The two flagships have remained stuck to Android 7.0 Nougat for a while now, which also brought a newer version of TouchWiz called Grace UX on board.
But the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ introduced the new Samsung Experience 8.1 which received an update to version number 8.5 when the Galaxy Note 8 made a debut.
But while other Samsung smartphones like the Galaxy J5 or the 2017 Galaxy A series received Samsung Galaxy 8.1, year’s flagships continue to run the same UI. But according to a Samsung Members community admin, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge will get Samsung Experience 8.1 as soon as the next update – which will probably be Android 8.0 Oreo – starts rolling out. No exact timeline for the release was provided.
Given that the Samsung Experience 8.5 update is more cosmetic in nature and not feature-oriented, it would make little sense for the Korean tech giant to invest time and resources to deliver only a UX-focused update. The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge haven’t been updated that many times anyway and with Android 8.0 Oreo out, it’s quite unlikely the phones will get the bump to Android 7.1 or Android 7.1.2 now.
In this post, we’ll talk about what makes the Galaxy Note 8 stand out in an increasingly crowded premium Android smartphone market, such as its dual camera system, insanely gorgeous hardware design, specs that are out of this world, and how the Grace UX isn’t nearly as bad as Samsung haters say it is.
Here are five reasons we think the Galaxy Note 8 is a good buy.
1. It Has Everything
If you judge smartphones by the specs they have, then the Galaxy Note 8 should already be at the top of your list. Here, I’ll name a few, just to get the ball rolling. The Note 8 has a 6.3″ Infinity QHD+ Super AMOLED display, wireless charging, NFC/MST, fingerprint reader, facial recognition, iris scanner, expandable storage, Snapdragon 835 processor, 6GB RAM, dual rear-facing cameras with OIS, Bluetooth 5.0, S Pen, IP68 water and dust resistance, and the list goes on.
Seriously, if you were designing your own dream phone with realistic expectations for under $1,000, you’d probably create the Galaxy Note 8. Take all of these specs and toss them into a gorgeous, all glass and metal body and you have a legit flagship smartphone that can go up against anything else on the market.
Considering the Galaxy Note 7 was taken off the market prematurely due to the recall, I don’t think ex-owners and Samsung fans in general could’ve hoped for anything better this time around. In my review, I called this the best Note device Samsung has produced to date, and I still stand by those words 100%.
2. Dual Camera System + OIS is Beast
Smartphone cameras are all pretty stellar these days, but Samsung upped the bar this year, providing dual rear shooters, both with optical image stabilization (OIS). For Android, this was a first, and from my findings with this device during my review period, it killed.
This phone is exceptional in low lighting, when other phones would blow an image’s lighting to poo due to sensitive sensors. Like past years, the cameras handle assorted colors well, too, such as reds, purples, and greens. This is handy when you’re shooting landscapes or getting in close for a macro of a flower. With the secondary sensor, which is telephoto, you can zoom in on objects without losing a ton of detail, which can be helpful for wildlife shots, such as that cute squirrel that keeps terrorizing your dogs in the backyard.
Sample Shots
3. Grace UX, Give It a Try
Over the years of blogging about Android, I’ve heard countless people say, “TouchWiz sucks” or something along those lines. My friends, believe me when I tell you, Samsung’s custom skin that runs atop Android is not like it was back then. It’s been tweaked and refined heavily, almost to the point where I don’t have any real issues with it. Do I prefer stock Android still? Yes, but that’s because I’m a very minimal kinda guy and don’t need half of the features Samsung offers inside this skin, but others may benefit greatly from their inclusion.
My point is, don’t let this phone’s skin be the thing that is deterring you. It shouldn’t be. While at first you may feel overwhelmed by all of the different settings you can play with and enable, just know that after a few days, you’ll know everything that’s in there and be a real Note master. And luckily for you, we make videos specifically to help you discover all of the good stuff.
4. Hardware Design
If you checked out Kellen’s video review, I don’t share his exact sentiments regarding the size and feel of this phone. Yes, if you’re coming from something smaller, the Note 8’s size can take a bit of getting used to, but once you are used to it, it’s kinda hard to go back to anything smaller. You have this massive display and rounded edges for easy holding/gripping, with a body covered in soft glass. I think it’s a real delight to hold, use, and look at throughout the day.
Is this phone an accident prone-person’s worst nightmare? You better believe it, but what glass-encased phone isn’t going to shatter upon dropping it? It’s just the way things are, and you know, they do make cases to help protect your device. At the end of the day, I’ll gladly use a fragile phone that looks amazing over an ugly device any day of the week, because considering how often I’m looking at it and holding it, I want it to look good. I want others to ask me what it is and get a little jelly that all they have is an old busted iPhone. That’s fun for me and it’s the feeling I get when I pull out the Note 8 in my group of iPhone-loving friends.
Even if you don’t want something this big, you can get basically the same thing in a smaller Galaxy S8 package, which is also a great phone that we’ve covered countless times.
5. Future-Proof
Remember some of those specs I talked about earlier? Like facial recognition, iris scanning, NFC/MST, and Bluetooth 5.0? Well, because this phone comes equipped with all of that, you can rest assured that your phone will go on supporting the latest trends in mobile technology for a solid period of time. Because Apple just made facial recognition “cool” with the iPhone X, you can sleep comfortably knowing that your phone is capable of the exact same thing, but even goes a step further — iris scanning. Once you see your favorite banking apps support iris scanners, you’ll know that the Galaxy Note 8 was a solid investment.
Another great piece of tech in this device that gets overlooked often is the inclusion of MST (magnetic secure transmission). Mobile payments are all the rage right now, but every phone that isn’t a Samsung flagship lacks MST and access to Samsung Pay. With this on your phone, not only can you utilize an NFC reader, but virtually all credit/debit card readers in America with this touch-less technology. It makes your payment possibilities much more consistent and adds yet another reason to leave your plastic at home when you hit the town.
There have been a few rumors and leaks in the last couple of months claiming to offer details on Samsung’s 2018 iteration of the Galaxy A series. While we cannot confirm whether or not these leaks are accurate, we have managed to get the names of the countries where the Galaxy A5 (2018) and Galaxy A7 (2018) may be made available. This list is by no means final, and it’s possible these phones might not launch in all the listed countries and even launch in those not mentioned here. As for the Galaxy A3 (2018), we do not have any information on that device, but we’ll let you know once we do.
Find the list of countries, along with their region codes, down below.
Galaxy A5 (2018) :
AMO – Spain (Orange)
ATO – Open Austria
AUT – Switzerland
BTU – United Kingdom
CAC – Uzbekistan
CAM – Cambodia
CPW – United Kingdom (Carphone Warehouse)
DBT – Germany
ETL – Czech Republic
EUR – Greece
FTM – France (Orange)
GLB – Philippines (Globe)
ITV – Italy
LUX – Luxembourg
MM1 – Singapore
MYM – Thailand (MPT, Mectel)
NEE – Nordic countries
O2U – United Kingdom (O2)
ORO – Romania (Orange)
ORS – Slovakia
ORX – Slovakia
PHE – Spain
PHN – Netherlands
ROM – Romania
SEB – Baltic
SEE – South East Europe
SEK – Ukraine (Kyivstar)
SER – Russia
SIN – Singapore (SingTel)
SKZ – Kazakhstan
SMA – Philippines (Smart)
STH – Singapore (StarHub)
TEB – Bosnia and Herzegovina
THL – Thailand
TPH – Portugal (TPH)
XEC – Spain (Movistar)
XEF – France
XEH – Hungary
XEO – Poland
XEU – United Kingdom / Ireland
XME – Malaysia
XSP – Singapore
XTC – Philippines (Open Line)
XXV – Vietnam
Galaxy A7 (2018) :
ARO – Argentina
BNG – Bangladesh
CAC – Uzbekistan
CHO – Chile
COO – Colombia
CPW – United Kingdom (Carphone Warehouse)
DBT – Germany
EON – Trinidad and Tobago
INS – India
NPL – Nepal
SEK – Ukraine (Kyivstar)
SER – Russia
SKZ – Kazakhstan
SLK – Sri Lanka
TPA – Panama
TTT – Trinidad and Tobago
XEO – Poland
ZTO – Brazil
We’ll soon start hearing a lot of rumors and reports about the Galaxy A (2018) series as Samsung is due to launch it early next year. The first Galaxy A5 (2018) specifications have now surfaced online. A benchmark listing for the SM-A530F has been spotted which gives us an idea of what the Galaxy A5 (2018) specifications might be.
The Geekbench listing for the Galaxy A5 (2018) reveals that it’s going to be powered by Samsung’s new Exynos 7885 processor. It’s likely the 10nm version of the Exynos 7880 that can be found on the Galaxy A5 (2017).
According to these Galaxy A5 (2018) specifications, the octa-core Exynos 7885 has a clock speed of 1.59GHz. It’s paired with 4GB of RAM. That’s going to be a welcome improvement over the Galaxy A5 (2017)’s 3GB of RAM.
According to the listing, the handset is powered by Android 7.1.1. Whether or not Samsung launches it with Android 8.0 Oreo when the time comes remains to be seen. No further details have surfaced online but it’s a good bet to assume that the Galaxy A (2018) series will feature fingerprint scanners and water resistance.
Rumors suggest that the Infinity Display will be present as well. It was rumored yesterday that the physical Bixby button might also make its way to the Galaxy A (2018) series. Samsung is expected to unveil the new Galaxy A (2018) early next year. We will likely see more information about this series surface in the weeks to come.
A new Samsung device has just received certification from the National Radio Agency based in Samsung’s hometown of South Korea.
The device has the model number SM-G888N0 and is said to be known as the Galaxy X, which is set to be the company’s first foldable phone that has been heavily rumored Samsung has been working on. Now the device has received formal certification, it would suggest that the Samsung Galaxy X could be launching very soon, albeit in South Korea to begin with.
The Wi-Fi alliance lists the device as Bluetooth 4.2 and running Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow which would be slightly disappointing. I suspect this may be outdated given the profile of the Galaxy X in the lineup for Samsung and would expect similar specs to that of the rest of the Galaxy line.
The foldable smartphone is said to be being developed under codename Project Valley and points to a late 2017 or early 2018 release.
A device that folds up is an interesting concept and one that if executed correctly, would open the door for Samsung to further increase the display size on a smartphone without increasing its physical footprint.
Foldable phones were all the rage pre-smartphone but could Samsung be using the Galaxy X to reignite that trend or has it finally figured out foldable displays?
If the rumors are true we won’t have long to find out as we could see something launched in South Korea at the tail end of the year.
If you’re considering making the switch from an iPhone to the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 8, you should know that Samsung makes this process as painless as possible with their Smart Switch app. Even if you’re not switching away from iPhone, Samsung has you covered. They’ve also highlighted some interesting things you can do with your new Galaxy Note 8 including making GIFs, multi-tasking, using the low light cameras and more. Check it out.
How to transfer everything from an Android phone
Connect your phones with the cable included with your Galaxy Note 8.
Select Smart Switch in the menu that pops up.
Select which phone sends and receives the data.
Press Allow on your old device.
Choose what files you are keeping and then press Transfer.
How to transfer everything from an iPhone
Use the iPhone cable and the adapter included with the Galaxy Note 8 to connect your phones.
Select Smart Switch in the menu that pops up.
Tap Trust on your old phone.
Pick the files you want to keep and press Transfer.
How to make GIFs on your Galaxy Note 8
Tap the floating Air Command symbol on your chosen video.
Press Smart Select.
Press Animation.
Adjust where you want to capture with the S-Pen.
Hit Record then Stop when the time is right.
Then hit share.
How to use Live Focus on the Galaxy Note 8 camera
Quick launch the rear camera by double tapping the power button.
Select Live Focus.
Frame your subject and adjust your focus level.
Take the picture and then tap on it in the bottom right.
You can adjust the focus level in the background and even add stickers.
Save and share.
How to use the S-Pen with the Galaxy Note 8
Curious about the S-Pen that’s included with the new Galaxy Note 8? This video is a short primer on all the things you can do with your S-Pen through the help of Air Command, which is the interface that launches automatically when you remove the S-Pen from the phone. Tired of having Air Command pop up automatically? There’s a setting that allows you to change that, too.
How to multi-task with the Galaxy Note 8
The 2:1 screen ratio of the Galaxy Note 8 makes it perfect for multi-tasking. Here’s how.
Tap the Recents button.
Press and hold the app you want.
Drag it to the top of your screen.
Then open the other app you want.
You can even preset two apps to launch together using your Edge panel. Here’s how.
Swipe left on the Apps Edge tab.
Tap the + button to create a new Apps Pair.
Select two apps you use together and press Done.
How to take good low light pictures with the Galaxy Note 8
Quick launch your rear camera by double tapping power button.
At first glance, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy S8+ look like twins. But there are many differences between the smartphones which aren’t just limited to looks. The differences are also under the hood, which is where both the Note 8 and the S8+ are ahead of the pack.
Anyone who does a side-by-side comparison of Samsung’s largest smartphones of the moment doesn’t need a magnifying glass to find the design differences; just having a second glance is enough. The Galaxy Note 8 is a little bit thicker than the Galaxy S8+. It’s also a bit more angular at the corners, but the build quality of both devices is flawless.
Compared to the S8+ (right), the Note 8 is hardly bigger but distinctively edgier.
The Note 8’s display is merely 0.1 inches bigger, and we estimate that the bezels are just as slim. Despite the curved glass surfaces, the Galaxy Note 8 is more massive and also heavier than the S8+. The controls, including the standalone Bixby button, are located in the same places.
The button arrangement is identical.
The Galaxy Note 8’s most important differentiating factor is the S-Pen. This digital input stylus, which can be pulled from below the housing as usual, divides Samsung fans. For Note aficionados, the S-Pen is what makes this device truly interesting and thus, without equal. But, the pen critics do not see the need for the S-Pen and emphasize other things instead.
Only the Note 8 (bottom) sports the S-Pen.
There are large differences between the cameras. The Galaxy Note 8 is the Korean manufacturer’s first smartphone that is equipped with a dual camera, while the Galaxy S8+ takes the conservative route and has a single 12 MP lens on the back. Although the camera still has to prove its worth in our review, it already offers more opportunities for creativity. Both are evenly matched when it comes to the front camera.
Galaxy S8+ has better battery life than the Note 8
A look at the technical specs sheet reveals the following: The Galaxy S8+ has the larger battery of the two Samsung smartphones, and that’s in spite of the smaller size and thinner body. To make up for it, the Note 8 offers the S-Pen, which takes up space inside the body as well. Furthermore, the Galaxy Note 7 battery incidents caused Samsung to stay on the safe side and, for better or worse, not go for maximum capacity. As a result, the Galaxy S8+ lasts a bit longer on one charge, even if the differences are minor in practice. Both Galaxy smartphones support quick charging and wireless charging.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 vs. Samsung Galaxy S8+ technical specifications
Performance wise, both smartphones are very close, which is no wonder since they are equipped with the same processor. RAM is the only thing where the Note 8 has a bit more to offer, which is hardly noticeable in practice. The Snapdragon 835 (or the Samsung Exynos 8895 outside of the US), powers both XXL smartphones and you won’t have to wait long for apps to load or deal with a laggy browser with either phone.
The Note 8 is the first Samsung with a dual camera.
Note 8 buyers pay $270 more for an $-Pen
There is quite a price difference between both smartphones, with the Galaxy Note 8 starting at a full $929, which is $80 more than what the Galaxy S8+ cost when it was released on the market ($850). Now the price for the latter has dropped further, and you can currently get it for as little as $659, which is an enormous $270 difference that will make some Note fans think twice.
Samsung took a huge gamble on the Galaxy S8 when it went all in on its virtual assistant and included a dedicated button to launch Bixby.
Unfortunately for consumers, Bixby wasn’t ready. That, unfortunately, left the Bixby button as merely a quick launch for Bixby Home, which housed some basic information from your calendar and news feed. There were some workarounds but Samsung kept responding to break the method used to remap the button.
It seems that Samsung may now finally be listening as a new update finally allows the Bixby button to be officially disabled. Unfortunately, it doesn’t go any further than that so you’re left with an even more useless button. Hopefully, Samsung takes this one step further and allow the button to be completely remapped to launch an app of the users choice like Google Assistant.
SamMobile reports the update isn’t appearing for everyone just yet so keep checking in Settings to see when it finally trickles down to your device.
The dedicated Bixby button on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ didn’t really serve any meaningful purpose until last month when Bixby Voice was rolled out globally. Before the global release of Bixby Voice, the dedicated button could only be used for Bixby Home.
Most users didn’t feel the need for Bixby Home to have a dedicated key. Third-party apps were developed that allowed them to remap the button to launch any app of their choice. Samsung was quick to clamp down on those apps for reasons that our editor in chief explained in great detail.
I bemoaned recently that the Bixby button was driving me nuts and many of our readers agreed with me. I don’t like how it gets in the way and that you can’t avoid accidental presses of the button. However, it’s time for us to rejoice.
Samsung is finally allowing us to disable the Bixby button, to an extent. The latest Bixby updates add a new toggle which lets you decide whether or not Bixby Home should be launched when the dedicated button is pressed. This can also be configured from the Bixby settings menu.
You’ll see this toggle at the very top of Bixby Home once you install the update. You can tap on the gear icon to hide the toggle should you so desire. It’s just a matter of tapping on a toggle now and that makes me happy.
To be clear, Bixby Home isn’t going anywhere. You can still access it by swiping left from the home screen. The Bixby button will also work for summoning Bixby Voice. Just press and hold like you already do.
Are you happy that Samsung is finally giving us this option? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
Update: The implementation appears to be random right now. Some of our devices have got this toggle after the update. Some haven’t. Perhaps it will take more time for this to be available on all Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8 units.
This shouldn’t be too much of a surprise, but Samsung is working on an Android Oreo build for the Galaxy S8. Common sense, right? Manufacturers are pretty much always working on newer software for their flagship devices.
The big story here is that a Galaxy S8 running Android 8.0 has popped up on Geekbench, which means there’s definitely at least one, if not a few, of these devices at Samsung HQ stable enough to run benchmarks with new software. That’s good news for all of us waiting for an update.
Yep, definitely a Galaxy S8, definitely running Android 8.0. Performance doesn’t really seem drastically improved, but then again, it’s rare to see a massive difference just because of a newer version of software anymore.
While this doesn’t mean Samsung is pushing out an Oreo update right away, it does mean we can expect an update for their current round of flagship devices very soon. Fingers crossed the Galaxy S7 sees some love, too.
Samsung Electronics today announced the commercial launch of the Galaxy Note8 to select markets around the world. The flagship smartphone is initially available in 42 countries including the US, Canada, Singapore, Korea and major European markets, and will continue rolling out to additional markets in the weeks ahead.
Equipped with a large, bezel-less Infinity Display, the Galaxy Note8 lets users see and do more, from watching their favorite TV show in HDR to multitasking more efficiently. Expanded screen space means they also have more room to write, draw and color with the enhanced S Pen, which offers new features like Live Message and improved Screen off memo functionality.
Samsung’s newest flagship smartphone also boasts two 12MP rear cameras – a wide-angle lens and telephoto lens with Optical Image Stabilization on both – which are capable of producing clear and crisp photos, even when shot at far distances.
Furthermore, the device is outfitted with the same great collection of cutting-edge features that Galaxy users have come to know and love including IP68 dust and water resistance, powerful performance with a 10nm process and expandable storage up to 256GB.
The launch of the Galaxy Note8 is complimented by an expanded ecosystem that features enhanced services and devices, including Bixby, Samsung’s intelligent interface, and Samsung DeX, which provides a desktop-like experience for the Galaxy Note8.
The commercial launch of the Galaxy Note 8 takes place today. Samsung has officially released the Galaxy Note 8in 42 countries initially. The handset will be rolled out in additional markets across the globe in the coming weeks.
The 42 countries where the Galaxy Note 8 has been released today include the United States, Canada, Singapore, South Korea and major markets in Europe. Other markets like China and India will see Samsung’s new flagship being released in the near future.
Featuring a 6.3-inch Super AMOLED Infinity Display, the Galaxy Note 8 features a Snapdragon 835 processor with 6GB of RAM. The IP68 water and dust resistant case houses a 3,300mAh battery, iris scanner, fingerprint scanner, the new S Pen and facial recognition.
The Galaxy Note 8 is Samsung’s first flagship with a dual camera system. It has two 12-megapixel sensors at the back and both are optically stabilized.
The new flagship is available with up to 256GB of internal storage but in most markets, Samsung will only be selling the 64GB model. Prices start at $950 in the United States and will vary by market.
As always, Samsung is offering decent pre-order incentives to those who placed a pre-order for its latest and greatest smartphone. However, the pre-order incentives aren’t that great for customers in Europe.
Check out our hands-on with the Galaxy Note 8 if you’re interested in this device. We’ll have a full review up soon.
Apple’s 2017 iPhones will inevitably influence the top end of the smartphone market. Here’s how it looks at the moment, with a number of key launches expected soon.
Smartphones are the focus of most people’s digital lives these days, and are likely to remain so until computing becomes truly ‘ambient’ — probably involving some seamless combination of wearables (particularly augmented reality [AR] goggles), IoT devices, cloud services and artificial intelligence (AI).
Following the launch of the iPhone 8, 8 Plus and X, it’s a good time to take stock of the current state of the smartphone market by examining the vital statistics of leading vendors’ flagship handsets.
Apple‘s new iPhones, and Samsung‘s Galaxy S8/S8+ and Galaxy Note 8, show the general direction in which top-end smartphones are heading: powerful, attractive (and expensive) handsets whose user experiences increasingly leverage AI and AR, integrated with an ecosystem of add-on devices and services in various sectors including gaming, AR and VR, smart home, healthcare, shopping and office productivity.
Following last year’s well-publicised Galaxy Note 7 debacle and strong fourth-quarter performance from Apple, Samsung briefly ceded first place to its main rival in the Q4 2016 smartphone market. However, the Korean company swiftly returned to the number-one spot in 2017 (see chart). Apple‘s new iPhones face stiff competition from Samsung, Huawei and other top-five vendors, and from several manufacturers in the ‘Others’ category — including Google, HTC, LG, Motorola, Nokia, OnePlus and Sony — that also offer premium smartphones.
“Despite some key launches in the second quarter from some well-known players, all eyes will be on the ultra-high-end flagships set to arrive this fall,” said Anthony Scarsella, research manager with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, when the Q2 2017 figures were released at the beginning of August. “With devices like the iPhone 8, Pixel 2, Note 8, and V30 in the pipeline, the competition will be fierce come September. We expect all the key players to promote their latest and greatest flagships with an assortment of deals, bundles, and trade-in offers across a variety of channels in most key markets,” he added.
Here’s how the flagship smartphone market looks following Apple‘s 2017 iPhone launch, presented as far as possible in graphical form. (Note: we’ll update this article as new handsets from Google, Huawei, LG and any other leading vendors are released.)
DESIGN
Screen size & Pixel density
Screen size — measured in inches across the diagonal — is a smartphone’s defining design characteristic, and the range on offer from leading vendors is now very wide. BlackBerry‘s 4.5-inch keyboard-equipped KEYone is the smallest, while Samsung‘s Galaxy Note 8 currently leads the field at 6.3 inches, with 16 out of the 25 handsets covered here falling between 5.5 and 6 inches. Display technologies are split between IPS LCD (Apple, BlackBerry, Huawei, HTC, LG [G6], Sony) and various species of OLED (Apple [iPhone X], Google, HP, Huawei [Mate 9 Pro], LG [V30], Motorola, OnePlus and Samsung).
Recent developments in smartphone displays include curved minimal-bezel screens with on-screen home buttons, 18:9 aspect ratio, Gorilla Glass 5 screen protection and — in the HTC U Ultra — a small secondary screen for notifications and other useful information (an idea recently dropped by LG when updating the V20 to the V30). Samsung‘s Note 8 is the only handset covered here that offers a stylus (the S-Pen). Apple‘s 2017 iPhones add True Tone technology (first seen in the 2016 9.7-inch iPad Pro) that automatically adjusts colour temperature and intensity to the ambient light, while the iPhone X made more space for the screen by removing the home button (and Touch ID) altogether.
The other key statistic here is pixel density, measured as pixels per inch (ppi), which factors in the display resolution. The graph below shows that Samsung (Galaxy S8) and LG (G6) lead the mainstream field with pixel densities of 567 and 564ppi respectively. The outlier is Sony‘s 5.5-inch Xperia XZ Premium, which offers a maximum 4K resolution of 3,840 by 2,160 for a massive 807ppi. This looks extremely impressive, but note that, for much of the time, the Xperia XZ Premium works at 1,080p resolution to save battery life, resulting in a much more mundane 403.5ppi.
Not everyone is comfortable with a large-screen handset, but if you want a leading-edge device, that’s increasingly what you’re being offered. If you’re happy with a large screen (>5.5in.) and also want high pixel density (>500ppi), you should be looking at Samsung‘s Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy S8+, LG‘s V30 or, if you’re happy to run Windows 10 Mobile, the HP Elite x3. If your hands are on the small side, the 5.3-inch Nokia 8 offers a good combination of moderate screen size and high resolution (550ppi).
Screen-to-body ratio & Thickness
Another key smartphone design metric is the screen-to-body ratio, which measures how much of a handset’s fascia is occupied by screen compared to non-display elements like bezels, camera lenses and control buttons.
If low screen/body ratios are ‘old-fashioned’, then Apple’s 2016 iPhone 7 and 7 Plus were showing their age at 65.5 percent and 67.5 percent respectively — and their 8 and 8 Plus successors have done nothing to change that. Apart from BlackBerry‘s KEYone, only four other handsets have sub-70 percent ratios: Google Pixel, HTC U Ultra, Nokia 8 and Sony Xperia XZ Premium. The 4.5-inch KEYone is an outlier at 55.9 percent because, of course, it has a hardware keyboard, which decreases the screen-to-body ratio (and also increases the thickness compared to touchscreen-only handsets — see below).
At the other end of the scale, Samsung‘s Galaxy S8, S8+ and Note 8 handsets, with their curved Infinity Display screens and on-screen home buttons, lead the field with screen/body ratios of 83-84 percent. LG‘s V30 and Apple‘s new iPhone X are the only other flagship handsets with screen/body ratios over 80 percent.
Smartphone vendors often make much of the slimness of their handsets, and it’s clear from the chart below that Huawei is particularly keen on this design feature. Conversely, Samsung and Google (and BlackBerry) deliver notably thicker handsets:
Motorola‘s modular Moto Z2 Force, at 6.1mm with no Mods fitted, is the thinnest handset here. There are trade-offs though: the camera lens housing protrudes from the rear, and the device’s body is too thin to accommodate a 3.5mm headset jack. With the increasing use of glass on both the front and back of premium handsets (to accommodate wireless charging), most people immediately put their expensive and shiny new handset in a protective case, which renders the quest for extreme slimness somewhat pointless.
Volume & Weight
As you’d expect, there’s a clear relationship between a smartphone’s physical volume and its weight, although the variation around the trendline is interesting.
For example, the handsets that are thick for their screen/body ratio — notably the HTC-designed Google Pixel and Pixel XL, HTC U Ultra and U11 — are also relatively light for their volume, suggesting that there’s plenty of room for components inside the case. Another handset that’s below the weight/volume trendline is Samsung‘s Galaxy Note 8 — evidence, perhaps, of design changes following the Note 7 debacle (especially as the Note 8 also packs a smaller-capacity 3,300mAh battery than its ill-fated predecessor, which ran on a 3500mAh unit). Conversely, it’s noteworthy how Apple‘s iPhone 8 Plus is particularly heavy (at 202g) for its volume, that the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus are slightly bulkier and heavier than their predecessors, and that the 5.8-inch iPhone X is considerably lighter and more compact than Samsung’s 6.3-inch Galaxy Note 8.
Dust and water resistance
Another key smartphone design factor is resistance to the ingress of foreign matter, as commonly indicated by a two-digit IP rating: the first number describes dust resistance on a 1-6 scale, while the second describes water resistance on a 1-8 scale. The highest rating among the flagship handsets covered here is IP68, where ‘6’ indicates that the device is ‘dust tight’ and ‘8’ signifies that it can withstand immersion in water (usually at least 30 minutes to depth of at least 1m).
An IP rating of 5 for dust means the device is merely ‘dust protected’, while 7 for water means it can withstand immersion in up to 1m for 30 minutes, 4 means it can resist ‘splashing water’ and 3 means it can handle ‘spraying water’, both of the latter for at least 10 minutes.
IP ratings are not available for the BlackBerry KEYone, Huawei (and Honor) handsets, HTC U Ultra, Motorola Moto Z2 Force (although it does claim a ‘water repellent nano-coating’) and OnePlus 5. However, two of the flagship smartphones — the LG V30 and HP Elite X3 — also boast a military-grade MIL-STD 810G ruggedness certification.
Somewhat surprisingly, Apple‘s 2017 iPhones did not bump up their IP ratings from IP67 to IP68, to match Samsung‘s Galaxy S8/8+/Note 8. Looking ahead, it will be surprising if Google‘s second-generation Pixel handsets don’t move beyond IP53.
PLATFORM
Chipsets, CPU & GPU performance
A flagship smartphone should do its job — launching, running and switching between apps, and displaying on-screen content — quickly and smoothly, without any delays or glitches that would mar the user experience. It shouldn’t become uncomfortably hot in operation either — or, of course, burst into flames.
Chipsets from four main vendors power the handsets covered here:
Apple‘s 4-core A10 Fusion (iPhone 7/7 plus) and 6-core AI- and AR-optimised A11 Bionic(iPhone 8/8Plus/X)
Samsung‘s 8-core Exynos 8995 in the Galaxy S8/S8+/Note 8 (worldwide versions)
Qualcomm’s mid-range 8-core Snapdragon 625 (BlackBerry KEYone); 4-core 820 (HP Elite x3) and 821 (Google Pixel/XL, HTC U Ultra, LG G6); and top-end 8-core 835 (HTC U11, LG V30, Moto Z2 Force, OnePlus 5, Galaxy S8/S8+/Note 8 [US/China versions], Sony Xperia XZ Premium)
HiSilicon’s Kirin 960 in the Huawei and Honor handsets.
Here’s how these platforms shape up in terms of processor and graphics performance, as measured by the Primate Labs’ multi-core Geekbench 4 (Gb4) and Futuremark’s 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited (ISU) benchmarks respectively:
The top-performing chipset — on these measures at any rate — is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, with Gb4 and ISU scores of up to 6500 and 40000 respectively. Note that the Exynos 8995 versions of the Samsung S8 and S8+ deliver better CPU results but weaker GPU performance (benchmarks are currently only available for the Exynos 8995 version of the Galaxy Note 8).
Apple‘s A10 Fusion-powered iPhone 7 and 7 Plus were strong performers, with scores of around 5400 (Gb4) and 37000 (ISU), and the new A11 Bionic-powered iPhones are sure to see a significant speed bump when benchmarks appear (here’s a leaked report). At the 2017 launch, Apple claimed that the A11 Bionic’s two performance CPU cores are 25 percent faster than the A10, while its four high-efficiency cores are 70 percent faster. Apple‘s 2nd-generation performance controller is reportedly 70 percent faster for multithreaded workloads, while the A11’s GPU is 30 percent faster and delivers A10-level performance at half the power, according to Apple.
Also prominent are the Kirin 960-powered handsets from Huawei and Honor, which cluster around the 6000 (Gb4)/27000 (ISU) mark. Again, we expect to see a performance boost when the AI-optimised Kirin 970 chipset becomes available in the Huawei Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro in October.
The remaining Snapdragon 821-powered smartphones on this chart — notably Google‘s Pixel and Pixel XL — are well behind the 2017 curve, and will certainly be updated with the 835 chipset in due course. Very much in last place in this company is BlackBerry‘s KEYone, which is powered by Qualcomm’s mid-range 8-core Snapdragon 625 SoC.
RAM & Storage
When it comes to memory, the clear leader of the pack is the OnePlus 5, which is currently unique in offering 8GB or 6GB of RAM. Next come seven flagship handsets with a maximum of 6GB, all of which bar the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 also have a 4GB variant. The most common RAM complement is 4GB, which is the only choice with 11 handsets and the maximum for BlackBerry‘s KEYone (which also comes with 3GB).
Apple has always fitted less RAM in its iPhones than the Android competition, and that hasn’t changed with its 2017 handsets: the iPhone X and 8 Plus have 3GB (like the iPhone 7 Plus), while the iPhone 8 has 2GB (like the iPhone 7).
As far as internal storage is concerned, Apple‘s 2017 iPhones stand out with their maximum complement of 256GB — a feature that betrays the company’s disdain for external storage expansion via a MicroSD card slot. Samsung‘s Galaxy Note 8 also offers a maximum of 256GB (in some territories), but has a MicroSD card slot too, making it the top choice for the data-hungry.
Google‘s Pixel handsets and the OnePlus 5 also lack MicroSD expansion and, like the previous-generation iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, provide up to 128GB rather than 256GB of internal storage.
The most common maximum internal storage complement is 128GB, which is offered by 13 of the 25 handsets covered here.
CAMERAS
Rear cameras
Cameras have become a key battleground for smartphone makers, and several approaches are currently on view among the flagship population. Although it wasn’t the first to do so, Apple kick-started a trend last year by offering dual rear cameras on the iPhone 7 Plus: a primary 12-megapixel (MP) camera with an f/1.8 wide-angle lens and optical image stabilisation (OIS), and a secondary camera with an f/2.8 telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom but no OIS.
As well as adding telephoto capability, Apple‘s dual-camera system allowed depth information to be calculated, enabling features like bokeh — sharp foreground and blurred background — to be supported on portrait shots that were previously the province of expensive digital SLR cameras with high-end optics.
Apple‘s 2017 dual-camera phones, the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X, remain at 12MP but the sensors are bigger, faster and deliver better low-light performance, according to Apple. The iPhone 8 Plus has the same basic lens specs as the 7 Plus (f/1.8 wa + OIS, f/2.8 tele), while the iPhone X has an f/2.4 aperture on the telephoto lens and implements OIS on both cameras. Apple also takes advantage of A11 Bionic chip’s machine-learning optimisation and custom ISP to deliver a (beta) Portrait Mode feature called Portrait Lighting: here, depth sensing and facial mapping are combined to deliver real-time analysis of the light on a subject’s face and provide alternative lighting schemes — either pre- or post-capture.
For dual-camera handsets, the top bar is the wide angle or colour camera, while the bottom bar is the telephoto or black-and-white camera.
Huawei‘s Leica-branded camera system pairs 12MP RGB and 20MP monochrome sensors with 27mm f/2.2 lenses (f/1.8 in the P10 Plus), supporting OIS on the primary colour camera. As well as enabling true monochrome shooting and adding detail to blended RGB/mono shots, the 20MP secondary camera supplies depth information for bokeh-style images. The Honor 8 Pro has a similar (non-Leica-branded) system, but the secondary mono camera is 12MP rather than 20MP and there’s no support for OIS.
LG uses two 13MP sensors on the G6, one coupled with an f/1.8 autofocus lens with OIS and the other with an f/2.4 wide-angle lens lacking both OIS and autofocus. The LG V30 takes a similar approach, but uses a 16MP primary sensor with an f/1.6 lens (with AF and OIS) and a 13MP secondary sensor with an f/1.9 lens (no AF or OIS).
Both Motorola and Nokia take the Huawei approach, with colour and monochrome cameras: the Nokia 8’s Zeiss-branded system supports OIS on the colour camera, but the Moto Z2 Force does not offer OIS on either.
OnePlus and Samsung (Galaxy Note 8) go for the wide-angle/telephoto dual camera design, OnePlus with 16MP (wa) and 20MP (tele) cameras and electronic image stabilisation (EIS) rather than OIS, and Samsung with two 12MP cameras, both with OIS. Samsung also introduces a couple of neat dual-camera features: Live Focus lets you adjust the bokeh effect pre- and post-capture, while Dual Capture simultaneously captures photos from both the wide-angle and telephoto cameras.
Single rear cameras are an increasing rarity among the flagship population, but are headed (in resolution terms) by Sony and HP, with 19MP and 16MP units in the Xperia XZ Premium and Elite x3 respectively.
Front cameras
The fashion for ‘selfies’ and authentication via face recognition means that front-facing cameras, once something of an afterthought with a nod to video calls, have seen significant recent evolution.
Samsung, for example, offers both face recognition and iris scanning on its Galaxy S8, S8+ and Note 8 handsets, as well as a capable 8MP camera, while the Nokia 8’s Dual Capture feature lets you take pictures with the front and rear camera simultaneously (a.k.a. ‘Bothies’). Even more recently Apple more than matched Samsung’s functionality with the front-facing TrueDepth camera system and Face ID on the new iPhone X:
Apple’s True Depth camera system occupies a notch at the top of the iPhone X’s OLED screen.
To analyse your physiognomy, the flood illuminator detects your face, the infrared camera takes an IR image, and the dot projector places than 30,000 IR dots on your face. These data are fed into a neural network (in the A11 Bionic chip) to create a mathematical model of your face, which is then checked against the stored model on the handset — all in real time. The True Depth camera also enables Portrait Mode selfies with Portrait Lighting, and animated emoji called ‘Animoji’.
Here are the front camera megapixel counts for the 25 handsets under consideration, 12 of which are 8MP units:
Video
Video capture is becoming an increasingly important smartphone camera feature — witness the fact that all bar one of the handsets covered here can record 4k (2160p) video with at least a frame rate of 30fps. The exception is BlackBerry‘s KEYone, which doesn’t support 4k video capture at any frame rate. Apple‘s new iPhones just upped the ante by supporting 4k video at 60fps, which will doubtless kick off another round of feature catch-up.
Slow-motion video is another popular feature, and Sony‘s Xperia XZ Premium leads the field here, supporting HD (720p) video capture at a startling ‘super-slo-mo’ 960fps. The current ‘standard’ for slo-mo video is 720p at 240fps, although Apple has again pushed the boundary by supporting full HD (1080p) video at 240fps in the iPhone 8, 8 Plus and X.
As resolutions and frame rates rise, image stabilisation — either optical or electronic — will become ever more important. It’s noticeably absent from Motorola‘s Moto Z2 Force, for example.
BATTERY
Battery capacity
As flagship smartphones pack in faster processors, more memory, larger and higher-resolution screens, and ever more functions, so the toll on the handset’s battery increases. There are multiple trade-offs here: no smartphone user wants to have to recharge during a typical day’s usage, but manufacturers cannot simply fit ever higher-capacity batteries into designs that need to be as lightweight and elegant as possible in order to keep buyers interested. Get it wrong and a vendor can have a Galaxy Note 7-style debacle on its hands.
The state of the art in smartphone batteries is currently around 4,000mAh, while 14 of the 22 handsets charted here have battery capacities between 3,000 and 4,000mAh. Apple has not divulged the battery specs for the iPhone 8, 8 Plus and X, and we’re awaiting the teardown analyses that will supply them.
Battery life
A bigger battery obviously means longer battery life, as the chart below clearly shows. But given that design and safety constraints preclude the shoehorning of big batteries into tight-fitting cases, manufacturers also need to make it as convenient as possible for users — especially ‘power’ users who subject their devices to heavy workloads — to recharge their handsets.
Following LG‘s decision to drop the removable battery when updating the V20 to the V30, this feature is now absent from all of the top-end smartphones covered here. Fast charging is supported on all but the now-outdated iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, while wireless charging is available on Apple‘s new iPhones (8, 8 Plus and X), HP‘s Elite x3, the LG G6 and V30, and Samsung‘s Galaxy S8, S8+ and Note 8.
PRICES
High-end smartphones are never going to be cheap, but Apple‘s newly launched iPhone X has broken new ground — the combination of Apple‘s historically high margins and a significant amount of new technology have seen to that. The entry-level 64GB iPhone X configuration costs $999, and if you must have the top-end 256GB model, be prepared to part with a princely $1,149 (and the same figure in UK pounds).
That’s a record for a mainstream flagship handset, although you can spend even sillier money on specialist secure/luxury devices like Sirin Labs’ Solarin if you really want to (although, as it turned out, few did).
Here are the list prices in US dollars for most of the premium handsets covered in this feature:
Notes: the LG V30 prices are converted from Korean won; the Nokia 8 price is converted from euros. The following handsets are not officially available in the US: Honor 8 Pro, Huawei Mate 9 Pro, Huawei P10 and P10 Plus. Where available, prices for entry-level and top-end configurations are shown.
Outlook
Recent launches from Samsung and Apple have highlighted the increasing importance of artificial intelligence and augmented reality in high-end smartphones, with the underlying chipsets and developer resources evolving appropriately. At least for now, the smartphone will remain the portable hub for your digital life, and the flow of new devices will continue apace.
We aim to keep this roundup updated as new products, specification details and benchmarks appear. The next big launches expected are Google‘s second-generation Pixel handsets, Huawei‘s Mate 10 and 10 Pro, and LG‘s G7. Check back for updated information on these and other devices.
