It’s 2020 and you might want to buy the Galaxy S8. This is a pretty good decision as the phone is still one of the best Samsung flagships out there.
We’ll be giving you some tips and running through how well the device would fair in 2020. So, keep reading.
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The S8’s dimensions would be the first thing that catches your attention. It’s oddly shaped, to be honest. It has an aspect ratio of 18:5:9 which means it’s long and wide. Nowadays, there are longer phones though.
In a way, this is the best thing Samsung could do as it dramatically increased the screen-to-body ratio of the S8. The S7 had a ratio of 72% while the S8 is a staggering 84%.
The phone is slim and chic, and what else would you expect from a former flagship? It’s covered in an aluminum frame that encompasses Gorilla Glass 5 on its back. The phone is thin but doesn’t feel light. It’s 155g so it feels premium to the touch.
The same Gorilla Glass 5 on the rear is also on the front. This allows you to use the device confidently. That being said, the glass on the back is kind of thin, so you might get a crack of two if you ever drop your phone. Luckily, phone cases are a thing.
When you look at the device, you’ll notice the fingerprint sensor on its back. This is something you’d recognize as phones in 2020 still come with this. That being said, the newer S10 has its fingerprint sensor on its screen.
Unfortunately, the fingerprint sensor is a miss. It’s too high up there as it’s next to the camera. As it’s so close to the lenses, you’re bound to smudge them up.
Something you’ll love is the fact that the S8 comes with a headphone jack. A lot of phones in 2020 and 2019 don’t have this feature.
If you’re a fan of flashy colors, you won’t have fun with the S8. The Galaxy device only comes in 5 colors which can get pretty predictable. They are the same shades seen in the newer S9.
The S8 has one of the best displays in any smartphone, new or old. Considering it’s 2020 and the phone came out 3 years ago, this is a mean feat.
The phone is UHD Alliance certified. If you don’t know what this is, it means that the S8 is capable of screening HDR content. HDR content is high definition and is the degree of quality you see in the best smart TVs.
The fact that the S8’s screen is curved makes way for a more cinematic viewing experience, which we’re fans of.
Not only is the screen curved, but it also has a long aspect ratio (as mentioned above). It’s 18:5:9 so it goes hand-in-hand with the edged display, allowing for a spectacular viewing experience.
In terms of how big the display is, the phone has a screen size of 5.8 inches. Although not the largest screen, it’s certainly not the smallest.
Being able to screen HDR content is great, but what’s best is the fact that the phone has a super AMOLED display. As a result, colours are extremely vivid so you get the truest tones.
The S8 comes with a 3000 mAh battery. This isn’t the largest battery as there are several phones that come with 5000 mAh ones. Before you get discouraged, remember that the newest S10 comes with a 3400 mAh battery, so we’re not too mad.
It comes with fast charging, like most smartphones these days. It has a 15 W fast charger that can get you from 0-100% in about 80 minutes. This is impressive compared to a lot of mid to mid-high phones in 2020, but the S10 can go from 0-80% in little over half an hour.
It comes with wireless charging and thankfully, doesn’t require a Samsung wireless charger. You can use just about anything to charge it.
The million-dollar question is how long the S8’s battery lasts. It allows for 60 hours of talk time, but only through 3G. Through 4G, the phone can be used for about 14 hours. This is not bad at all, and we’re quite delighted.
It’s safe to say the Galaxy S8’s battery performs well but is not the best. However, you have to consider the fact that its battery powers a very solid screen.
The S8 is a beast of a device. Depending on where you live, the phone either comes with a Snapdragon 835 chip or the Exynos 8895 processor, which are flagships. They are the first chipsets to undergo a 10nm process, which basically means they’re much faster than their older counterparts.
The S8 is known to handle the most intensive games. The fact that its screen is so great makes for an amazing gaming experience.
What’s more, the phone comes with 4 GB of RAM. This lets you run a legion of things without lagging your phone out. Although great, Samsung’s newer flagships come with 6 Gigs of RAM, like the S10 and S20.
The device has 64 GBs of storage space. We have no complaints about this.
Of course, it comes with 4GB of RAM which is always useful, and is something we’ve seen in most 2020 devices.
The S8 won’t be getting Android 10. For many of us, this will be a deal-breaker. However, it functions with Android Pie well. As of September 2020, the phone still receives security updates.
While this may not seem as exciting as having new features (which the S8 stopped receiving a while ago), investing in a Samsung flagship does carry long term perks.
The camera on the Galaxy S8 is really good. What we liked about it the most was its ability to capture light and colour well.
That being said, there’s some noise coming through shots, but this isn’t too significant.
Unlike newer phones, the S8 only has one rear camera. It’s a 12 MP one that comes with an f/1.7 aperture. This lets you capture great low light shots.
The 8 MP front camera captures clear shots, especially in low light. However, light tends to bleed in.
In our opinion, the fact that it only has one camera makes its back look better.
It’s clear that the Galaxy S8 is a powerhouse of a device. It’s certainly fit for life in 2020. That being said, you might want to take a look at its siblings before you take the leap. Below, we’ll be running through the phones that are most like the S8, so read ahead.
The S8 Plus is very similar to the S8. The phone is much larger than its brother as its screen is 6.2 inches.
Like the S8, the Plus has a display that’s UHD Alliance certified, so you’re able to view HDR content.
Of course, it has a Super AMOLED panel so you don’t have to worry about a lackluster viewing experience.
The phone comes with the same aluminum rim and Gorilla Glass 5 back.
Most importantly, it comes with the same Snapdragon 835 chip and 4 GB of RAM.
As it’s larger, the phone has a bigger battery. It’s 3500 mAh and comes with the same 15 W fast charger.
The S9 comes with the same aspect ratio as the S8. This means both phones are long yet wide.
It comes with an aluminum frame and a glass back as well. In terms of design, the phone has the same colour choices too, but without the gold.
As you can imagine, the S9 comes with a new and improved processor. It doesn’t have the Snapdragon 835, but the Snapdragon 845.
Unlike the S8, the S9 can be upgraded to Android 10 which is a major plus.
Yes, the screen is super AMOLED and most importantly, is UHD Alliance certified.
Its battery is identical to the S8 as they’re both 3000 mAh.
So, what’s the verdict? You should definitely buy the S8 if you want a device that looks and feels premium. The S8 comes with a great processor, so you can handle extensive tasks easily. If you’re a busy individual, this is very useful.
And of course, its screen is wonderful. The fact that it’s so vivid makes for a cinematic experience when you’re viewing videos and movies.
Although the S8 doesn’t cost an arm and a leg anymore, it isn’t the cheapest device on the market. So it’s disappointing that it won’t get the update for Android 10.
All in all, the device is worth the price, so what are you waiting for?
