the most recent release from the consumer electronics behemoth being powered by a quad-core 2.34 GHz unit. This means that both of the Samsung devices are fitted with more powerful processors, but it is important to note that Apple has always relied on its unique combination of propriety hardware and software to deliver outstanding performance.
RAM
Samsung has decided against increasing the amount of RAM in the Galaxy S8, with the new flagship being armed with 4GB of accessible memory. This amount is exactly the same as the Galaxy S7. This is double the amount of RAM included in the iPhone 7, once more its propriety setup does help alleviate this.
Storage
The maximum storage offered in the Galaxy S7 generation is retained here, with Samsung choosing to arm the Galaxy S8 with 64GB. It is perhaps surprising that more native storage has not been included, but the Korean corporation has armed the Galaxy S8 with a micro SD card slot in order to enable users to expand memory flexibly. This technology carries over from the Galaxy S7 where it was included previously.
Apple has never embraced micro SD, but does offer significantly more storage, along with several different storage options. Thus, the premium version of the iPhone 7 is a 256GB smartphone, there is also a 128GB version available, along with an entry-level 32GB unit.
Battery
The battery size from the Galaxy S7 is also retained, with the Korean consumer electronics giant opting for a 3,000 mAh cell, exactly the same size as the battery announced just 12 months ago. Apple has been criticized in this department for failing to deliver the sort of battery life desired by its consumers, and the 1,960 mAh cell does seem a little on the slim side. Samsung has built power-saving functionality into the Galaxy S8, but it remains to be seen how the device will perform in comparison to previous generations, considering the larger display also included.
Price
There is a significant disparity in price between the three devices, although comparing them is somewhat problematical. The brand new Galaxy S8 will retail at $750, which literally means that it is the most expensive of the three. It would hardly be expected for the Galaxy S7 to be retailing at this level, while Apple’s handset is also generally available at around $700. It should be possible to pick up the Galaxy S7 smartphone for approximately $500, making it an excellent value buy, albeit a device that is significantly inferior to the newly released Galaxy S8.
