Black Samsung Galaxy S8.
Image: Android Central.

Samsung will finally launch the Galaxy S8 and S8+ this Friday, April 21. The next-gen flagship features several design changes and performance improvements that have made it one of the most coveted Android devices since its announcement.

Even though Samsung has promised their latest handset won’t suffer hazardous setbacks like the Galaxy Note 7, some people are still skeptical about the new device. The company will re-release refurbished versions of the phablet in select markets.

Tech enthusiasts can only hope the S8 and S8+ don’t present any malfunctions somewhere down the road because they seem like great smartphones so far. Below, we list some of their most exceptional features ahead of their official launch.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 has a remarkable design

First impressions count, and the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ sure make a good one. The new flagships have been redesigned for this generation with an Infinity Display that takes around 80% of the phone’s front.

Both models pack Super AMOLED screens with 2960 x 1440 resolutions, but the S8 is 5.8 tall inches while the S8+ is 6.2 inches tall. Reports from South Korea say the displays show a distinctive red dim that users can tweak in the Settings menu.

There is just a lot more space to comfortably use the handset, and with the home button gone, the experience of handling the S8 has gotten more intuitive. It is also built in solid materials and comes in several colors depending on your location.

Performance has been enhanced all around on the S8

Whether you get the U.S. version or the international model, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ come with raw power under the hood that places them in the top ranks of Android devices.

American users will get a next-gen Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, while those abroad get an in-house Exynos chipset of equal performance. Early tests have shown neither chip can outperform Apple’s A10 except in a few tasks.

Still, among Android competitors, the S8 is as good as it gets. The fingerprint reader’s response is fast, battery life is above average, and demanding apps run smoothly.

The Galaxy S8’s cameras stand their ground against the iPhone 7

First reviewers of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ have found themselves pleasantly surprised with the quality of photos and videos. While they sport the same camera the S7 has, the company has enhanced its imaging software.

The improved software uses the existing software at full potential, resulting in photographs and footage that surpasses the image quality of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.

Trials conducted by several outlets show the S8 has a wider angle lens, which makes it more comfortable to snap selfies, and that its cameras perform better in low light settings. The extra MP Samsung has on Apple also results in sharper selfies.

Bixby makes things easier for S8 users

Samsung’s new AI assistant is here to help you discover all the things you can do with the Galaxy S8 and S8+. The company has even added a dedicated button on the side of the phone that instantly launches the digital helper.

Bixby acts more as an explorer and enhancer of your Galaxy experience over a general-purpose assistant like Google’s. It may explain why Samsung, in spite of controversies, has locked down the button so users cannot remap it to launch other apps.

It is a cool feature that can do some of the things that Google Assistant does too in other Android devices. Over time, Samsung’s machine learning technology will only get better, and it will be all thanks to the first adopters using Galaxy S8 phones.

Source: Ars Technica