Samsung Galaxy S8
Phone Scoop Review
Apr 18, 2017 by Eric M. Zeman
Samsung's Galaxy S8 flagship raises the bar for smartphones thanks to its eye-popping display, attractive design, and blistering performance. This Android handset impresses in nearly every way. It may be a pricey piece of hardware, but there's no denying just how good a job Samsung has done with this phone. Here is Phone Scoop's in-depth review. read review ›
User Reviews
Average Ratings
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Samsung S8 initial thoughts
Carrier: AT&T
I had the Samsung S7 Edge before upgrading to the S8. The S7 Edge is still a GREAT phone if one is considering it.
After using the S8 for a week, in general, I LOVE the responsiveness and speed of the phone: very smooth and apps open very snappy.
The phone is definitely smaller feeling in your hand, which is a plus. Battery life is good, but not great. It will get you through the day, but you may end up having to charge a little here and there if you are a very heavy user like me. Overall, the phone is worth the upgrade and is very satisfying to use.
What will take some getting used to is the fingerprint reader positioned on the back of the phone. It's not due to the placement next to the camera, since one can buy a case that separates the reader and camera, then one can slide into the fingerprint reader slot without smudging the camera area easily. The problem is, one will have to pick up the phone every time to unlock it. It is much more convenient if your phone is on a table, to be able to unlock it with a fingerprint on the front (like the S7 Edge). With the S8, one is forced to pickup the phone to unlock it with the fingerprint. Not terrible, but unnecessarily an extra step to unlock. However, if you have the phone in your hand already, it's very easy to unlock with one hand with your fingerprint.
The other thing is the phone screen aspect ratio. Although the screen quality and brightness is gorgeous, a lot of the apps and video playback don't fill the entire screen, so one has to extend the view, which crops the video slightly. Not a big issue, but until the apps and videos are optimized for the new ratio, one will have to live with black bars above and below the video--or extend it, but lose a slight amount of video display.
Again, the phone is very responsive and feels great to hold and use. I am pleased with the phone, but do hope apps and videos become optimized sooner than later.
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I love this phone
Carrier: T-Mobile
I really really like this phone.
Pros:
1. Nice Fonts
2. Android Pie
3. Nice ringtones
4. Nice apps
Cons:
1. Screenburn
2. Can't connect to Wi-Fi
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S8 has come a long way, the best
Carrier: Sprint
great camera, video, and very fast. battery life is way better than in the past.
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Love the s8
Carrier: Metro
I have been a Samsung fan for many years. This phone is the pinnacle for me. Starting with the very first S all the way up to and including the 8. It has been amazing to see the change.
I really love everything about this phone, the size, the clarity of the screen, the snappiness of the OS. It feels great in the hand and performs amazing. The camera is amazing and its water resistant.
I am not a power user like I used to be. I do check social media a few times a day, email stuff and take some photos. I will say the only disappointment is the battery life, but with the fast charge, I can get a 1/2 day from just 15 minutes.
The quick response feature is one of my favorites (its built into the messaging system and many of the messaging apps) The text can be quite small however.
Overall 95% satisfied with this phone. Great work Samsung. This is a great phone for anyone who loves speed and can appreciate good photos.
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Great for SKYWARN Spotter.
Carrier: Boost
I upgraded from the Galaxy S7 and I am quite pleased with this device. The Audio quality is excellent and I like the Extra Volume feature for outdoor use. The speakerphone is good as well and is louder than the S7.
The display is great. Having a larger aspect ratio makes most of my apps, especially my weather apps look real good. Screen is very responsive even with a screen protector. The Edge display enhances the experience too.
The ROM of 64 GB is great coming from a 32 GB device. I have 48 GB of free space available with my photos and apps. I elected to add my 32 GB Micro SD card (Class 10) for more storage. The 4 GB of RAM handles everything well, I was a bit surprised that it does not come with more RAM, like 6 GB or more. The phone is very snappy.
My music files sound good with the supplied head phones but they lack Bass compared to my S7. The music player handles very well. I feel there was improvement on it since the S7. Videos are sharp with the video player.
The thing that impresses me the most is the improved battery life compared to the S7 with the same 3000 Mah Battery. I have time when I am only losing 0.25% per hour on standby. The battery charges fast, the same as the S7. I was skeptical prior to purchasing that Samsung is using the same battery as the S7, I am pleasantly surprised. It lasts more than all day with moderate usage.
Overall this is an excellent product. I will not be parting with this one!
