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Samsung Galaxy S8+ early reviews are largely positive

Samsung Galaxy S8+ early reviews are largely positive
Samsung Galaxy S8+ early reviews are largely positive
The elongated design may not be for everyone and certain benchmarks show the Huawei Mate 9 ahead in some cases.

Previews of the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus can be found on most major tech outlets including Notebookcheck, but some have already received test units complete with impressions and conclusions. Romanian site Lab501 recently published a full review on the Galaxy S8+ including comparisons related to camera and video quality.

Samsung Galaxy S8+ SM-G955F with Exynos 8895

The Galaxy S8+ SM-G955F ships with an octa-core Exynos 8895 SoC notable for its 10 nm FinFET production process and integrated Mali-G71 MP20 GPU. Core features are the integrated Gigabit LTE modem (Download: Cat. 15 5CA, Upload: Cat. 13 2CA) and a huge 6.2-inch Super AMOLED QHD (2960 x 1440) display. As expected, Android 7.0 Nougat comes pre-installed.

First Impressions

Lab501 had mixed impressions about the elongated look of the Galaxy S8+ as most users are accustomed to 16:9 smartphones. Nonetheless, the near borderless display is a charm to hold and use. The high quality smartphone is waterproof up to a depth of one meter for 30 minutes in accordance to IP68 standards.

Packaging and Accessories

Inside the box, users will find a a Quick Start guide, SIM key, standard USB charger, and two adapters: USB Type-A to Type-C and Micro-USB to Type-C. Harman AKG earphones are also included.

Display

Unfortunately, Lab501 does not run extensive tests on the display. The source claims that colors are subjectively accurate with no distracting green hues that may plague other Super AMOLED panels.

Cameras

The 12 MP "Dual Pixel" rear camera includes OIS, a 1/2.55" sensor, 1.4 micrometer pixel size, and a large f/1.7 aperture for improved outdoor photos. "Pro Mode" allows users to save photos in RAW format for further processing. Meanwhile, the front-facing camera is an 8 MP 1/3.6" sensor with a slightly smaller 1.22 micrometer pixel size and the same f/1.7 aperture. Unlike the rear camera, however, it is a wide-angle lens for easier selfies. LAB501 claims very good performance in bright outdoor conditions, but the rear camera tends to overexpose in poor lighting conditions. Fortunately, the manual exposure slider fixes this issue.

Benchmarks

The Quadrant benchmark is often used as a performance indicator for RAM, GPU, and CPU. The source claims a final score of 44619 points on the Galaxy S8+ compared to 57289 points on the Galaxy S8. The discrepancy may be due to display or resolution differences between the two devices. The BenchmarkPi utility ranks the S8 Plus behind the Huawei Mate 9, Mate 9 Pro, P9, and P10, all of which are high-end smartphones. 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited ranks the S8 Plus nearly identically to the Huawei P10 (29078 points vs. 29090 points) and the OnePlus 3 (30476 points). Meanwhile, GFXBench offscreen ranks the S8+ ahead of the Mate 9.

Battery

The fixed battery capacity of 3500 mAh promises a runtime of 18 hours for video playback or 15 hours of constant Internet usage over WiFi or 4G. Results are slightly better than the Galaxy S7 and Mate 9 Pro in practice according to the source.

Conclusion

Lab501 has called the Galaxy S8 Plus one of the best smartphones in the flagship category. The reviewer was less enthusiastic about the rounded glass back and edges, though this is a matter of personal taste.

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Allen Ngo, 2017-04- 5 (Update: 2017-04- 5)