Impressive. The smartphone retained the same appearance, but received a more powerful chipset, a dual and, of course, improved camera and a more or less convenient location of the fingerprint scanner. The price tag did not disappoint either - everyone was expecting a worse scenario.
The main characteristics of the new flagship
While it sells for 75 thousand rubles, Samsung sets a more attractive price:
- Samsung Galaxy S9 price— 59,990 rubles
- price of older Samsung Galaxy S9+ for 64 GB - 66,990 rubles
- buy Samsung Galaxy S9+ in maximum configuration ( 256 GB) it will be possible for 74,990 rubles
Even the very best modification costs at least ten thousand less than its main rival in the top version. Hmm, generous offer... [sarcasm] Let's see what else the South Korean flagship has to offer.
Camera
Nowadays this is the most important function of any smartphone. And the flagship, even more so.
And the S9+ does not disappoint in this case. If anything, here and further we will consider the plus version, since the regular model turned out to be slightly neutered in terms of functionality.
The younger version has one camera module, the older version has two. If you don’t need portrait photography, you can stick with the regular S9.
On the other hand, this is, of course, a setup. The smartphone costs over a lot of money, but does not offer the functionality that more affordable competitors have: Google Pixel 2, and so on. I'm talking about blurring the background, of course.
Well, God be with him. What else can the new camera do?
The first is the variable aperture. The main 12 megapixel module received a fast f/1.5 lens. This is the lower limit. The top one is darker - f/2.4. Most likely, it is made in software connection with the lens of the second camera, which has exactly the same aperture. In any case, the automation independently analyzes the lighting level and adjusts the aperture to the specific shooting scene. It sounds powerful, and knowing the capabilities of Samsung flagship cameras, I have no doubt that it will be very cool to shoot with a smartphone.
The second feature is Slow Motion video at a frequency of 960 frames per second. This is very slow, so the camera records a time period of only 0.2 seconds. The video resolution is 1280 x 720 frames. In general, now not only the Sony Xperia XZ Pro can boast of such a feature (everyone somehow immediately forgot about the ZUK Z2).
Display
Samsung continues to praise its "borderless" screen. Actually, why not? The panel is really very beautiful and has minimal bezels. In the new flagship, the Koreans have kept everything exactly the same as in the old one, including the pressure-sensitive area: diagonal 5.8 and 6.2 inches, resolution 2960 by 1440 pixels.
CPU
A very, very powerful processor with 8 cores, created on the basis of a 10-nanometer process technology. The US market will use an alternative - Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (8 Kryo 385 cores, 2.8 GHz), which, by the way, is inferior in performance to its own-produced chipset in some tests.
Along with the new “stone,” they also delivered an updated Mali-G72 MP18 graphics accelerator (Adreno 630 in America). These are very powerful graphics that will provide excellent gaming performance for years to come. By the way, MP18 means the presence of as many as 18 computing cores. Just in case.
Fingerprint scanner
The Koreans heard the users crying and moved the scanner. Well, how did you get over it? We moved it down, under the camera's peephole. It’s still far from the ideal option when the sensor is on the front, but now it’s getting better. Although we will still accidentally stain the camera lens with our finger.
Bixby button
But other groans were ignored by the Korean manufacturer. The ugly and completely useless Bixby voice assistant button remains untouched.
Everyone, literally all users, regularly accidentally touch this button and a virtually useless assistant is launched. Unfortunately, the S9+ will have exactly the same thing - the interests of the company are higher than the interests of the users. This is the approach.
| Length | Width | Thickness | Weight | |
| Samsung Galaxy S9 (5.8’’) | 147,7 | 68,7 | ||
| Samsung Galaxy S8 (5.8’’) | 148,9 | 68,1 | ||
| Samsung Galaxy S9+ (6.2’’) | 158,1 | 73,8 | ||
| Samsung Galaxy S8+ (6.2’’) | 159,5 | 73,4 |
By the way, the manufacturer reported that the assistant has become smarter, making it easy to recognize products in stores and provide additional tips for purchasing them. In addition, food is also recognized. I took a photo of the cake, looked at the 5,000 kilocalories and calmly ate it. Previously, you knew that you ate a lot of calories, now you know the exact number - that’s all the changes.
Specifications Samsung Galaxy S9+
To understand that it’s time to urgently sell the old Samsung Galaxy S8+ on Avito, here is a visual table of the characteristics of both generations.
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Separately, I note that the developers left the 3.5 mm audio output untouched. Thanks to them for this. But there is a combined slot for a Micro SD memory card. You'll have to choose: either two SIMs or a lot of memory.
Differences between each other
As promised, I’m telling you why the regular Samsung Galaxy S9 is a boring and uninteresting smartphone. Against the backdrop of a “plus”, of course.
- The screen in the S9 is smaller than in the older device (but the pixel density is higher - 568 versus 529 ppi)
- S9 is more compact
- the regular version has only one camera with exactly the same shooting parameters as the S9+, with the exception of the wide-angle lens
- in the S9, the processor operates at reduced frequencies (2.7 versus 2.8 GHz on a powerful cluster of Exynos M3 cores) - all this for the sake of saving energy (see the next point)
- battery 3,000 vs. 3,500 mAh
- RAM 4 vs 6 GB in S9+
- there is no older version with 256 GB storage
- Of course, the youngest device costs less - 59,990 rubles
And one more small note. Samsung Galaxy S9 is also known as: SM-G960F and SM-G960F/DS (dual SIM version). Look for the advanced model under the symbol SM-G965F.
Bottom line
The device will go on sale very, very soon - on March 16th. This is true for the whole world. By pre-ordering, which has already begun, you can get the smartphone even earlier - starting on March 8.
Samsung Galaxy S9 price starts at 60 thousand rubles. In the US it's $720 ($840 for the Galaxy S9+). Don’t even convert into rubles - you’ll be upset.
If you look at the price as a whole, then this is, of course, unrealistically expensive. If we compare it with its competitors, the device turns out to be quite affordable for the price. Especially considering such powerful characteristics and functionality. However, remember that by summer retailers will begin to slowly drop price tags. And alternative online stores, like Computeruniverse and From.ae, have not been canceled.
You don't see anyone with smartphones these days. Until relatively recently, these gadgets were perceived by a large number of consumers as something new, supernatural and inaccessible to the average Russian, but today it is already very difficult to imagine your life without them. These are stylish and will help pass the time on a trip or in long lines, and the large number of different options makes them truly indispensable.
The South Korean company Samsung is one of the manufacturers of mobile equipment. Just a few years ago, mobile phones produced by a corporation from South Korea were not of good quality, quickly broke down and were extremely unreliable. Over the course of several years, the South Korean manufacturer managed to make a significant leap in its development, increase production volumes and significantly improve the quality of its products. All this allowed Samsung to become one of the leading smartphone manufacturers for the first time in many years.
One of the brand's most popular smartphone lines has allowed the company to take a leading position in the global mobile industry. One of the most successful South Korean-made gadgets, the Samsung Galaxy-S3, the reviews of which are mostly positive, will be discussed in this article.
Device delivery set
In most cases, reviews about the delivery package are positive. According to the owners of this stylish device, along with the smartphone the user receives almost everything they need to work with it. The delivery set includes the following items:
- the phone itself;
- charger for it;
- user guide;
- USB cable;
- wired headphones;
- lithium-ion battery.
Design
The appearance of the device is one of its significant drawbacks (according to the owners of the gadget). The smartphone looks too simple; its design is almost copied from previous models. However, several color options, a thin body that fits well in the hand and the relatively small dimensions of the device as a whole create a rather pleasant impression of the gadget.
This model is being promoted under a rather interesting motto of the unity of nature and technology, so we can assume that the rounded shape of the device is somewhat similar to a stone on the sea coast. The impression is also enhanced by the pattern covering the back of the device. The smartphone body is available in white, blue and black colors. All three versions look quite good and it is really difficult to choose a clear favorite among them.
Dimensions
As for the dimensions of the flagship smartphone of 2012, it must be said that they are relatively small - 13.66 by 7.06 by 0.88 centimeters with a device weight of 133 grams. As you can see, the device turned out to be quite thin, and the small weight of the Samsung Galaxy-S3 is also pleasing. The device fits quite well in the hand, easily fits into a trouser pocket, does not interfere with walking and does not take up too much space.
Assembly and controls
There are absolutely no complaints about the assembly of the smartphone. Owner reviews about the Samsung Galaxy-S3 are good. According to them, the plastic case is very well and tightly assembled. The only thing I can complain about is the removable panel, which is slightly squeezing in the camera area. It is difficult to remove the back cover, as it is very rigidly fixed and pressed close to the surface.
There is no play throughout the entire area of the device: neither at the back nor on the sides. The buttons are great too. And although the Samsung Galaxy-S3 smartphone, reviews of which are mostly positive, was rated “satisfactory” for its materials, it can safely be given “excellent” for its build quality.
The layout of the smartphone controls is typical for most products of the South Korean company Samsung. On the top panel of the device, the user will find a standard 3.5 mm jack, which is designed specifically for connecting headphones, a microUSB port, and a microphone. On the left side there is a volume rocker, while on the right there is a display lock button. I must say that they are very comfortable. It's a shame that the phone doesn't have a dedicated button specifically for taking photos. She obviously wouldn't be in the way here.
Under the device’s display there is a single key, complemented by two touch zones “Functions” and “Back”. A similar innovation can be observed in the Samsung Galaxy-S3 mini smartphone, reviews of which are even better than those of the model described in this article. These two zones have backlights, which, if desired, can be turned off completely or the duration of their operation can be set.
Above the screen of this model, the consumer will be able to find a silver overlay for the speaker and lighting, as well as the front camera. Many users of such a wonderful device are also pleased that a light indicator has finally appeared here. It must be said that the diode shines brightly, can notify about missed calls, new messages, and also flashes when charging.
The back surface of the smartphone is smooth and even, like pebbles smoothed by water. The main camera, which is edged with a silver frame, protrudes slightly at the top. There is a small gap between it and the body, where dust constantly gets in. However, everything is relatively easy to clean, so only the most picky users of the gadget will be able to identify this drawback. Also on the back panel there is a speaker hole and, of course, an LED flash, which is located directly next to the main camera.
Display
We are all gradually starting to get used to the extra-large display diagonals of mobile devices running the Android platform. The Samsung Galaxy-S3 was no exception. And although its screen diagonal is not 6, but “only” 4.8 inches, it clearly cannot be called small. Nevertheless, such a display, if we take into account the reviews of the Samsung Galaxy-S3 from owners, was liked by many buyers.
The device screen is made using HD Super AMOLED technology, has a resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels, and also supports up to 10 clicks simultaneously. This version of the smartphone from the South Korean manufacturer Samsung is not without PenTile, which noticeably affects the clarity of fonts. Most likely, only particularly eagle-eyed users will notice this, while other consumers will leave this fact without any attention, since it is not noticeable at all.
With a pixel density of 306 pixels per inch, there is no need to complain about low image quality. Defects in the display are visible only at close range, when the smartphone is located at a distance of 10 cm from the eyes. The picture turns out bright, but automatic adjustment does not work very well here. On the street, the screen brightness is practically not lost, although in this aspect the smartphone is slightly inferior to its counterparts in the Sony Xperia P.
Main and front cameras
Nowadays, one of the main criteria for competition between modern gadgets is the quality of the camera. The best devices shoot at approximately the same level. Most users like to store captured footage in their smartphones, so it is very rare that photos go beyond the internal memory or memory card of the device. The capabilities of most modern phone cameras are so great that they allow you to immediately upload the photos you take to social networks, not to mention the highest quality video recording.
The Samsung smartphone is equipped with a main camera whose resolution reaches 8 megapixels. The module also has an LED flash and, of course, automatic image focusing. The smartphone has a quick shooting function, when the device takes a photo immediately after the shutter key is touched. This function, unfortunately, does not always work correctly, so sometimes the pictures turn out blurry. The maximum resolution of photographs is 3264 by 2448 pixels. The main camera can also record video in FullHD resolution - 1920 by 1080 pixels.
Also, the S3, reviews of which will give you additional insight into this device, is equipped with a front camera with a resolution of 1.9 megapixels and is designed for making video calls.
Samsung Galaxy-S3: smartphone characteristics
The device is powered by a quad-core Exynos-4412 processor, a proprietary design of Samsung. The frequency of this processor reaches 1.4 GHz. The graphics adapter here is Mali-400MP. As for RAM, its volume is 1 GB, while there is plenty of internal memory - 16, 32 or 64 GB, depending on the configuration of the device. Moreover, if necessary, the user can use a capacity that should not exceed 32 GB.
operating system
The Samsung device operates under the Android 4.0.4 platform, which is complemented by a proprietary shell called TouchWiz. The smartphone works quite quickly, and using it is pure pleasure.
Communications
Among the communications in the device from the South Korean company Samsung, it is worth highlighting the presence of the fourth version of Bluetooth, USB connectors, as well as a Wi-Fi module, which is designed specifically for wireless Internet access. It is also worth highlighting NFC and S Beam technology.
Battery and runtime
The Samsung smartphone has a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 2100 mAh. The advantages of this battery include the fact that it is replaceable and, if desired, consumers can purchase a spare battery if there are concerns that using one will not be very convenient.
If you go into the settings of the Samsung Galaxy-S3, you can enable the energy-saving mode, which will significantly extend the battery life of the smartphone. You can force the processor to operate at a lower frequency, reduce the brightness of the display, or use a different background.
The manufacturer claims that the device's battery life is 9.5 hours during talk time, as well as 290 hours in standby mode. In normal mode, with not too frequent use, the phone can work throughout the day. In this case, it all depends on the load on the device.
Conclusion
To summarize, I would like to say that you can read more positive reviews about the Samsung Galaxy-S3 than negative ones. We are also pleased with the earpiece, which transmits the voice clearly and clearly. As for the ringer volume, it is above average, and the vibration is average in strength. If the case materials were a little better quality, and the design wasn’t so primitive, we could safely say that Samsung had created the perfect smartphone.
In any case, a product from a renowned South Korean manufacturer is unlikely to disappoint consumers. The device turned out to be of really high quality, and you can purchase it at a price of approximately 15 thousand rubles. Of course, the cost is slightly overpriced, but for this money the consumer will receive a truly high-quality and reliable device that will delight him with its work for a long time.
Galaxy S5, which incorporates all the latest technical achievements. It looks like it could become the most popular smartphone this year, and it has everything to do so. There were a lot of rumors about what it would be like, but compared to the S4, the company's new flagship has taken big steps forward. So let's start our review of the Samsung Galaxy S5.
In terms of appearance, the smartphone looks more rectangular, closer to the Note 3 than the Galaxy S4. The Samsung Galaxy S5 is almost 6 mm longer and 3 mm wider than the S4 and weighs 15 grams. more. The smartphone case is completely protected from moisture and dust and is certified to the IP67 standard, which means that the phone can be completely immersed in water and is absolutely dust-proof. The phone is equipped with a fingerprint scanner located on the button under the screen and note that the sensor can also be used to securely enter any application on the smartphone, and not just to enter the main menu of the phone. On the back there is a sensor that detects your heartbeat.
The material of the case has not changed, it also remains plastic, but its texture is good, so it’s pleasant to hold it in your hand. The smartphone is also equipped with an IR infrared port, with which you can control all appliances in the house, that is, you will have one control panel. The phone has a compass, gyroscope, accelerometer and barometer.
Smartphone size: 142 x 72.5 x 8.1mm, 145 g
There is a sensor on the back of the phone that detects your heartbeat when you place your finger on it.
Processor and software
The Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone is a super-powerful device, it uses a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with a clock frequency of 2.5 GHz and an Adreno 330 graphics chipset.
The Android flagship operates on the Android 4.4 KitKat operating system with a new version of Samsung's proprietary TouchWiz interface. The interface has been changed and improved to become more understandable. The settings menu has been completely changed and some applications have been updated.
Very nice icons, light and a little airy. The menu has become nicer.
Children's mode (Kids Corner) looks very high quality and has a large number of customization options
Memory
The smartphone has 2 GB of RAM. Internal memory is 16 or 32 GB, which can be expanded using microSD memory cards (up to 64 GB).
Screen
What can we say, the image on the Samsung Galaxy S5 screen has excellent qualities: large viewing angles, bright and saturated colors, fading in the sun is very low. The smartphone is equipped with a 5.1-inch capacitive touch SuperAMOLED HD screen with a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels, a density of 431 (ppi) pixels per inch and color rendering of 16 million shades. The display is covered with Gorilla Glass 3.
Samsung Galaxy S5 is equipped with a camera with a resolution of 16 MP (1/2.6”) and a new autofocus system, capable of recording video with a resolution of (3840 x 2160) 4K UHD at 30 fps and video with a resolution of 1080p at 60 fps. With. The additional front camera has a resolution of 2.1 megapixels and is designed for video communication.
The picture quality is excellent for a top-end smartphone.
Pictures from the S5 camera.
We can now say that the quality of the pictures is higher than on the Samsung Galaxy S4. The camera in this phone will not disappoint anyone.
Communication capabilities
The smartphone supports Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0 BLE / ANT+, USB 3.0, IR, GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, 3.5 mm audio jack, .
Networks: EDGE/GPRS/GSM (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), WCDMA (850/900/1900/2100 MHz), LTE
Battery
The new smartphone is equipped with a removable battery with a capacity of 2800 mAh, which is slightly more than on the Galaxy S4.
The capacity of this battery is easily enough for a day of use under average load. The smartphone also has a special Ultra Power Saving mode; when it is turned on, a black and white image is shown on the screen, while you can only make calls and send messages, while the Internet is turned off. The manufacturer says that with 10% of the remaining energy, the smartphone can work for another whole day.
Price
It is expected that prices for the Samsung Galaxy S5 will start from 29,990 rubles for the 16 GB version.
Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone video review:
Galaxy is a line of smartphones from Samsung, which includes a wide selection of devices with different screen diagonals, memory capacity and functionality. They are distinguished by high quality and performance.
The models run on the Android operating system and support the installation of modern applications from the official Google Play store. You need to choose a suitable smartphone from the series taking into account the following parameters:
- screen diagonal. Compact 4-inch ones are suitable for working with standard programs, and large 6-inch ones are suitable for watching videos;
- built-in memory capacity - from 8 to 64 gigabytes;
- camera resolution. The maximum - 20 megapixels - will allow you to take high-quality pictures;
- battery capacity, which determines how long the smartphone will work without recharging;
- the presence of additional functions, for example, a fingerprint scanner.
Samsung Galaxy in Eldorado
The Eldorado catalog presents the full range of the Samsung Galaxy line. Placing an order will take no more than a few minutes, and the store’s consultants will answer all your questions. Buy flagship Samsung smartphones in installments without overpayment and get back part of the purchase price with bonuses! All items come with a manufacturer's warranty and will be replaced or refunded if damaged.
This year, Samsung decided that size really does matter, so the new Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ have larger screens of 5.8 and 6.2 inches, respectively. Other companies have already tried to make devices with the largest possible displays, but the Koreans have really reached a new, unprecedented level in this regard. How convenient it is to use the new “galaxies” - read the translation of the review from YugaTech on Trashbox.
It is noteworthy that even the simple version of the Galaxy S8 has a larger screen diagonally than the unsuccessful Galaxy Note 7 phablet, not to mention the “plus”. What will the eighth Galaxy Note be like then? Will its screen be larger than 6.2 inches? It’s very interesting what Samsung will come up with for fans of the stylus and large display, but for now let’s look at the eighth Galaxy.
Characteristics
- Screen: 5.8 / 6.2 inches, Super AMOLED, 2960x1440 pixels, 570 / 529 ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protective glass.
- Operating system: Android 7.1 Nougat, Samsung Experience 8.1 shell.
- Processor: Exynos 8895, eight-core (4×Cortex-A53 at 1.7 GHz and 4×2.3 GHz at 2.3 GHz), 10 nm.
- GPU: Mali G71-MP20.
- RAM: 4 GB (LPDDR4).
- Storage: 64 GB (UFS 2.1) with support for microSD cards up to 256 GB.
- Main camera: 12 megapixels (Sony IMX333 + S5K2L2 ISOCELL), Dual Pixel, f/1.7 aperture, optical stabilization (OIS), video recording 1080p×60FPS, 4K×30FPS.
- Front camera: 8 megapixels, wide-angle sensor, f/1.7 aperture.
- Battery: 3,000 / 3,500 mAh, lithium-ion, fast charging from 0 to 100% in 75 minutes.
- Dimensions (mm): 148.9 x 68.1 x 8.0 (Galaxy S8), 159.5 x 73.4 x 8.1 (Galaxy S8+).
- Weight (grams): 155 / 173.
- Slots for SIM cards: one nanoSIM, the second - combined.
- Connectivity: 4G/LTE (up to category 16), Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type-C, 3.5 mm audio jack, dual-band (2.4/5 GHz) Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, GPS/ GLONASS/Galileo.
- Sensors: fingerprint scanner, pressure sensor, accelerometer, barometer, gyroscope, geomagnetic sensor, Hall sensor, heart rate sensor, proximity sensor, light sensor.
- Water protection: IP68.
- Available colors: in Russia so far only black, golden and mystical (pink-gray).
- Price: 54,990 / 59,990 rubles.
Appearance and design
The flagship Galaxy S line has undergone a major redesign this year. The general concept has not changed, but the approach is completely different. Both versions of the smartphone received a curved screen at the edges, and the frames at the top and bottom were greatly reduced. Like the LG G6, the corners of the display panel are rounded. This is not only beautiful, but also practical in terms of the strength of the case. In case of a fall or other external influences, there is less chance that the matrix with rounded corners will be damaged.
Hardware control buttons and the Samsung logo, which was previously usually located on the top frame, have been removed from the front panel. This freed up space for the display. Only some sensors and the front camera remain. We have already seen this in the Xiaomi Mi MIX, which has nothing on the front side of the body except a display, a camera and a pair of sensors.
The bottom edge is strewn with a 3.5 mm port, universal USB Type-C and a speaker grid. Unfortunately, Samsung isn't dabbling in two separate stereo speakers just yet.
The top edge is equipped with a tray for nanoSIM cards. There is also an additional hybrid slot for microSD cards up to 256 GB. It can be used for an additional nanoSIM.
The rear panel contains a camera sensor that does not protrude from the body with a two-tone LED flash on the left and a fingerprint scanner on the right. The position of the fingerprint sensor is at least strange, but more on that later. The back of the device is covered with protective glass. Corning Gorilla Glass 5. It is slightly curved along the edges, which creates a pleasant visual effect, but also thanks to this the phone fits perfectly in the hand.
The case is protected from water and dust according to the standard IP68. The smartphone can be immersed in water to a depth of 1.5 meters for no more than 30 minutes.
Overall, there are no issues with Samsung in terms of the appearance and design of the Galaxy S8. The phone looks impressive and feels good in the hand.
Screen
Samsung is doing the right thing by making the screen the main feature of its smartphones. They are allowed to do this, because their own panels Super AMOLED- almost the best on the market. The Galaxy S8 has the largest screen in the South Korean manufacturer's flagship line. 5.8 inches is even larger than the typical diagonal of phablets (5.5-5.7 inches). This is a big improvement, especially considering the dimensions are almost identical to the previous generation.
This diagonal was achieved by removing the hardware buttons and fingerprint scanner on the rear panel. The Samsung inscription was also moved there. The frames were reduced to a minimum - there was only room for the front camera, a pair of sensors and an iris scanner.
The edges of the display are curved, as you would expect from a Samsung flagship smartphone. Let us remember that this “trick” first appeared in the Galaxy Note edge, and then migrated to the Galaxy S line. Now there is no division into the regular and edge versions - both “galaxies” have a curved screen.
Screen resolution - 2960x1440 pixels(WQHD+). Thus, the pixel density is 570 ppi. The firmware of smartphones provides a function that automatically or manually changes the screen resolution to save energy. By default, the indicator is set to Full HD+ (2280x1080). The lowest level is HD+ (1480×720). The latter is used when the energy saving mode is turned on.
From left to right: selecting resolution, picture mode and other settings
The aspect ratio of this screen is quite strange - 18.5:9. Not the best option for watching videos and pictures in games. But the firmware provides a function for adapting content to the display.
As for the matrix itself, these are top quality Super AMOLED panels. Color rendition, detail and contrast are at a high level. Under the rays of the sun, the display behaves perfectly - readability is maintained. The Galaxy S8 firmware has a function to reduce blue radiation at night - reducing eye strain.
Camera
Samsung pays a lot of attention to the camera in its flagship smartphones. The eighth generation of the Galaxy is no exception - the devices take excellent photos and videos. Galaxy S8 uses the new Sony IMX333 sensor and S5K2L2 ISOCELL sensor with resolution 12 megapixels(the same number was in S7).
Sample photos from Galaxy S8 (images are highly compressed)
The main camera supports optical image stabilization (OIS). The videos are of very high quality, but it is clear that Samsung programmers have not yet completed the camera software. When making sharp turns, the picture is slightly blurred. Perhaps this will be fixed with the final update before the start of sales. Video recording in 4K×30FPS or 1080p×60FPS resolution is supported. The frame rate for slow motion video is limited to 240FPS at 720p resolution.
The front camera has received a big improvement - from 5 to 8 megapixels. There is a wide-angle sensor with a good aperture ratio - f/1.7. Your selfies will definitely look good even in poor lighting conditions.
The camera application interface has been greatly redesigned. Now it looks like some kind of social network like Snapchat. We added many interesting functions and features. For knowledgeable users, a professional shooting mode is provided. In it you can manually adjust the ISO value (50−800), shutter speed (1/2400 to 10 seconds), white balance and picture profile.
In the Galaxy S7, many people liked the function of launching the camera by double pressing the Home button. Since it was removed, this “trick” moved to the unlock button.
operating system
The new products run on the Android 7.0 Nougat platform, on top of which proprietary firmware is installed Samsung Experience(formerly TouchWiz). As is always the case with Samsung, several applications are preinstalled: Samsung Notes, proprietary Browser, Secure Folder and others. But it's still not as bad as it was in the 2014−2015 versions of TouchWiz.
Since the hardware control buttons were removed, Samsung decided to slightly level out this loss. Now there are almost always virtual Recent, Home and Back buttons at the bottom. Sometimes two disappear, and only Home remains. The central button has pleasant feedback and adjustable sensitivity. There is no separate button on the desktop to call up the application menu - a universal gesture from bottom to top or vice versa is responsible for this.
There is special software for curved screen edges: App Edge, People Edge, Clipboard Edge and more. All this interacts to one degree or another with the curved screen. For example, you can bring up the favorites panel by swiping on this area. There is also a utility for creating a screenshot or even a GIF animation.
Security features include a fingerprint sensor and an iris scanner. The finger sensor was moved to the back cover and placed next to the camera. Thus, you can only reach it with a normal grip with your right hand and index finger. But the fingers themselves must also be long enough. The sensor itself works quickly and stores up to four fingerprints.
Another innovation in the firmware and design of the smartphone is the Bixby voice assistant. It can be called up in any application using the button on the left side of the case. Bixby is a mixture of a traditional voice assistant, learning artificial intelligence, and a recommendation engine. Wherever you call Bixby, it will understand the context and find exactly what you need. However, in test samples the assistant practically does not work.
Overall, Samsung's new Android skin is very pleasant to use. Smooth animations and cute icons are pleasing to the eye, and thoughtful features turn ordinary interaction with a smartphone into a real pleasure. For those who do not like the standard interface, themes are available in the company catalog - there you can find a shell to suit your taste.
The 64 GB test sample was free 53.98 GB. Thus, more than 10 GB is occupied by the firmware.
Iron
The guys from YugaTech.com tested a smartphone in a version with a processor Exynos 8895 Samsung's own production. It is this chipset that is equipped with the Galaxy S8 for Europe and the CIS. This is the ninth generation of Exynos processors. And they can compete with solutions from Qualcomm, Huawei and other companies.
The Exynos 8895 is built on a 4+4 architecture: four ARM Cortex-A53 cores (1.7 GHz) are responsible for simple tasks, and four custom Exynos M1 cores (2.3 GHz) are included when processing heavy processes like games. But the main difference between the 8895 and the previous generation is the graphics accelerator. The new product uses the Mali G71-MP20 video chip. The big increase in productivity is precisely his merit.
Despite the fact that Samsung abandoned the new Cortex-A73 cores (Snapdragon 835 and Kirin 960), its own Exynos M1 cores show approximately the same power.
Test results Galaxy S8 in benchmarks:
- AnTuTu: 174,155.
- Quadrant Standard: 43,185.
- PCMark: 5,371 (Work 2.0), 6,034 (Work 1.0).
- PCMark Storage: 4,421.
- 3DMark: 3,159.
- Vellamo: 7,269 (Browser), 3,324 (Metal Graphics), 3,621 (multi-core test).
- Geekbench 4.0: 1,974 (single-core), 6,339 (multi-core).
Calls, communication and battery
The new Samsung flagship is equipped with all modern communication standards, including 4G / LTE, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0(for the first time in a smartphone) and NFC. The voice quality in calls is ideal. It's nice that Samsung still pays a lot of attention to the most important function of the phone - calls. Bluetooth receiver version 5 allows you to connect two pairs of headphones or other audio accessories to one Galaxy S8.
Having increased the screen diagonal, Samsung, unfortunately, decided not to do the same with the battery. A regular Galaxy has a non-removable battery with a capacity 3,000 mAh, and in the Plus version - 3,500 mAh. However, the manufacturer claims that the operating time will remain the same.
In the PC Mark Battery Test benchmark, which emulates an intense load, the smartphone worked for 10 hours 43 minutes. At the same time, the brightness was set to 50%, the sound was turned off, and the phone was also switched to airplane mode. To be honest, the result is controversial. The same Galaxy S7 lasted longer in the same benchmark.
Galaxy S8 in video playback worked 10 hours 45 minutes at the same brightness, volume and networks turned off. And this is also less than in the Galaxy S7 - about 1 hour.
Galaxy S8 wireless charging stand
As they say, here you decide for yourself what is more important to you - a cool and large screen, or a little longer battery life. The battery charges via the USB Type-C connector in approximately 75 minutes from 0 to 100%. Wireless charging is supported. And yes - it does not explode when charging.
Results
Samsung tried to make a truly new smartphone, original and innovative. Although we have already seen the LG G6 and Xiaomi Mi MIX, the eighth Galaxy is a completely different smartphone. Koreans are getting closer to the moment when we will simply carry a large panel with a display without frames and a bulky case.
In the Galaxy S8 you can find the best screen, powerful processor, beautiful body design, quality materials and a good camera.
Of course, art requires sacrifice, so there was a fly in the ointment. Among the shortcomings, we can note the poor ergonomics of the fingerprint scanner. In addition, the price has increased, although for Russia this is not particularly noticeable - the price tags for the new Galaxy S8 are approximately at the same level as the Galaxy S7 at the start of sales.
Fine:
- Stylish design.
- Great screen.
- Powerful processor and plenty of memory.
- Good camera.
- Iris scanner.
- A well-developed shell for Android.
- Opening hours could have been better.
- The price has increased.
- The fingerprint scanner is inconvenient.