Phones Samsung Galaxy S8

[noobinator]

I'll take the infinity display with FP Scanner removed from the front and thrown on the back anyday. The infinity display more than makes up for this. I use smart lock so I rarely have to unlock anyways.

 

[Fernandez21]

I know I shouldn't pass judgment since I have yet to hold a S8. I guess because I've played around with the 6s Plus and 7 Plus and immediately didn't consider it due to the screen size.

It is basically a taller iPhone (4.7"). The width is what makes a larger phone harder to manage, and the S8 is about the same width as the regular iPhone, so if you can get used to the additional height you will be fine.

 

[nburwell]

It is basically a taller iPhone (4.7"). The width is what makes a larger phone harder to manage, and the S8 is about the same width as the regular iPhone, so if you can get used to the additional height you will be fine.

Appreciate the insight. That was the big factor for me with the plus size iPhones (the width). If I can't securely grip the phone, I immediately dismiss it. Good to know that the S8 has the same width as the 4.7" iPhone (which I'm used to).

 

[spinedoc77]

At first I was surprised and appalled, too, then I remembered that unlike Apple, which traditionally has kept back features until they were perfected, Samsung loads them on almost as soon as they are invented. Customers act as guinea pigs, more or less, and disable what they don't like. Samsung meanwhile somehow gets the feedback and fixes the new feature for the next phone. We may not even have to wait for the next generation if we alternate between the S's and the Notes.

I've read that the iris scanner has been greatly improved over the one on the Note 7 and that one wasn't half bad.

I guess they figure play 'em if they've got 'em. I think they are somewhat intent on breaking out of the Samesung stigma that their prior leadership got them into, that they race their new features out as fast as they can, to prove they had it first and avoid being accused of copying Apple. They figured they loaded the phone with enough options to unlock that we will sort it all out amongst ourselves. That's the vibe I got from their Unpacked event, anyway.

Unfortunately they can't ever win, because I see people here on MR accusing them of somehow knowing in advance through the supply chain everything Apple has planned and copying the plans.

I must say that I'm happy Samsung seems responsive to customer opinion up to a certain point. They realized they goofed removing SD storage options so they brought it back. They realized they made the Edge a bit too edgy and refined that. I just don't know if they will ever bring back IR blasters, removable batteries and flat screens. I think they've found a groove they're comfortable with for now. They had better keep that headphone jack at least through the Note 8, though or I'll be very grumpy.

As soon as someone says the word "copy" I know they are an utter moron or an outright troll and I move on, quickly. I do hope they resolve the issue with the facial recognition by time the Note 8 comes out, although that is rumored to have the front underscreen fp sensor.

Samsung has improved their customer service, but not nearly enough. You still have to deal with long wait times on a call, very often someone foreign with a thick accent, and long times in mailing the phone in and waiting for it to come back. I've always wondered why Samsung doesn't take advantage of their stores inside Best buys and stock replacement phones there, hell Best buy already has the phones stocked. I really think that would go a long way in swaying Apple customers towards their products.

But I don't think Samsung has any clue what morons they use to man those BB stores. I asked the rep yesterday what deals they had on the S8, she said she wasn't sure and to check the website and seemed completely uninterested in my business. She said this as I was looking around at every single one of their display tables having no phones, just wires sticking out all over the place as if someone had robbed them. Finally after pushing her she confessed they *might* be getting demo S8's in tomorrow or the next day and to come check them out.

 

[nickchallis92]

Am I right in thinking that because the screen now dominates the front, that the screen sizes make the phone sound bigger than it is?

When I first saw 5.8 and 6.2 I was nervous, but now I think about it, it's probably no bigger than the S7

 

[The Game 161]

Here's a pre production unit battery life test

Tech guy got 5 hours, 51 mins usage with 11 hours standby before it died

 

[ichii]

http://www.samsung.com/us/explore/galaxy-s8/buy/s/Summary

For all those buying through T-Mobile, might want to cancel your orders and go through Samsung. It's $650 right now and you can do 24 months of financing if you want the S8.

I would like to hear people's thoughts on their S8s soon, especially the T-Mobile crowd. I want to see how good the battery life is, how efficient the software is with RAM management, and if people can reply to texts from the lock screen. The last one about texting is something I miss from my iOS days.

Edit, only for Arctic Silver and T-Mobile.

Just wondering, if anyone got their order cancelled? I hope Samsung honors the price mistake.

 

[Fernandez21]

I'll take the infinity display with FP Scanner removed from the front and thrown on the back anyday. The infinity display more than makes up for this. I use smart lock so I rarely have to unlock anyways.

The problem isn't really that it's on the back, while i would much rather have it on the front, I could get used to it being in the back.

It's the fact that it's so high up the back and next to the camera. So you'll get smudges on the camera (as most have pointed out), but you also have to adjust your grip and shimmy up to reach it with your finger. The regular S8 being held with the bottom corner in my palm, I could barely reach it, managing to only cover half with my finger, and the plus the I couldn't reach, had to shimmy my hand up so my palm was gripping it from the side with is a less secure grip.

While it may not be a deal breaker, it's something people should definitely consider and a head scratcher to why Samsung went this way.

 

[co.ag.2005]

Am I right in thinking that because the screen now dominates the front, that the screen sizes make the phone sound bigger than it is?

When I first saw 5.8 and 6.2 I was nervous, but now I think about it, it's probably no bigger than the S7

http://www.phonearena.com/phones/si...y-S8,Samsung-Galaxy-S7/phones/9818,10311,9817

 

[Shanghaichica]

The problem isn't really that it's on the back, while i would much rather have it on the front, I could get used to it being in the back.

It's the fact that it's so high up the back and next to the camera. So you'll get smudges on the camera (as most have pointed out), but you also have to adjust your grip and shimmy up to reach it with your finger. The regular S8 being held with the bottom corner in my palm, I could barely reach it, managing to only cover half with my finger, and the plus the I couldn't reach, had to shimmy my hand up so my palm was gripping it from the side with is a less secure grip.

While it may not be a deal breaker, it's something people should definitely consider and a head scratcher to why Samsung went this way.

Apparently it was the only place they could fit it because the rest of the phone is taken up with other components. I suppose it would be a two handed thing. It think over time you could get used to the placement. It would become muscle memory.

 

[epicrayban]

I found I was able to reach the back FPS fine in the S8. The challenge was differentiating between the FPS and the camera lens. It will take some getting used to.

In the meantime, facial unlock seems like a quicker way to unlock your phone. And for added security, like mobile payments, use fingerprint or IRIS scanner.

I foresee once Samsung figures out the FPS for the front under the screen, they'll put it back there. They're probably shooting to get it ready for the Note 8. Then we'll see it in the S9.

 

[JaySoul]

And in fairness to Samsung, that Gear S3 Frontier is really good. Ugh. Decisions Decisions

I've got a Gear S3 Classic... Love it.

Apple Watch is clearly superior in terms of functionality and apps, but the S3 does what it does perfectly well and....

It looks amazing. Everywhere I go people ask me about it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, sure, but honestly it's so much better looking (with the right strap) than the Apple Watch. Plus battery life is superb.

I think that fingerprint sensor being on the back could be a blessing in disguise for me at least. I think you would get used to its position even if you had to use two hands. However I didn't find the scanner on the S7 edge to be that reliable. It failed often. I think this was because the shape of the home button was more of an oval and didn't fit a finger. The sensor on the back looks bigger than the old home button.

But the iris scanner and facial recognition should make up for it.

Totally agree.

My Edge has improved a little bit since Nougat (still hit and miss) but my wife HATES it and has literally disabled it - she just uses a PIN instead!

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

I think that fingerprint sensor being on the back could be a blessing in disguise for me at least. I think you would get used to its position even if you had to use two hands. However I didn't find the scanner on the S7 edge to be that reliable. It failed often. I think this was because the shape of the home button was more of an oval and didn't fit a finger. The sensor on the back looks bigger than the old home button.

But the iris scanner and facial recognition should make up for it.

To add on to that. Sometimes when I'm just holding the V20, I unintentionally unlock it. I usually don't walk around holding my phone when it's locked, so it's a non issue. But with the S8, I will never unlock my phone by accident due to the placement of the FP sensor.

 

[Shanghaichica]

I've got a Gear S3 Classic... Love it.

Apple Watch is clearly superior in terms of functionality and apps, but the S3 does what it does perfectly well and....

It looks amazing. Everywhere I go people ask me about it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, sure, but honestly it's so much better looking (with the right strap) than the Apple Watch. Plus battery life is superb.



Totally agree.

My Edge has improved a little bit since Nougat (still hit and miss) but my wife HATES it and has literally disabled it - she just uses a PIN instead!

Yeah my husband has disabled his on his S6 edge +. It's funny because I kept telling him that he should be using it. However after using it for a few weeks on my S7 edge and getting locked out on several occasions for 30 seconds I disabled it too. I actually think the old swipping scanner on the S5 was better.

 

[JaySoul]

There is some false information around S8 camera. Media is saying that both camera are same, which is plain wrong. They use different sensors in S8 - IMX333 and S5K2L2.

Check this comparison between S7 and S8 images.

https://www.lowyat.net/2017/128364/blind-camera-comparison-samsung-galaxy-s8-and-galaxy-s7-edge/

Frankly S7 images look really bad in comparison now. Better dynamic range, much better details. I think they didn't spend a lot of time about camera during the event, hence all this false information.

That's amazing, cheers for sharing that.

The sensor and how Samsung leverage it (in conjunction with the Snap 835 and Exynos) will be Pixel-esque, and already builds on an excellent S7 camera.

 

[Lava Lamp Freak]

I didn't have to hard press. I just simply long pressed. If there is a hidden pressure sensitivity, it was imperceivable to me. Nothing at all like the iphone.

I was finally able to use the S8 today. The home button felt identical to the iPhone force touch to me. While playing a full screen video I was able to hard press on the area where the home button should be and it took me to the home screen. A long press in that area didn't do anything while playing a full screen video. I could pull up the on screen buttons just like any other Android phone with software buttons by swiping up or tapping anywhere on the screen, but in order to use the home button with it hidden required a hard press.

I also noticed that if you double hard press on home from any screen it takes you to the camera app, just like the hardware button did previously. A long press on home pulled up Google Assistant.

 

[JaySoul]

I was finally able to use the S8 today. The home button felt identical to the iPhone force touch to me. While playing a full screen video I was able to hard press on the area where the home button should be and it took me to the home screen. A long press in that area didn't do anything while playing a full screen video. I could pull up the on screen buttons just like any other Android phone with software buttons by swiping up or tapping anywhere on the screen, but in order to use the home button with it hidden required a hard press.

I also noticed that if you double hard press on home from any screen it takes you to the camera app, just like the hardware button did previously. A long press on home pulled up Google Assistant.

That is awesome!

 

[5105973]

As soon as someone says the word "copy" I know they are an utter moron or an outright troll and I move on, quickly. I do hope they resolve the issue with the facial recognition by time the Note 8 comes out, although that is rumored to have the front underscreen fp sensor.

Samsung has improved their customer service, but not nearly enough. You still have to deal with long wait times on a call, very often someone foreign with a thick accent, and long times in mailing the phone in and waiting for it to come back. I've always wondered why Samsung doesn't take advantage of their stores inside Best buys and stock replacement phones there, hell Best buy already has the phones stocked. I really think that would go a long way in swaying Apple customers towards their products.

But I don't think Samsung has any clue what morons they use to man those BB stores. I asked the rep yesterday what deals they had on the S8, she said she wasn't sure and to check the website and seemed completely uninterested in my business. She said this as I was looking around at every single one of their display tables having no phones, just wires sticking out all over the place as if someone had robbed them. Finally after pushing her she confessed they *might* be getting demo S8's in tomorrow or the next day and to come check them out.

I forget where I read it today but I did read that Samsung is going to patch that security issue for the facial recognition. We shall see.

That is something that drives me nuts about our society, that for some reason too many people seem bound and determined to function at the lowest possible level of energy, initiative and intelligence that circumstances call for. These people probably aren't actually stupid if you meet them in other circumstances. They are just zoned out. I can't understand it.

Among the many wonderful young adults and youths in our family, there are two (thankfully not mine) that I hold up to the rest of the kids as an example of how not to get ahead in life. They think every task is beneath even a good effort, let alone their best effort, and then wonder why they can't get the jobs that pay enough to get them out of their parents' basements. Literally. They blame anything other than their own lassitude for their inability to live as real adults.

I have worked minimum wage jobs and always looked alive and snapped to attention no matter how tired and underpaid and put upon I felt. Same with my husband. It drives me nuts those "kids" think we got to this point in life due to "luck" and not hard work and sacrifice. They tell me their bosses didn't train them or do this, that and the other thing for them. I tell them I've grabbed manuals and asked questions to train myself, because you never know who might be paying attention and who might be impressed and where your next better paying job offer might come from. My husband did the same and that's how he went from a tech support drone to a CIO during the course of our marriage.

I can't blame Samsung entirely. It's a hard fact that so many people literally need someone standing over their shoulders to make sure they do their blasted jobs. That adds layers of management and drive up costs. Because someone wants $50K a year to look up a price for a customer or they are not going to bother.

Sorry for the rant...I return now to more pleasant topics like the fact I can't make up my mind which Samsung case I want to preorder. They all look good. Except for some that look a bit comical.

 

[v0lume4]

Here's a pre production unit battery life test

Tech guy got 5 hours, 51 mins usage with 11 hours standby before it died

Wow. That must be so nice.

I average 3-3.5 hours SoT with my Nexus 6P. Yikes.

 

[spinedoc77]

I forget where I read it today but I did read that Samsung is going to patch that security issue for the facial recognition. We shall see.

That is something that drives me nuts about our society, that for some reason too many people seem bound and determined to function at the lowest possible level of energy, initiative and intelligence that circumstances call for. These people probably aren't actually stupid if you meet them in other circumstances. They are just zoned out. I can't understand it.

Among the many wonderful young adults and youths in our family, there are two (thankfully not mine) that I hold up to the rest of the kids as an example of how not to get ahead in life. They think every task is beneath even a good effort, let alone their best effort, and then wonder why they can't get the jobs that pay enough to get them out of their parents' basements. Literally. They blame anything other than their own lassitude for their inability to live as real adults.

I have worked minimum wage jobs and always looked alive and snapped to attention no matter how tired and underpaid and put upon I felt. Same with my husband. It drives me nuts those "kids" think we got to this point in life due to "luck" and not hard work and sacrifice. They tell me their bosses didn't train them or do this, that and the other thing for them. I tell them I've grabbed manuals and asked questions to train myself, because you never know who might be paying attention and who might be impressed and where your next better paying job offer might come from. My husband did the same and that's how he went from a tech support drone to a CIO during the course of our marriage.

I can't blame Samsung entirely. It's a hard fact that so many people literally need someone standing over their shoulders to make sure they do their blasted jobs. That adds layers of management and drive up costs. Because someone wants $50K a year to look up a price for a customer or they are not going to bother.

Sorry for the rant...I return now to more pleasant topics like the fact I can't make up my mind which Samsung case I want to preorder. They all look good. Except for some that look a bit comical.

Well said!

 

[5105973]

Wow. That must be so nice.

I average 3-3.5 hours SoT with my Nexus 6P. Yikes.

He has it on a high brightness setting. I run mine very low. Still, I don't expect much out of the S8 so I'm glad a friend who decided to go to other brands gave us a bunch of Samsung charging pads. I'm going to set them up around the house and take advantage of wireless charging. My husband has one embedded in a console in his truck and one at work.

For road warrior trips I think he and I will still rely heavily on our iPhone7 Pluses. When iOS is on a good release the battery life is freaky good.

 

[v0lume4]

He has it on a high brightness setting. I run mine very low. Still, I don't expect much out of the S8 so I'm glad a friend who decided to go to other brands gave us a bunch of Samsung charging pads. I'm going to set them up around the house and take advantage of wireless charging. My husband has one embedded in a console in his truck and one at work.

For road warrior trips I think he and I will still rely heavily on our iPhone7 Pluses. When iOS is on a good release the battery life is freaky good.

Wow so you're saying that for someone like you or me (I keep my phone at 25% brightness -- I get a headache with it any higher than that!), the S8 could exceed 6 hours of SoT? That's insanely good!

I've never owned a plus size iPhone so I never got to see firsthand what all the talk was about regarding the battery life on those. But everyone seems to rave about how great the iPhone Plus battery life is. I'd imagine that with ordinary usage you could go a solid day and a half with the iPhone 7 Plus?

 

[drinkingtea]

I checked out the S8+ at Best Buy yesterday. So lovely and surprisingly easy to hold. I'm ready to leave iOS.

I've only had my 6S+ for six months...finding a reason to justify buying a S8+ right now, haha.

 

[nickosbad]

I managed to have a good play with an S8 in the Samsung store in Trafford Centre today......wow it is an absolutely beautiful device in the flesh!!!.....I was all set to stick with my 6S or possibly go with a 7+.......not now.......I want the S8

My only real concern is how reachable the bottom of the screen will be for one handed use.....without having a "chin" your finger/thumb needs to reach very low down on the screen to press the home button and the top is a long way away

I have spent the rest of the evening trying to figure out if I can leave my iPhone......iMessage...I can probably manage with SMS and FB Messenger, the real challenge is that I have a shared iCloud album that my wife and our parents use to view pics of my daughter......I can't see an easy way for me to view and upload to this from android as Apple seem obsessed with telling me what I can do with my own photos!!!

 

[mjschabow]

I managed to have a good play with an S8 in the Samsung store in Trafford Centre today......wow it is an absolutely beautiful device in the flesh!!!.....I was all set to stick with my 6S or possibly go with a 7+.......not now.......I want the S8

My only real concern is how reachable the bottom of the screen will be for one handed use.....without having a "chin" your finger/thumb needs to reach very low down on the screen to press the home button and the top is a long way away

I have spent the rest of the evening trying to figure out if I can leave my iPhone......iMessage...I can probably manage with SMS and FB Messenger, the real challenge is that I have a shared iCloud album that my wife and our parents use to view pics of my daughter......I can't see an easy way for me to view and upload to this from android as Apple seem obsessed with telling me what I can do with my own photos!!!

I feel your pain. It's so hard to leave iOS.

I've decided I am going to be patient and wait for the Note, the new Pixels, and the new iPhone.