Samsung Galaxy S8 vs Samsung Galaxy S7: here's what's improved

The

Samsung Galaxy S8

is finally here and we've tested it enough to give it a full review. But how does it compare to last year's best phone?

It has a large screen, plenty of power and a refined design among other things, enough to surpass the

Samsung Galaxy S7

.But is it really better?

We've answered them below, with a full rundown of the similarities and differences between Samsung's new flagship and its old one in all key categories, from design to screen, camera, power supply, battery life, etc.

So read on to find out whether you should invest in a sparkling new Galaxy S8 or if you're better off sticking with the cheaper Galaxy S7.

Here is

everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy S8

Design

The design of the Samsung Galaxy S8 is not much different from the Galaxy S7, with both phones sporting a metal frame and a glass back.

But the S8 is longer than – but not as wide as – the Galaxy S7, with dimensions of 148.90 x 68 x 8mm, compared to the Samsung Galaxy S7's 142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9mm.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 also looks quite different from the front, as unlike the S7 it doesn't have a home button below the screen, with the fingerprint scanner instead being moved to the rear, where it sits. located next to the camera.

The S8 also has tiny bezels above and below the display, for a more "all-screen" look than the S7.

One thing that hasn't changed is water and dust resistance. The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S7 are both IP68 certified, which means they can be submerged up to 1.5 meters deep. during 30 minutes.

Overall then, the Galaxy S8 has an impressive design, especially when viewed from the front, but it's undeniably an evolution of the Samsung Galaxy S7.

Filter

(Almost) everything changes here, with the Galaxy S8 swapping the S7's 5.1-inch flat screen for a 5.8-inch curved screen.

But while the screen is significantly larger, the overall footprint of the S8 is only marginally bigger, as the fingerprint scanner has been moved to the rear and the bezels have been reduced to almost non-existent.

This means the S8 looks more like a regular phone than a phablet despite the gargantuan display.

The S8's screen resolution has also been improved, with a 1440 x 2960 QHD+ resolution instead of the 1440 x 2560 QHD option of the Samsung Galaxy S7.

Given the extra width over its predecessor, the S8's screen isn't much sharper, but it stands out in other ways, with a similar 18.5:9 super widescreen aspect ratio. to that of

LG G6

.

He also follows in the

Note 7

in supporting HDR content, which the Samsung Galaxy S7 does not. The only thing that has remained the same is the technology used, with both phones having Super AMOLED displays, capable of delivering vivid and punchy colours.

bones and power

Both phones of course run Android, and while the Galaxy S8 launched with Android Nougat, the Galaxy S7 can now be updated. As such, there isn't a huge difference on the system front operating.

As for power, there's a significant upgrade there, but no more than the typical yearly power increases you'd expect.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 has 4GB of RAM and either an octa-core Exynos 8890 chipset (in Europe) or a quad-core Snapdragon 820 (in the US), both of which were among the most powerful mobile chipsets in 2016.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 meanwhile sticks with 4GB of RAM and features an octa-core chipset clocked up to 2.35GHz. Samsung hasn't confirmed which chip it uses, but we're expecting an Exynos 8895 chip in Europe and a Snapdragon 835 in the US, each being the next generation of the chips used by the S7.

Given that the Galaxy S7 already delivers nearly flawless performance, it probably won't make a huge difference, especially since they have a larger screen to drive, but we wouldn't be surprised if app load times are slightly faster, screen response times under your finger better, and games look slightly better - we'll be sure to let you know in our full Galaxy S8 review.

These chips are also more power efficient, which could help the battery last longer.

Camera

The S8's camera is one of the smallest improvements over the S7, as it only has a single 12MP lens, just like the Samsung Galaxy S7.

Even the aperture hasn't changed, dropping to f/1.7 again. The software (and therefore potential image quality) is better this time around, however, and as we found during camera tests in our review.

It has better OIS video, brighter low-light photos and sharper selfies than last year's best all-around smartphone. That's a leap, but not a leap in quality.

The front camera has at least had more than one update on the S8, with an 8MP sensor instead of the Samsung Galaxy S7's 5MP.

This change is welcome, as the Samsung Galaxy S7's front camera is solid but without exception, although the impact of the megapixel change is also uncertain at this time.

Battery

The Samsung Galaxy S8 has a 3000 mAh battery. It's exactly the same size as the Samsung Galaxy S7 and that's a bit worrying because it has to power a much bigger screen with more pixels.

On the other hand, the chipsets used by the Samsung Galaxy S8 are more power efficient, so it might balance out, but that's something you'll definitely want to check out when we put the S8 to the test. test. a full review.

Fast charging is at least included, but it's also present in the Samsung Galaxy S7.

However, the S8 has switched to USB Type-C, so while you may need to invest in new cables, you'll at least be able to plug them in both ways.

Price

Samsung costs more than you actually want to pay, but that's what you get for being an early adopter. It's $729, £689 and AU$1,199 this time around.

2016's Galaxy S7 started at £569/AU$1,149 (about $750) SIM-free, and can now be found from around £450/$670/AU$900.

Carry

On paper, the Samsung Galaxy S8 looks like a huge improvement over the Samsung Galaxy S7 in some areas, with the display being the real highlight.

It's a lot bigger, without making the phone itself massive, and with a new aspect ratio and HDR support, it's a really different experience to use.

Elsewhere the design has been refined and there's plenty more power in the Galaxy S8.

The camera, on the other hand, hasn't changed much, and the battery doesn't see a major improvement in 14 months. Also, the rear-shifted fingerprint reader probably won't appeal to everyone, although adding an iris reader will give you another security option.

Still, the S8 seems like a real crowd-pleaser overall, but if you want to save some cash, the Galaxy S7 is still a premium phone.

Want something bigger?Check

Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus

.

James Rogerson

James is a freelance writer and sub-editor for phones, tablets, and wearables at TechRadar. He loves all things “smart,” from watches to lights, and can often argue with AI assistants or drown in latest apps.

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