Samsung Galaxy S7 versus

Samsung had just about one of the most eventful years a company could have in 2016, excelling early on with the impressive Galaxy S7, before struggling through the second half of the year after the fiasco of the Galaxy Note 7.

The South Korean tech giant needed to knock it out of the park with this year's flagship, so it took its time, neglecting to reveal the Galaxy S8 at Mobile World Congress in February and overhauling its security protocol. in the meantime. Now, finally, Samsung is back – and made a statement in the process. The Galaxy S8 seems to be one of the most important steps forward, especially in design, of any new product from flagship line of the company.

But last year's Galaxy was no slouch either, and while the S8's exterior certainly fits the groundbreaking bill, it remains to be seen whether Samsung's latest upgrades offer enough meaningful improvements to require an upgrade, especially when the S7 can be had for much less after a year. in the market. How do they compare? We put them head-to-head to find out.

Specifications

Samsung Galaxy S7

Samsung Galaxy S8

Cut

142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9 millimeters (5.61 x 2.74 x 0.31 inches)

148.9 x 68.1 x 8.0 mm (5.86 x 2.68 x 0.31 inch)

Weight

5.36 ounces (152g)

5.47 ounces

Filter

5.1 inch Quad HD Super AMOLED

5.8-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED

Resolution

2560 x 1440 pixels

2960 x 1440 pixels

Operating system

Android 6.0 Marshmallow (upgradable to 7.0 Nougat)

Android 7.0 Nougat

Storage room

32/64 GB

64 GB

microSD card slot

Yes

NFC support

Yes

Processor

Qualcomm MSM8996, Snapdragon 820 (US) Samsung Exynos 8890 (International)

Qualcomm MSM8988, Snapdragon 835 (US), Exynos 8895 (International)

RAM

4GB

Connectivity

WiFi, 4G LTE, GSM, HSPA+

WiFi, 4G LTE, HSPA+

Camera

5MP front, 12MP rear with OIS

8MP front, 12MP rear with OIS

Video

2160p 4K UHD

Bluetooth

Yes, version 4.2

Yes, version 5.0

Fingerprint sensor

Yes

Other sensors

Accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate

Accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, iris scanner

Waterproof

Yes, IP68

Battery

3000mAh

Ports

Micro USB, 3.5mm headphone jack

USB Type-C, 3.5mm headphone jack

Quick charge

Yes

Wireless charging

Yes, Qi and PMA

Market

Google Play Store

Color offers

Black, white, gold, silver

Black, Silver, Orchid Gray (US models), Blue, Gold (International models)

Availablity

Samsung Galaxy S7 versus

AT&T

Verizon

Sprint

T-Mobile

AT&T,

Verizon

, sprint,

T-Mobile

Samsung

Price

$570

From $720

DT Reviews

4 out of 5 stars

First take

In the US, the Galaxy S8 swaps out its predecessor's Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 system-on-chip for the newer, more powerful 835. Elsewhere, the S8 will get Samsung's new Exynos 8895, replacing the 8890 seen in the international variant of the Galaxy S7 The Qualcomm and Samsung chips were both comparable in performance last year, and the same is true this time -this.

Whichever S8 you buy will be capable of very fast download speeds over LTE – up to 1000 Mbps to be exact. Carriers will soon start rolling out their gigabit class LTE networks in limited capacities and unlike to the S7, the S8 is upgradable with the necessary hardware to take advantage of the new infrastructure as it proliferates over the next few years.

The Galaxy S8 also uses Bluetooth 5.0, which offers improved range and data transfer, but not at the same time. That's still far superior to the S7's Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity.

On the memory side, the S8 retains its predecessor's 4GB of RAM. However, Samsung fortunately followed Apple and LG's lead and decided to increase the base storage of the S8 to 64GB, up from half of that of the S7. As usual, you can add a MicroSD card to increase this total even more, if you wish.

Extra processing power, future-proof LTE connectivity, and more stock storage make the Galaxy S8 the clear winner in the spec race.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S8

Design and display

Just like the Galaxy S7 featured a Quad HD Super AMOLED panel, so does its successor. But that doesn't mean they share the same resolution - the S8 has a slightly higher resolution of 2960 x 1440 pixels. to the Edge size and screen, which the S8 and S8 Plus use.

The S7 offers a 5.1-inch display, while the S8 has a much larger 5.8-inch curved display. While that might seem too big, the Galaxy S8 is quite compact because Samsung has reduced the bezels considerably – so you get more display in a similar frame. To make room for that edge-to-edge panel, Samsung had to remove the physical home button. It opted for a pressure-sensitive home button on the front panel. screen, similar to Android's on-screen buttons. Meanwhile, the fingerprint sensor has been moved to the rear, to the right of the center-mounted camera.

Otherwise, these phones look pretty similar from the sides and back, right down to the materials. Samsung's trademark polished glass covers the back of the S8, surrounded by a ring of aluminum.

The screen is really the design differentiator between the two models. The wider 18:5:9 aspect ratio on the S8 lets you view more content, potentially making multitasking easier.

As long as you can stomach moving the fingerprint sensor to the rear, the S8's luxurious display and stunning screen-to-frame ratio make it both more useful and better looking than the one it replaces.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S8

Battery life and charging

The Galaxy S8's battery retains its predecessor's 3,000mAh capacity, but it will benefit from Qualcomm's Quick Charge 4.0 debut with the Snapdragon 835.

According to chip maker

, this new version of its fast charging technology is 20% faster and 30% more efficient than the previous one, and can deliver five hours of use in five minutes. Like the S7, the S8 will also support wireless charging .

The Snapdragon 835's 10nm manufacturing process also makes it a bit smaller than the 14nm chip in last year's Galaxy S7, resulting in a 25% reduction in power consumption.

according to Qualcomm

All of these tweaks should help keep the S8 running longer on a charge than the outgoing flagship, despite the unchanged battery size.

when we

reviewed the S7 last year

, we found its battery life to be satisfying - if a little unimpressive - and averaging just over a day's use. Samsung's latest is likely to eclipse that benchmark.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S8

Camera, software and price

Camera

The Galaxy S8's rear camera is still rated at 12 megapixels, while the front sees a 5-8 megapixel bump. We were impressed with the performance of the Galaxy S7 last year, especially in low light conditions. , thanks in no small part to the rear camera's f/1.7 aperture. The S8 doesn't improve the rear camera, instead focusing on changes to the front.

Samsung has added autofocus to the S8's selfie camera, making it easier to capture a group photo. While the main camera improvement seems to be more iterative this year, the front camera has some clear improvements which make the S8 the most versatile option for everyday use.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S8

Software

Samsung started rolling out Android 7.0 Nougat to the Galaxy S7 in January and unsurprisingly the Galaxy S8 will launch with the same version. and a new Family Care parental control app, the main difference between the two models is the addition of Samsung's personal assistant, Bixby.

Samsung introduces Bixby as a

major advancement

compared to its previous S Voice service, and a lot of that has to do with Bixby's artificial intelligence. According to the company, Bixby can perform any action you typically perform by touch on supported apps. users can instantly summon Bixby via a dedicated button on the side of the device, and you can even trigger it in the camera app to read QR codes, identify objects, and more. However, weeks after the S8 launched , some Bixby features are

still not alive

, including voice recognition - so it looks like you might have to wait a bit longer if you want to get the most out of Samsung's new personal assistant.

Ultimately, we're not sure Bixby will be useful, but there's also DeX - a docking station for the S8 that enables desktop Android mode on an external monitor. emphasis on a more consistent design theme across the S8's user interface. For all these improvements, Samsung's latest flagship comes out on top in terms of software.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S8

Price and availability

The Galaxy S8 was released on all four major carriers in the United States on April 21. It comes in three colors: Black Sky, Orchid Gray and Arctic Silver. Carrier prices range from $720 to $750, which is $100 more than the Galaxy S7 at launch.

Samsung demands a premium for this year's flagship, making it one of the most expensive smartphones on the market today. not so clear, because the S7 was already a powerful and capable device.

With that in mind, the S7 can be had for much less - just $570.

direct from Samsung

, and a few more dollars from carriers.

Amazon

The phone is even selling the phone right now for $430. If you're not so enamored with the looks of the S8, the S7 is a great alternative.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S7

Overall Winner: Samsung Galaxy S8

After seven iterations of Samsung's boundary-pushing smartphone — some lesser leaps forward than others — the Galaxy S8 brings an impressive design, the latest and greatest in artificial intelligence, and cutting-edge silicon to match.

The Galaxy S8 is the better device, but is it worth several hundred dollars better? That's a question only you can answer, given your usage habits and priorities in a smartphone. of this comparison is that whichever Galaxy you choose, you probably won't be disappointed.

Article originally published on 03/30/2017 by Adam Ismail. Updated on 04-25-2017: Updated Bixby information in Software section.

Editors' Recommendations

Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 3 adds an S Pen, replacing this year's Galaxy Note

The best Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 cases and covers

The best Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus cases and covers

The Galaxy S21 FE may not launch at Unpacked after all

The best cheap tablets under $200