The current level of knowledge about the new Korean flagship allows an early comparison of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S7. Is the first one worth your money, or is it better to take a time-tested product?
One of the main complaints about the "eighth galaxy" is the relatively small increase in the productivity of the "hardware", contrary to expectations. The Exynos 8895 is just an improved version of the Exynos 8890 inside the Galaxy S7, and the Snapdragon 835 has yet to hit any performance records.
For this reason, some buyers may well, after weighing all the pros and cons, make a choice in favor of an "old friend", and not a new fancy top flagship of the Korean company.
Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S7 screens: pros and cons of both
In general, it is worth talking not only about the display, but also about a radical update of the entire structure as a whole. The new Samsung Galaxy S8 has a huge 5.8-inch QHD screen with curved sides. For the sake of this spectacular feature, it was decided to abolish the "Home" button.
Undoubtedly, this will delight mobile gamers and users of full-screen applications in general. You no longer need to carry a huge "shovel" in your pocket. However, a curved display is a priori easier to damage mechanically, which obviously will not please everyone.
In turn, last year's Galaxy S7 is the most classic smartphone with a screen diagonal of 5.1 inches. No forms in the spirit of Edge (for this there is a version with a corresponding prefix in the name), which will be to the liking of many, as well as the absence of the Galaxy S8's Home button.
In general, the new flagship Samsung is a kind of pilot experiment. If the public receives it favorably, like the once exclusive Galaxy Note Edge, the company will continue its endeavor, and not only in the S line.
In our opinion, here it is generally impossible to say unequivocally which of the smartphones is better: the Galaxy S8 or last year's Galaxy S7. They are too different.
Iron
As mentioned at the beginning, the Galaxy S8 looks more modern in terms of technical characteristics, but it does not show a radical superiority in terms of speed. In general, in 2017, manufacturers of mobile processors clearly relaxed and released new top "stones" rather for show.
If we consider the situation from the point of view of the user, then here the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S7 provide almost the same level of performance. Yes, the novelty has a few extra points in synthetic tests and slightly higher FPS at high settings, but in fact this is interesting only for specialists.
Memory
The new Galaxy S8 has at least 64 Gb of internal flash memory by default, while the Galaxy S7 version with the same capacity is very rare and not in all countries. In addition, a 128 Gb version of the "eighth galaxy" is available. And if necessary, you can add a microSD memory card up to 256 Gb.
In terms of RAM, the situation has also changed for the better. 6 Gb LPDDR4x in demanding applications will clearly be better than 4 Gb in the Galaxy S7.
As a result, it counts the plus sign for the new flagship.
Camera
Samsung Galaxy S7 shoots great. However, the Galaxy S8 shoots even better. Yes, it does not have a dual camera (although many would like to see it and try it in action), but it does have a new high-quality sensor. And the front camera now really shoots well, and not just stands for show.
Battery
In this direction, the Galaxy S8 has not undergone any changes at all. For some reason, Samsung experts decided that the previous 3000 mAh battery would be enough for the flagship. So the battery life is unlikely to increase - even if the Koreans bet on better optimization and power saving technologies of the Snapdragon 835 / Exynos 8895.
But Samsung S8 received support for the new version of QuickCharge 4.0 fast charging technology.
Communication and communication
On this front, the Samsung Galaxy S8 has clear progress over the Galaxy S7:
- First, the new flagship has finally received a modern high-speed USB Type-C interface instead of the old-fashioned MicroUSB 2.0.
- Secondly, the Galaxy S8 is the first smartphone to support Bluetooth 5.0. The new standard promises to double the data rate and quadruple the range of the transmitter.
- Thirdly, the smartphone supports 4G LTE Category 16 networks, which means data download speeds up to ... 1 gigabit / s. This is even higher than the maximum WiFi bandwidth of the eighth "galaxy" (867 megabits / s), which has not increased compared to its predecessor.
Software
The new Galaxy S8 runs out of the box with the current Android 7 Nougat. It's cool and modern, of course. However, the Galaxy S7 has also recently been updated to the seventh version. The only "but": the support cycle at the level of the release of updates for it will end by 2019, and the G8 has at least another 2.5 years in reserve.
It is worth noting that a new smart voice assistant is preinstalled on the S8, which for the first time will be an exclusive feature of the latest flagship.
To say that the Galaxy S8 is a simple improvement to the Galaxy S7 would be an understatement. While the differences may not seem so big on paper and in pictures, you have to hold your hands on Samsung's new flagship to really see the differences. Believe it or not, last year's S7 edge looks archaic with the new and unusual Galaxy S8 or S8 + lying nearby. Experts from the Phonearena website have already had the opportunity to compare the new flagship with its predecessor and come to the conclusion that Samsung has done a great job on the new Galaxy S model, and this is especially noticeable when you consider the hardware.
But what about the other two tripod legs - software and usability? They decided to compare how the Galaxy S8 Plus performs against the Galaxy S7 edge.
It's worth mentioning that both devices are currently running the same Android version as well as Samsung's updated interface. There are not many differences between the two smartphones on Nougat, but there are plenty of them when you compare the S8 / S8 Plus to the Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge on Marshmallow.
Everything is identical here. Apart from the aspect ratio of the screen, you will be hard pressed to find any differences. Both smartphones let you customize shortcuts in the lower left and right corners; both show notifications and general information about your device's charging status.
You'll also notice the updated iconography on the Galaxy S8 and S8 + for sure. This helps create a more cohesive look for the interface, although many users have already stated that the new style is not to their liking. Fortunately, everything can be easily changed by downloading the system-wide interface theme from the Samsung store. The same can be done with last year's Galaxy S7, so not much has changed here.
Galaxy S8 + (left) vs S7 edge (right)
Galaxy S8 + (left) vs S7 edge (right)
Galaxy S8 + (left) vs S7 edge (right)
App drawer
Whether you want to use the App drawer on your Galaxy S8 / S8 + or not is entirely up to you. By default, there is no App drawer icon, which is great - you open it by swiping up or down on the main screen; you can also close it by swiping back. Meanwhile, all your shortcuts are scattered horizontally, which is convenient and intuitive, although some users do not need the function at all.
Galaxy S8 + (left) vs S7 edge (right)
Galaxy S8 + (left) vs S7 edge (right)
Notifications and quick settings
It is unlikely that you will be able to spot the differences between the notification curtains of the Galaxy S8 / S8 Plus and S7 / S7. It's worth noting that the new Galaxy flagship lacks a search bar in quick settings.
Galaxy S8 + (left) vs S7 edge (right)
Galaxy S8 + (left) vs S7 edge (right)
Galaxy S8 + (left) vs S7 edge (right)
Settings
The Galaxy S8 / S8 + settings menu is completely displayed on one page. In the meantime, S7 / S7 edge requires you to scroll down a bit, as the whole list does not fit with these aspect ratios.
Both smartphones offer Samsung's new optimization concept in the Settings menu. Everything now looks neater and tidy, although some users will find it difficult to determine where the most obvious settings are.
Galaxy S8 + (left) vs S7 edge (right)
Galaxy S8 + (left) vs S7 edge (right)
Galaxy S8 + (left) vs S7 edge (right)
Rounded edges
As the spiritual successor to the S7 edge, the S8 + has rounded edges that can be activated by swiping to the left or right of the screen. The edges on the two smartphones are pretty much the same in terms of looks and overall functionality.
Galaxy S8 + (left) vs S7 edge (right)
Galaxy S8 + (left) vs S7 edge (right)
Stock applications
Little has changed in stock apps either. Everything that is on the S7 / S7, you will also find on the Galaxy S8 / S8 +. Of course, the enlarged screen allows you to display more contacts, messages or even photos in the gallery at the same time, which is very convenient given the thoughtful interface.
Galaxy S8 + (left) vs S7 edge (right)
Galaxy S8 + (left) vs S7 edge (right)
Galaxy S8 + (left) vs S7 edge (right)
Split-screen multitasking
Everything is the same as in its predecessor.
Galaxy S8 + (left) vs S7 edge (right)
Camera
Both smartphones use similar camera apps. The interface on any of them is mostly gesture-oriented: you swipe up or down the screen to change the camera mode, to the right to select filters. You will need to work with the old buttons when you want to change the resolution, activate HDR, flash, or access the camera settings menu. All in all, the camera app is now a pleasure to use and looks much better than it did before.
Galaxy S8 + (left) vs S7 edge (right)
Galaxy S8 + (left) vs S7 edge (right)
You will also like:
Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus specs versus latest rival flagships
Characteristics of the Samsung Galaxy S8 against similar flagships in this weight category
Comparison of sizes of Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 + with other top-end flagships
Comparison: Samsung Galaxy S7 (bottom left), Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (top left), Huawei Nova (top right; selfie only), Samsung Galaxy S6 (bottom right), Samsung Galaxy S8 (center).
Good day. I've been writing about smartphones for a long time, and the main thing for me is their photo capabilities. I wondered how cameras are developing at one of the market leaders. After I got my hands on the Galaxy S8, I decided to compare the pictures in the same conditions on the flagships over the past three years. And, I tell you, there is something to see.
Let me make a small digression about the mobile photo capability. A camera in a smartphone for me (and indeed a digital camera in general) is not just a hole in the body, but an attempt by a person to recreate an eye, one of the most complex organs of perception in the world. A camera in a smartphone is a mutual and simultaneous operation within a few milliseconds of the matrix, optics, processor, memory, ISP-chip, focusing, stabilization elements, etc. And, of course, the operation of the software.
If the development of the camera in a smartphone is limited in hardware, due to its compactness, then on the software front, things are much better. Many developers are constantly working to hone the processing of photos in a smartphone and you got a good result at the end.
An interesting fact is that with relatively the same hardware, different smartphones can shoot with completely different quality. This is the merit of the software part, which Samsung has at a high level.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 became one of the best camera phones in the history of smartphone manufacturing in 2016 and remains so to this day. Whether the next flagship Galaxy S8 will be able to surpass its predecessor, and how the pictures from the previous top-end devices of the Korean company look against them, we will find out in this material.
In each story I will award points (from 1 to 4) and, as a result, I will identify the winner. There you will also find a link to the originals of the photographs at the end of this article.
Samsung Galaxy S7
Overall plan
In the photo below, the sun is opposite, but out of frame. Such conditions are not ideal for a smartphone, but they are not critical either.
The Samsung Galaxy S6 and Note 5, the flagships of 2015, performed the worst and at about the same level. The color rendition is lame due to the sun opposite, and the colors are muted. On the Note 5, the beam was completely displayed, illuminating an area of the image. I guess this problem is due to the optics.
Galaxy S7 and S8, 2016 and 2017, are doing much better. The colors are saturated, the dynamic range is wide, which is clearly indicated by the blue sky, which in previous opponents it is completely overexposed.
Let's take a closer look at this photo.
The Galaxy S6 and Note 5 smartphones show sharper images, and this is not surprising. After all, they have a matrix of 16 megapixels, in contrast to the 12 megapixels in the Galaxy S8 and S7. But as the general plan showed, this does not give them an advantage.
The fact is that the number of pixels plays an indirect role in the overall quality of a photo. As a photo, the size of these pixels, the size of the matrix itself and the aperture play an important role. The diaphragm or aperture is the opening of the camera itself through which light enters the sensor. The wider it is, the more light falls on the matrix, as a result of which a larger light range can be covered by the camera, in more difficult conditions for shooting a good picture will be taken (light drops or poor lighting). Accordingly, the larger the pixel, the more correct color it can absorb in a shorter period of time.
Samsung Galaxy S8
The other side of the coin is that the larger the pixel, the fewer pixels will fit on the matrix, since its size in smartphones is limited. As a result, the picture when zoomed in will be less detailed.
It's time to compare the characteristics of the cameras of the monitored smartphones:
Well, let's summarize the results of the first production. If you need a smartphone that will take photographs of objects from afar, and for the best picture clarity at high magnification, then the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Note 5 are your choice. But such a scenario is not useful to anyone, right?
If you want to see a better overall shot with color rendition and contrast, then the S7 and S8 won't let you down.
The points were distributed as follows (remember, the more the better):
- Samsung Galaxy S8 - 4 Korean carrots;
- Samsung Galaxy S7 - 3 Korean carrots;
- Samsung Galaxy S6 - 2 Korean carrots;
- Samsung Galaxy Note 5 - 1 Korean carrot.
Product photography (macro)
Here the result surprised me, and the flagship 2015 Note 5 phablet showed more detail and correct color reproduction. We figured out the details in the last section, but it surpassed the S6 with the same number of pixels, and the newer and more advanced Galaxy S7 with S8.
Maybe this is a matter of chance, but we have what we have. Galaxy S6 completely fell into darkness, unable to rebuild the exposure, even its detail is noticeably lower than the others. Galaxy S7 overexposed, and in the shadow of the leaf, noise is slightly visible. Details are slightly better than the S6.
The new 2017 (S8) showed good detail and color reproduction, but still lost one step to the Note 7.
Why did it happen? I confess that this is a difficult question for me. But I believe that software played a big role here - the software that is responsible for processing the image.
If you need a camera phone for macro and subject shooting in good lighting (!), Then the Note 5 should not let you down. Of course, we can say that the S8 has a new processor, and an update has not yet arrived that will make the camera better. But you see, this is far from a fact, and it is not known how long it will take for this to happen, and whether it will happen at all.
Samsung Galaxy S6
Back to the carrots:
- Galaxy Note 5 - 4;
- Galaxy S8 - 3;
- Galaxy S7 - 2;
- Galaxy S6 - 1.
And now we got right to the camera software.
Shooting in HDR mode
I will not explain for a long time how it works and what is HDR mode in a smartphone. I will say that this mode directly reflects the quality of the software with semiconductors responsible for shooting.
Shooting with the sun in the frame is a difficult environment for any camera. Let's see how the software of smartphones was able to cope with this task.
I am increasingly inclined to believe that buying a Galaxy S8 just for the sake of the camera is not worth it. If the update fixes the situation for the better, then I don't think that much. The Galaxy S7 is my favorite.
The points were distributed as follows:
- S7 - 4;
- S6 - 3;
- Note 5 - 2;
- S8 - 1.
Samsung Galaxy Note 5
Landscape
The following shooting conditions can be called the most ideal, only the clouds are missing. But the weather was like that. Any device, even a budget one, will cope well with landscapes in good lighting. But when comparing, someone may have a limp in color rendition or detail.
Here the winners are Samsung S6. Not only is clarity better, but the orientation of the original is more appropriate for landscapes. If 12 megapixels in the seven and eight have an aspect ratio of 3 to 2, then the predecessors with their 16 megapixels have almost 2 to 1.
But not only that, I liked it more. Samsung Galaxy S6 has close-to-natural color rendition of sky and grass. The “seven” and “eight” are also doing well with colors, but the most noticeable oversharp (excess of contrast achieved by software), but the last flagship is less.
The Note 5 did a poor job of color reproduction, with the least visible gradient in the sky from clean at the top to gassy at the bottom. And the grass seems to be withered, which in fact was not. Therefore, I give him the lowest score.
So, a bunch of oriental delicacy was distributed like this:
- Galaxy S6 - 4;
- Galaxy S8 - 3;
- Galaxy S7 - 2;
- Note 5 - 1.
Low light shooting
Best of all, the quality of shooting smartphones can be determined in low light conditions in automatic mode. This kind of shooting is actually the most popular, since most of us take pictures in the evening. In the dark, if the camera is good, the pictures are more interesting and mysterious. Some objects are emphasized with shadows, and others are highlighted. What can we say about sunsets or sunrises?
But for such shooting you need a good light-sensitive camera in your smartphone. This is exactly what the modules in the Galaxy S7 and S8 are on paper. They have a wide aperture and large pixels, but in practice, the latter did not work out smoothly.
In low light, the number of pixels this time did not save the flagships of 2015. Here, both the amount of noise and sharpness, and the Note 5's color rendition is completely useless. Galaxy S6 showed the worst detail.
The S8 smartphone is also not far from them. There is a little bit of everything here, but the redness is not all over the picture, but more from the right edge, gradually flattening towards the left. The picture blushed a little out of shame. But the S7 pleased me. Everything is as befits a flagship.
I consider this scenario to be the most important and indicative in this material, therefore, I do x2 with points:
- Galaxy S7 - 8;
- Galaxy S8 - 6;
- Galaxy S6 - 4;
- Note 5 - 2.
Selfie camera
Selfie photography is very popular in the east, and in their markets, manufacturers (Oppo, Vivo, Huawei and others) pay a lot of attention to the front camera. In our smartphones, in most cases, we have it and it's good. Just this year, Samsung began to focus on narcissistic natures, and introduced 16MP cameras in its A (2017) series earlier this year. There was little sense from this, since the pixels there are small, the aperture is small.
The Galaxy S7 also has noise, but much less. Samsung Galaxy S8 is the best of the four, and the result is obvious, literally. The skin even shows details that are not in other pictures. Color rendition is excellent.
So, smartphones are distributed in the following hierarchy:
- Galaxy S8 - 4;
- Galaxy S7 - 3;
- Galaxy S6 - 2;
- Note 5 - 1.
You may have noticed that in the preview of the article there is a Huawei Nova smartphone, and it is not there for symmetry. I have already done a comparative test of this smartphone before, and compared it with the closest competitors in the price category (about $ 400). He showed himself not bad, and the manufacturer figures this line as a smartphone with a good selfie camera.
That is why I decided to compare the Nova selfie camera with the flagships, but upon closer examination I see only software processing. The image turned out as painted with paints, without small details. Beautiful, you will not say anything, but not for real. Huawei Nova gets 1 point for a good try.
Determining the winner
We got to the fun part. I admit, I myself do not know the result yet, and it is wildly interesting. We consider:
- Galaxy S7 - 22 points;
- Galaxy S8 - 21 points;
- Galaxy S6 - 16 points;
- Note 5 - 11 points.
YES! This is exactly the result I wanted to see. The Galaxy S8 not only shoots like the S7, but worse in some scenarios.
I don’t want to argue that the software has not been optimized yet, and perhaps in the future the camera in the S8 will shoot better. If a company launches a smartphone on the market, then it should be regarded as a finished product, and not to give indulgences to any updates. And it's not a fact that they will appear.
My bottom line
As I said at the beginning of the article, the camera in a smartphone is the most important thing for me. Now is the moment when I'm looking at a new smartphone, and my favorites at the moment are the Google Pixel, Galaxy S7 and the new HTC U11, which scored the highest in the test of the authoritative DxOMark laboratory. HTC has not yet gone on sale, but I have no reason not to trust the experts.
Why not the iPhone 7 Plus? I've done a Google Pixel vs iPhone 7 Plus comparison before, and the latter has lost that battle. Although it is difficult to call his camera bad.
The Galaxy S8 is not a flop. The smartphone is actually good, but this is a story for a separate material, which was written by Alexander Navagin in his article.
These original photographs were used for comparison.
Choosing a camera phone? Ask your questions in the comments!
The nearly bezel-less display that Samsung has taken from the Galaxy S7 Edge and optimized makes a strong impression. However, Galaxy S7 Edge users shouldn't be too upset, because apart from this impressive feature, there are no innovations that justify the transition to a new generation model.
Galaxy S8 vs Galaxy S7: the display makes the difference
“Wow!” Is probably the first word that comes to mind for many of those who look at the Galaxy S8 after the Galaxy S7. In the new flagship model of Samsung, one thing immediately catches the eye: a huge, wonderful display.
In order to optimize the image surface towards the front side, this time the manufacturer also uses a rounded edge display in the "standard" version, and also noticeably reduces the width of the frame at the top and bottom. The Home button is now in the form of a pressure sensor located below the S8 screen.
All this looks quite futuristic (however, the design of Xiaomi Mi is partly even more radical). However, those who are not overly excited about the curved display of the S7 Edge will not be overly happy with it in the S8 either, and should therefore take a closer look at the LG G6.
A clear advantage over the S8: the display is much larger here
Galaxy S7 is slightly more user-friendly
Galaxy S7, in which the representative of the older generation is quite clearly guessed, on its side has a slight advantage in ease of operation. Thanks to the wider bezel, it is more convenient to hold it, you can avoid the risk of unintentional touching the display.
In addition, the fingerprint reader is located here on the front under the Home button. Thus, it is possible to unlock the device while it is lying on the table. But for S8 users, an iris scanner is available for use.
The rest of the models do not differ so much. Both have superb workmanship, a chic glass back (which really gets greasy quickly), and both are waterproof.
The S8, like the S7, takes photos at 12 megapixels Camera with minor improvements
Samsung's decision to technically not change anything in the S8's 12-megapixel camera over its predecessor is bold, which is at least surprising given the fact that other competitors are trying to outdo each other with various innovations such as dual cameras and the like.
Even if Samsung's decision is boring to you, the S7 offers excellent photo quality and lightning-fast response, and the S8 certainly won't lag behind in that regard. In addition, the manufacturer even promises to improve the quality of the image, as the S8 camera takes three pictures at once and combines them to minimize the blurring of the picture.
S7 has a fingerprint scanner on the front panel Performance and equipment
Also, for us personally, neither a faster processor nor support for such a new mobile communication standard as gigabit LTE would be a serious reason for updating a smartphone. For example, the latter has not yet been launched in Russia, and even the Galaxy S7 processor during our testing was already quite convincing with its high performance and short response time to commands.
And the Bluetooth 5 standard, which increases the bandwidth and range of the connection, allowing you to work even with two devices at the same time - this is "nice to have" for us, but nothing more, since for most smartphone users this has not yet opened up practically any new opportunities for their application.
Galaxy S8 with USB Typ-C and large storage
The new USB Typ-C port in the Galaxy S8 is kink-proof, making it more convenient to use the corresponding cable than the microUSB port in the Galaxy S7. In addition, the new interface operates in accordance with the 3.1 protocol, which increases the theoretically possible data transfer rate up to 800 Mbps. How high it will be in practice, we can only check a little later. In any case, the old charging cable can no longer be used.
Samsung meets the requirements of technical progress by increasing the amount of internal memory. There is now 64GB of high-speed memory, up from the previous 32GB - however, given the high cost of the S8, we would like to have 128GB. However, as with the predecessor model, the S8's onboard storage can be expanded with memory cards.
Finally here too: USB Typ-C in S8 delivers faster transfer speeds and easier cable connections Bixby is not an option
One more word about the new Bixby voice assistant from Samsung: since this service does not yet understand Russian, and the manufacturer does not even give a date when support for our language will appear, this competitor to Siri and Cortana is clearly not a reason for purchasing the Galaxy S8.
During the first meeting, the voice assistant Bixby did not seem convincing to us Harsh price difference between S7 and Galaxy S8
Thus, summing up, we see no significant reason to change the S7 to the S8. And those who are not thinking about upgrading, but about buying a new smartphone, in practice are unlikely to be dissatisfied with the Galaxy S7 - in fact, he will only have to give up a huge display.
On the other hand, S7 customers save a lot of money, since they will have to pay about 30,000 rubles, and the Galaxy S8 will cost about 55,000 rubles. S7 has a significant advantage on this point.
Comparison of smartphones
| models: | Samsung Galaxy S8 | Samsung Galaxy S7 |
|---|---|---|
| system | Android 7.0 | Android 7.0 |
| display | 5.8-inch, 2960x1440 dpi, 570 ppi, HDR | 5.1-inch, 2560 x 1440 dpi, 577 ppi |
| dimensions, weight | 149 x 68 x 8mm, 152g | 142 x 70 x 8mm, 152g |
| camera | 12MP OIS (F1.7), front: 8MP (F1.7) | 12MP OIS (F1.7) front: 5MP (F1.7) |
| battery | 3000 mAh, fast charging and standard via cable | |
| RAM | 4 GB RAM, 64 GB internal flash drive | 4 GB RAM, 32 GB internal flash drive |
| CPU | 4 + 4 cores Exynos 8895 (up to 2.3 GHz) |
4 + 4 cores Exynos 8890 (up to 2.3 GHz) |
| wireless interfaces | Wi-Fi 802.11 AC, Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type-C, LTE Cat. 16 (up to 1,000 Mbps) | 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2, MicroUSB, LTE Cat. nine (up to 450 Mbps) |
| peculiarities | IP68, MicroSD | IP68, MicroSD |
| price: | about 55,000 rubles. (pre-order) | about 30,000 rubles. |
Photo: manufacturing companies
Samsung has ditched the dual camera, camera enhancements and specifications. The module based on Dual Pixel technology is already used in the third generation of smartphones: Galaxy S7 / S7 Edge, withdrawn Galaxy Note 7, Samsung Galaxy S8 / S8 +. Note that both versions of the flagships received the same cameras. And this is a rational decision. and camera comparisons prove that Dual Pixel technology delivers top-of-the-line photo quality.
From a technical point of view, the Galaxy S8 + camera hasn't changed in any way. We see the same f / 1.7 aperture, 26mm lens, optical image stabilization, phase detection autofocus, LED flash.
However, to say that the camera has remained the same is fundamentally wrong. Because the developer has significantly changed the software algorithms for image processing. At the presentation of the Galaxy S8, a Samsung representative mentioned that the algorithms for photo processing have improved, as well as the quality of pictures in low light conditions.
The first notable change to the Galaxy S8 + 's camera software is frame alignment. Officially called "Multi-Frame Image Processing", it works on the same principle as HDR + in the Google Pixel XL, which proves that the right software processing means just as much as the technical capabilities of the camera.
Unlike Pixel, in which HDR + must be manually activated, the Galaxy S8 + is enabled by default. At the time of shooting, the smartphone takes not one, but several frames. Samsung representatives did not elaborate on how this option works.
GSMArena experts suggest that the Galaxy S8 + takes pictures continuously while the camera is active, and then selects the last 10 taken before the shutter was released. The smartphone then layers / stacks the frames with each other to ensure maximum detail and quality of the final shot. This is possible due to the comparison of images pixel by pixel, thus reducing the noise level, the amount of distortion in the frame, and increasing the sharpness. All this happens in the background when the user just takes a frame. The processing speed and minimum latency are provided by the latest chipset.
The Galaxy S8 + camera test shows that if you start to randomly and very quickly take photo after photo, some delays are present.
Modes and additional features
The Galaxy S8 + camera offers the user a selection of filters to choose from, along with stickers and Snapchat filters. Face detection and filtering works perfectly, everything is applied accurately.
The camera interface is simple, and switching to the front camera mode takes place by a regular swipe across the screen, there is no dedicated button. The front camera offers several additional modes besides skin color correction: big eyes and thin face. For a more dramatic effect, you can use a soffit light effect that appears on one side of the photo. Facial correction is also available to smooth out imperfections.
The Galaxy S8 + camera hasn't received any new shooting modes. Selective focus takes multiple shots with focus on the near and far. Three versions are saved to the gallery, and the user can select a general plan photo, with focus in the foreground, with focus in the background.
Pro mode amazes with the choice of settings, offering detailed step-by-step adjustment of each of the parameters: ISO, white balance, shutter speed, exposure, focus.
Galaxy S8 + photo quality
In most cases, the Galaxy S8's camera takes the same pictures as last year's flagship S7. The S8's 12MP camera captures images at 4032 x 3024 pixels, which means that the default photo format is 3: 4. The user can manually set the aspect ratio to 16: 9, but as practice shows, it is better not to do this. The bottom line is that the S8's camera is not capable of taking photos in the new 18.5: 9 format. This means that when viewing photos on the screen, you will always see black frames. The same goes for the video you shoot.
By default, photos are saved in JPG format, RAW format is available in the settings (only for Pro mode). There is also a floating shutter button. This improves the usability of the camera, especially with one hand, especially given the new, unconventionally elongated format of the smartphone.
In bright daylight, the S8 + produces really high-quality, detailed images. The colors are natural, although the photo shows that post-processing was applied. Some smoothing is observed in the corners, but not critical.
Photos with HDR
HDR mode can work in automatic mode (applied "at the discretion" of the smartphone), it can be activated (applied to all frames) or disabled (not applied to any frames) manually. Note that in automatic mode, the smartphone copes with the 5+ task, choosing the right moments to improve the photo. Although we admit that the photos taken with automatic HDR, with active HDR and with disabled HDR are not much different. Compare:
- 1 photo- automatic HDR mode
- 2 photo- with HDR
- 3 photo- no HDR
And one more couple of pictures:
- 1 photo- with HDR
- 2 photo- no HDR
The Galaxy S8 + camera photos are identical to those of the S7. Considering that the cost of the S7 is falling rapidly, and the smartphone is powerful enough to run the coolest applications for at least another 2 years, the choice becomes not obvious.
Photo quality in low light conditions
The main difference between the Galaxy S8 + camera (as well as the S8) is shooting in low light / night conditions. Photos are sharp, with sufficient detail. To demonstrate the difference, here's a comparison between the Galaxy S8 + and Galaxy S7:
- 1 photo- Galaxy S8 +
- 2 photo- Galaxy S7
- 1 photo- Galaxy S8 +
- 2 photo- Galaxy S7
- 1 photo- Galaxy S8 +
- 2 photo- Galaxy S7
Conclusions:
Technically, the Galaxy S8 + camera remains the same as we see in the predecessor Galaxy S7. Only software algorithms for post-processing of photos have changed. The image processing speed is high thanks to the powerful processor.
The difference in photo quality becomes apparent only in night / evening shooting conditions. Otherwise, it is almost impossible to distinguish between photos from the Galaxy S7 and S8.
The elongated smartphone screen is inconvenient for one-handed use. For this, a floating shutter release button has been created in order to place it in easy access.
You shouldn't expect anything supernatural from the S8 + camera, as well as from the S8. If the camera is one of the decisive factors in the transition to a new smart for you, then the S8 does not offer enough objective improvements.
