Phones Samsung Galaxy S8

[widgeteer]

Sooooo unfortunately I had to return my S8+. The FP scanner was the deal breaker. I need to lock my phone, I use it for work. So I am unlocking my phone countless times a day, and there is nothing as seamless as a good FP scanner. Also, there are a great many places around me that take mobile payment, so another use case in which the FP scanner just made things impossible. Iris scanning is fine when you're stationary at a desk, but on the go not so much. And I sure as hell ain't going back to tapping in a 4 digit pin constantly again. Horse left that barn a long time ago.

I've said this before, and I want to be clear: while the placement of the scanner isn't ideal, that wasn't the issue. The scanner itself is crap. There were times it kept rejecting my attempts where it got to the point I wanted to throw it against a wall. I don't think this can be highlighted enough because if Sammy simply "fixes" this on the Note 8 by moving the same crappy FP scanner to a better location, it won't matter.

 

[co.ag.2005]

Much more noticeable today than yesterday and Friday.

I am pretty sure the s7e had it but not to this extent cause that would have been a major hot button.

Not planning on exchanging yet though I doubt the software update this week would fix it. Going back to adaptive and excluding red totally does not help. I want to check out other devices in stores real soon.

yeah, my S8 has a slight pink hue on both edges, and if I tilt my phone about 30 degrees when looking at it square on, the whole display is pink. So maybe it's just an artifact of AMOLED? I didn't have pink hues on my GS6 or Note 5 at all (at the 30 degree tilt) so I do wonder if it is a calibration issue. I have the red slider almost all the way down in the adaptive display section. And when veiwing a completely white screen (via a screen test app), I can see the same pink artifacts. I'll wait to see if an update truly gets pushed this week. I may chat with samsung support (I ordered from samsung.com) to see if they'd be quick to send a replacement or make me wait till I get said software update.

And to the other posters out there, this isn't an issue of being OCD or petty, it truly shows up when viewing any white screened content and is a little annoying. And unfortunately, photos don't capture what I'm seeing.

IIRC, I think it was also part of the deal for Samsung to be primary fabricator of the 835. If they keep making these kinds of deals going forward, my guess is we'll continue to see Qualcomm chips in Samsung phones.

Who knows, it may be a way for Samsung to hedge their bets in case a generation of Exynos chips don't quite measure up... lets them have an alternative available.

It was my understanding that they had to use Qualcomm due to CDMA and Verizon/Sprint? not sure....

but, it looks like they are going to be doing the same thing with Qualcomm with the S9

Samsung and Qualcomm said to be working on Galaxy S9 processor, because of course they are
[doublepost=1493043293][/doublepost]

Sooooo unfortunately I had to return my S8+. The FP scanner was the deal breaker. I need to lock my phone, I use it for work. So I am unlocking my phone countless times a day, and there is nothing as seamless as a good FP scanner. Also, there are a great many places around me that take mobile payment, so another use case in which the FP scanner just made things impossible. Iris scanning is fine when you're stationary at a desk, but on the go not so much. And I sure as hell ain't going back to tapping in a 4 digit pin constantly again. Horse left that barn a long time ago.

I've said this before, and I want to be clear: while the placement of the scanner isn't ideal, that wasn't the issue. The scanner itself is crap. There were times it kept rejecting my attempts where it got to the point I wanted to throw it against a wall. I don't think this can be highlighted enough because if Sammy simply "fixes" this on the Note 8 by moving the same crappy FP scanner to a better location, it won't matter.

I agree with this, unfortunately. The placement is fine for me. Muscle memory has already kicked in. it's the actual scanner itself I have an issue with. When I place my finger on the sensor while the phone is locked, the phone does nothing. Then I lift my finger and place back down and it finally unlocks. Very hit or miss. I'm not going to be returning, yet, but I hope it gets better with time or an update makes it a little more "sensitive" (if that's the right word)

 

[noobinator]

I've had my phone a few days now and I just have a few thoughts and impressions. Mostly good but a few areas that aren't that great.

1. This phone is lightning fast. It's as fast as my iPhone 7 Plus. Seriously, it's the closest a phone has come to iPhone speed. I don't install a ton of bloated apps so this probably helps but it's fast.

2. The phantom edge presses are much improved over the S7 Edge. The only time I get phantom presses now are when I'm holding it lying down in landscape mode. It sometimes registers parts of my palm on the edges. I kept opening tabs in the browser on accident.

3. The battery life is similar to the S7 Edge in my use. On my iPhone at the end of an average day I'd have about 60-65% battery left. Similar usage on this phone leaves me at about 40-45%, which is perfectly fine in my opinion. That's plenty of battery to get me through the day if my use increases greatly.

4. I actually am loving the Samsung Experience launcher (formerly TouchWiz). It is much more toned down from previous iterations. It is aesthetically pleasing, performs well, and has many little options that enhance my Android Experience.

5. I'm also loving the Samsung browser. One of my biggest gripes about switching from an iPhone to an Android phone was the browser. Nothing was as fast, fluid, and functional as Safari in my opinion. The Samsung browser is pretty great. I don't see myself returning to Chrome anytime soon. Putting the bookmarks shortcut on the bottom and having an UP arrow to get to the top is great.

6. The camera is once again top notch. I prefer it over my iPhone camera slightly. There's just a speed to the camera that the iPhone does not have. I also am able to capture action more easily on this than my iPhone.

7. The fingerprint scanner is indeed the biggest pain point on this phone for my use but the alternatives work great. I tried using it but the position just felt awkward (maybe I'd get used to it?) but more importantly it just didn't seem to work that well compared to the iPhone scanner. I got a lot of not recognized touches. I use the retina scanner which is pretty fast!

8. Smart lock doesn't seem to function all that well. I have it set to be unlocked at work and home and it still seems to want to scan my retinas most of the time.

9. The bixby button isn't really a positive or negative to me at this point. It is simply there. Yes I've accidentally pressed it a few times but it really doesn't bother me. I've turned off Bixby on the homescreen for now and don't have it set up when I press the button but I'll give it a try someday.

10. And to end on a good note: This is most aesthetically pleasing phone I've ever used, or laid eyes on for that matter. It's a work of art. A fragile work of art but beautiful. I use a Clear Samsung case and a wet install plastic screen protector and the screen is amazing to look at as well.

I've never had a Galaxy phone yet that made me entirely give up my iPhone and I'm not positive this one will either but the gap is closing each year and as of now I am loving my Galaxy S8+.

 

[DaveOP]

I can attest to the facial recognition. It used to be instant, but now you have to hold it at a certain angle and distance. I am assuming it's because of the complaint of using the person's photo to unlock the phone so this was done as an extra security measure -- that's just what I've heard.

Interesting. I just ran the update on Verizon, and it still seems really fast from straight on. Tried it a few times in a row, just to make sure. I am in a fairly bright office, will check tonight when it's a little more dim out.

Anyone else notice standby isn't great? I put my S8+, fully charged in my bag on Friday night. Didn't use it at all this weekend, and it was dead this morning. Not super familiar with Android, is this normal? My Pixel XL lasted the weekend just fine on standby.

 

[Ludatyk]

I've never had a Galaxy phone yet that made me entirely give up my iPhone and I'm not positive this one will either but the gap is closing each year and as of now I am loving my Galaxy S8+.

Well, the Note 7 was that phone which gave me a considerable thought of going back to the iPhone. But unfortunately Samsung decided it's fate before me.

I think this day in age where Samsung and Apple are producing some awesome and very appealing smartphones. It's hard to choose between the two and when you choose one there's contemplating on going back to the other.

I got my Galaxy s8+ yesterday and I'm just giving it a go... Determining whether to give up the iPhone 7 Plus and wait for what Apple does in the fall or even what Samsung does with the Note 8. Especially given that Apple might do this all glass screen and possibly curved screen similar to Samsung newest Galaxy's.

 

[jamezr]

Interesting. I just ran the update on Verizon, and it still seems really fast from straight on. Tried it a few times in a row, just to make sure. I am in a fairly bright office, will check tonight when it's a little more dim out.

Anyone else notice standby isn't great? I put my S8+, fully charged in my bag on Friday night. Didn't use it at all this weekend, and it was dead this morning. Not super familiar with Android, is this normal? My Pixel XL lasted the weekend just fine on standby.

Not normal from my experiences with my S8+ it has been great on standby for me. Have you checked your battery useage to see if an app is out of control?

 

[widgeteer]

I think the gap between high end Android devices and the iPhone is virtually zero at this point. It's equal parts Android OEM's growing up/Android getting a polish it previously lacked and Apple coming down to the pack a bit in terms of software. Before anyone jumps up and down proclaiming Android always "did more" than iOS, that isn't the point. iOS's biggest selling point was "it just worked", which went hand in hand with speed and fluidity. Well, that just ain't iOS anymore. It's mostly good most of the time, but there are plenty of stutters, lag, and weird software bugs that it's just not true to insist "it just works" anymore.

Hardware I won't even get into because that's totally YMMV.

 

[noobinator]

On standby my phone is dropping about 2-3% overnight (8 hours) so about 6-9% per day.

 

[Zaft]

I think the gap between high end Android devices and the iPhone is virtually zero at this point. It's equal parts Android OEM's growing up/Android getting a polish it previously lacked and Apple coming down to the pack a bit in terms of software. Before anyone jumps up and down proclaiming Android always "did more" than iOS, that isn't the point. iOS's biggest selling point was "it just worked", which went hand in hand with speed and fluidity. Well, that just ain't iOS anymore. It's mostly good most of the time, but there are plenty of stutters, lag, and weird software bugs that it's just not true to insist "it just works" anymore.

Hardware I won't even get into because that's totally YMMV.

I think it just works has more to do with apps actually. For example facetime and imessage just work, I dont have to download a 3rd party app. Its all built in and easy to use.

This is something that android still cant get right.

 

[DaveOP]

Not normal from my experiences with my S8+ it has been great on standby for me. Have you checked your battery useage to see if an app is out of control?

Thanks for the quick response! Looks like e-mail used about 25% over the weekend, connected to an Exchange account. It shows it lasted 2D:11H:41M on battery. I am a little surprised it used that much, given 0 screen on time.

E-Mail: 25%
Cell Standby: 13%
Phone Idle: 11%
Android System: 6%

The rest are 2-3% here and there.

 

[widgeteer]

I think it just works has more to do with apps actually. For example facetime and imessage just work, I dont have to download a 3rd party app. Its all built in and easy to use.

This is something that android still cant get right.

I don't agree with your definition. Apple's explosion and popularity has a great deal to do with their 3rd party app ecosystem. In fact, it was the App Store that changed the OS from a very basic platform into what it is today.

And I don't really see how FaceTime and iMessage are "It just works" apps when they don't work with anything other than iOS devices.

 

[jamezr]

Thanks for the quick response! Looks like e-mail used about 25% over the weekend, connected to an Exchange account. It shows it lasted 2D:11H:41M on battery. I am a little surprised it used that much, given 0 screen on time.

E-Mail: 25%
Cell Standby: 13%
Phone Idle: 11%
Android System: 6%

The rest are 2-3% here and there.

Sounds like you found the culprit. It might be checking your exchange account and keeping communication active more than it should. Maybe try settung it to only check like every 15 minutes or something like that.

 

[tbayrgs]

I don't agree with your definition. Apple's explosion and popularity has a great deal to do with their 3rd party app ecosystem. In fact, it was the App Store that changed the OS from a very basic platform into what it is today.

And I don't really see how FaceTime and iMessage are "It just works" apps when they don't work with anything other than iOS devices.

But they work better for iOS users than anything natively available for Android, which is a bit ridiculous considering its 85%+ market share.

There is no video calling solution on Android that you can use out of the box that will reach every other Android user without first having your contact manually install an app and possibly sign up for service. And yes, any SMS app will allow you to reach the same number of people as iMessages, but iMessage offers additional functionality for any contact who happens to be using an iOS device as well. That of course will vary widely but at least here in the US, that probably represents a pretty good portion of your contacts. There is nothing natively comparable on Android, which still blows my mind considering how many more Android users there are.

Yes, there are tons of applications that can do everything iMessages and Facetime can do, and more but the barrier of entry vs. Apple's native solutions is the limiting factor, and why so many iOS users profess that leaving them behind requires too much compromise.

Alright, my apologies in advance for going off on this tangent...it's been beaten to death numerous times but it still is a relavent point concerning iOS users switching to Android so it's at least moderately pertinent to anyone considering switching from iOS to Android and in this case, specifically to the S8.

 

[jamezr]

I don't agree with your definition. Apple's explosion and popularity has a great deal to do with their 3rd party app ecosystem. In fact, it was the App Store that changed the OS from a very basic platform into what it is today.

And I don't really see how FaceTime and iMessage are "It just works" apps when they don't work with anything other than iOS devices.

I doesn't just work either......If I sign into imesaage I can't control which idevice will get messages delivered to it. All of the idevices in my house were always on and anyone in the family can use them. That makes it very difficult to control who see what messages and when they see them. I always have imessage turn off on all my apple products.

 

[msavic]

Has anybody tested the standby drain in extremely low signal areas or when using highly encrypted wifi networks?

The reason I ask is because my S7 Edge's battery life would get absolutely slaughtered when I would be up at my University. Overall the whole school is a very low signal area that hovers between no bars and a maximum of 2. Thus everyone relies heavily on the WiFi network but that network is encrypted and secured with an extremely battery intensive algorithm that absolutely kills phones. I even talked to IT and they said it's what they need to do to ensure the security of each individual user log in.

The S7 Edge would lose 40-60% of its battery over the span of 8 hours while IDLE in this environment, by comparison, it would lose 2-5% while idle overnight at home. The iPhone 7 Plus faired much better in this environment, it would only lose 20-30% over the same span of time.

Obviously putting your phone in Airplane mode would negate this drain but unfortunately it's simply not an option as I need to be connected and able to communicate 100% of the time.

I'd be interested to see how the S8 fairs though.

 

[5105973]

I am liking the Google keyboard I installed. It is less "hyper" than the stock one and the keys are spaced well for me. I tried Swiftkey for a little bit, too, and may try it again and see which I prefer.

Heh, I chose a purple keyboard and it masks a lot of the pink halo that was driving me to distraction when I type on this forum, so that's another point in favor of replacing the stock keyboard.

I've had other things to get done so I haven't gotten to do the video tests I was hoping to get done. I noticed on Super Saf's video that there is a distinct difference in audio between the S7 and S8 video samples he provided. I think I like the S7's better but I want to do my own tests and comparisons.

So far I've loved the user interface of the Samsung Experience or whatever it's called now. It's very streamlined, and was good on the S7, too, actually. Compared to my iPhone it's more intuitive. For example, I like that I can be in the camera app and adjust the video recording settings in the app. On iPhone I have to exit out to Settings and change format options there and then go back to the camera app.

I don't have enough experience to know if this holds for other apps and functions but it's a bonus enough to have the camera interface so streamlined.

It is so wonderful to have a headphone jack. Oh Apple...Why did you remove such a convenient option? And HTC, too. Bah.

 

[Ludatyk]

It is so wonderful to have a headphone jack. Oh Apple...Why did you remove such a convenient option? And HTC, too. Bah.

TBH, it's been years since I've used the headphone jack in my phones.

I believe bluetooth is a more convenient option. Granted, this is my opinion.. but to not have to deal with wires and untangling them, it's much better to me.

I've got my family on board the Bluetooth bus... It's just a better experience. Haven't tried this improved Bluetooth 5 yet on the Galaxy S8+. But I've got my trusty Phiatons BT 220 and awesome sounding Ziks... And I'm good to go.

 

[BlueGoldAce]

But they work better for iOS users than anything natively available for Android, which is a bit ridiculous considering its 85%+ market share.

There is no video calling solution on Android that you can use out of the box that will reach every other Android user without first having your contact manually install an app and possibly sign up for service. And yes, any SMS app will allow you to reach the same number of people as iMessages, but iMessage offers additional functionality for any contact who happens to be using an iOS device as well. That of course will vary widely but at least here in the US, that probably represents a pretty good portion of your contacts. There is nothing natively comparable on Android, which still blows my mind considering how many more Android user there are.

Yes, there are tons of applications that can do everything iMessages and Facetime can do, and more but the barrier of entry vs. Apple's native solutions is the limiting factor, and why so many iOS users profess that leaving them behind requires too much compromise.

Alright, my apologies in advance for going off on this tangent...it's been beaten to death numerous times but it still is a relavent point concerning iOS users switching to Android so it's at least moderately pertinent to anyone considering switching from iOS to Android and in this case, specifically to the S8.

I mean, you are correct....but as Jamezr mentioned, you have NO control over which devices receive the messages/calls, etc. You have to go and sign out each device manually, and you also have to (in my case) uncheck a million emails that could receive said messages.

As an example, although not exactly normal, my father uses my itunes account to log in on his work phone so that he can use the apps I have purchased. I know there is a family library, but that is just how he does it. Anytime he logs in, or I log in a new iOS device, we have to go and uncheck all the emails, phone numbers, etc from iMessage and facetime....or I start getting his work messages and he gets my messages. So, while it is integrated, it is far from seamless for anyone except the simplest of setups.

As a side note, unless something has changed in the last month, the family library on iOS is VERY poorly implemented, compared to Android. Android's family library is integrated with the play store so that if you look up an app, and someone in your family already paid for it, it says "family library" and allows you to download it. iOS doesn't do this, and if you search for an app, it won't tell you if someone sharing your account bought that app already. You have to go to the "purchased" tab and scroll through ever app you have ever downloaded. Unless this has changed (and it may have), this method is half-baked.

Anyway, contrasting iMessage and Facetime to allo and duo (or hangouts, I just think allo and duo will be native soon), you simply download the app and you are off and running. If the person doesn't have allo installed, you can still message them (and said message, along with your content, will include a link to allo). So while this is not native, it is an equal to lesser complicated solution.

Both work, and both are the results of the respective software's approach; thus neither is perfect.

 

[epicrayban]

So far I've loved the user interface of the Samsung Experience or whatever it's called now. It's very streamlined, and was good on the S7, too, actually. Compared to my iPhone it's more intuitive. For example, I like that I can be in the camera app and adjust the video recording settings in the app. On iPhone I have to exit out to Settings and change format options there and then go back to the camera app.

This drives me nuts on iOS, and is one of those "inconsistent software experience" things I rage so much about (along with not having a consistent back navigation method). What's worse is, sometimes an app's settings is in the app itself, and not in the iOS Settings menu -- annoying.

And I agree, the camera experience (not just the quality of photos) on a Samsung device is superior to the experience on an iPhone.
[doublepost=1493053039][/doublepost]iMessage and FaceTime are among the easiest solves from transitioning from an iPhone to an Android device.

 

[Zaft]

I don't agree with your definition. Apple's explosion and popularity has a great deal to do with their 3rd party app ecosystem. In fact, it was the App Store that changed the OS from a very basic platform into what it is today.

And I don't really see how FaceTime and iMessage are "It just works" apps when they don't work with anything other than iOS devices.

I don't agree with your definition. Apple's explosion and popularity has a great deal to do with their 3rd party app ecosystem. In fact, it was the App Store that changed the OS from a very basic platform into what it is today.

And I don't really see how FaceTime and iMessage are "It just works" apps when they don't work with anything other than iOS devices.

This drives me nuts on iOS, and is one of those "inconsistent software experience" things I rage so much about (along with not having a consistent back navigation method). What's worse is, sometimes an app's settings is in the app itself, and not in the iOS Settings menu -- annoying.

And I agree, the camera experience (not just the quality of photos) on a Samsung device is superior to the experience on an iPhone.
[doublepost=1493053039][/doublepost]iMessage and FaceTime are among the easiest solves from transitioning from an iPhone to an Android device.

its easy if most of your contacts dont have IOS. If not then its a headache imo.

 

[mrskullfreak]

Can I get some recommendations for a smart watch sense I ordered the s8 I will be needing one.
Thx.
I posted a thread also thx.

 

[tbayrgs]

I doesn't just work either......If I sign into imesaage I can't control which idevice will get messages delivered to it. All of the idevices in my house were always on and anyone in the family can use them. That makes it very difficult to control who see what messages and when they see them. I always have imessage turn off on all my apple products.

I mean, you are correct....but as Jamezr mentioned, you have NO control over which devices receive the messages/calls, etc. You have to go and sign out each device manually, and you also have to (in my case) uncheck a million emails that could receive said messages.

Of course you have control...just sign out of iMessage on any device that you don't want to receive your messages. And you only have to sign out once and uncheck your email's once. There's more work involved in signing up for a third party messaging solution.

As an example, although not exactly normal, my father uses my itunes account to log in on his work phone so that he can use the apps I have purchased. I know there is a family library, but that is just how he does it. Anytime he logs in, or I log in a new iOS device, we have to go and uncheck all the emails, phone numbers, etc from iMessage and facetime....or I start getting his work messages and he gets my messages. So, while it is integrated, it is far from seamless for anyone except the simplest of setups.

Well, that problem is solely on your use case, not on Apple's implementation. Use the family library as it's intended and this isn't an issue. You choose to loan our your Apple ID, then yes, you have to deal with this. It would be no different if you let your father sign into his Android device with your Google ID.

As a side note, unless something has changed in the last month, the family library on iOS is VERY poorly implemented, compared to Android. Android's family library is integrated with the play store so that if you look up an app, and someone in your family already paid for it, it says "family library" and allows you to download it. iOS doesn't do this, and if you search for an app, it won't tell you if someone sharing your account bought that app already. You have to go to the "purchased" tab and scroll through ever app you have ever downloaded. Unless this has changed (and it may have), this method is half-baked.

Won't disagree with your here. I don't understand why Apple doesn't add the same notation as Google does. To clarify though, you don't have to 'scroll' through all the apps...there's a search bar at the top. But yes, does make it far less user friendly.

Anyway, contrasting iMessage and Facetime to allo and duo (or hangouts, I just think allo and duo will be native soon), you simply download the app and you are off and running. If the person doesn't have allo installed, you can still message them (and said message, along with your content, will include a link to allo). So while this is not native, it is an equal to lesser complicated solution.

Sorry, I'll disagree here. How does a user without a phone number use Allo? And what if you'd like to receive those messages on multiple devices? Regarding Duo---it's not that simple as you have to then have your contact install the app, same as any other third party video calling solution, save for needing to set up a user ID. And again, what if you'd like to be able to make/take those calls on more than one device?

Both work, and both are the results of the respective software's approach; thus neither is perfect.

Agree, they work and neither platform is perfect. But Google's solutions are far from simple, seamless or ubiquitous. There's a reason why Google has had so many different solutions for these functionalities and none have taken root. And it's a huge lost opportunity, IMO.
[doublepost=1493053982][/doublepost]

Can I get some recommendations for a smart watch sense I ordered the s8 I will be needing one.
Thx.
I posted a thread also thx.

Seems like a Gear S2 or S3 would be your best option.

 

[jamezr]

Of course you have control...just sign out of iMessage on any device that you don't want to receive your messages. And you only have to sign out once and uncheck your email's once. There's more work involved in signing up for a third party messaging solution..

But it is not that easy to be honest. We had a shared iMac in the den......all of the family can use it at anytime and it is always on. I am signed in as we all use my itunes account to purchase everything. I don't want separate accounts for all family members such as my 9 year old. He doesn't need to have to sign out then back in again to his own account just to use the family computer....or iPads....or MBP......
he just needs to do research for homework or watch the countless YouTube videos that are rotting his brain

 

[tbayrgs]

But it is not that easy to be honest. We had a shared iMac in the den......all of the family can use it at anytime and it is always on. I am signed in as we all use my itunes account to purchase everything. I don't want separate accounts for all family members such as my 9 year old. He doesn't need to have to sign out then back in again to his own account just to use the family computer....or iPads....or MBP......
he just needs to do research for homework or watch the countless YouTube videos that are rotting his brain

I understand but again, why does iMessage have to be turned on? If it's a publicly used device, just keep it signed off.

 

[Zaft]

I understand but again, why does iMessage have to be turned on? If it's a publicly used device, just keep it signed off.

I agree, Im not seeing the issue here at all..