Should I buy Galaxy S8 or wait for iPhone 8 is a question running through the minds of many smartphone buyers. However, the reality of the matter is that much of 2017 will be a contest between iPhone 7 VS Galaxy S8.
So has Apple brought forth a spirited fight against Samsung’s flagship device? And what device is the best for you to make an upgrade? Take a look and make the choice…
The Displays
When it comes to display, no firm in the world, including Apple has been able to out-do Samsung.
The Galaxy S8 brags of 5.8 inch super AMOLED display, coupled with 2960 x 1440 pixels, Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and 83.6% screen to body ratio.
iPhone 7 on the other has a 4.7 inch LED backlit IPS LCD, couple with 1334 x 750 pixels and 65.6% screen to body ratio.
Whereas Apple still continues to lag in its ageing LCD Retina Display, Samsung has made a peculiar innovation, the OLED Infinity Display. It is about 20 percent larger and is brighter.
May be the only downside with the Infinity Display is the fact that Samsung was forced to gave up some resolution to 2220 x 1080 in order to conserve battery power. But this still beats iPhone 7’s outdated 1334 x 750 pixels.
Indications are that the iPhone will in the near future claim double victories but as at the moment, Galaxy S8 takes home the Design trophy.
- iPhone 7 – 138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1 mm (5.44 x 2.64 x 0.28 in) and 138 g (4.87 oz)
- Galaxy S8 – 148.9 x 68.1 x 8.0 mm (5.86 x 2.68 x 0.31-inch), 155g (5.36 oz)
One major review about the Galaxy S8 is that it achieves a whopping 20% increase in display for just 12% increase in weight. Actually, the S8 is 5 percent larger than iPhone 7 Plus but still weighs 20 percent less. This is what can be described as compactness reloaded.
But the win does not just lie in the numbers. The Galaxy S8 is more user friendly as the curved edges make holding it in the hands feel good. Samsung somehow managed to find a way of squeezing in 3.5 mm headphone jack and facial recognition scanner on top of the expandable micro-SD slot.
iPhone 7 hits back through the long-lasting aluminium back. Despite its fingerprint reader taking too much space, it isn’t poorly positioned besides the rear camera as it is the case with the Galaxy S8.
The water and dust resistance of both smartphones is admirable but still Samsung competes favorably better here. The S8 can stay in water for a maximum of 30 minutes although at some 0.5 metres deeper than the iPhone 7.
The Galaxy S8 is still the big winner in terms of design and the fact that iPhone 8 is billed to copy many Galaxy S8 traits only proves this.
Performance
One of Apple’s biggest sale features is its ability to build better-performing gadgets. The S8 may have won in the first two categories but it sure is beaten when we have a look at performance.
The iPhone 7 runs on much faster and smoother software as opposed to its competitor. Apple has over the years been a great optimizer of its hardware and software and the reality is that the S8 cannot bring forth a strong fight when it comes to the OS speed.
The S8 will be shipped with Android 7.0 whereas Android 7.1 is already seven months old. There are cases of uncalled for duplication – two app stores, two clocks, two web browsers etc. The latest addition – personal assistant Bixby is still another duplicate of Google Assistant.
We admit that the iOS has over the years become bloated but it still doesn’t have duplications that eat up too much space.
It seems like Apple will continue to win the performance with ease and this may force Samsung to rethink its decision to operate on Android.
The Cameras
Generally looking into the market, a new smartphone champion and that isn’t Apple or Samsung. In 2016, the Google Pixel was crowned the boss in this sector and there are no indications that iPhone 7 or Galaxy S8 can measure up. But between the two giants, the S8 easily comes out on top.
The two phones however have color issues. Whereas the S8 struggles with oversaturation, the iPhone 7 washes out lots of shots. But when it comes to low light, the Samsung camera perfectly stands out against the Apple version. This remains an area that both companies must address even as Google moves on with plans to announce the Pixel 2.