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Samsung Galaxy S8 review

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Key Features

  • Review Price: £689.99
  • 5.8-inch quad-HD Infinity Display (AMOLED)
  • Samsung Exynos 8895 (Europe and Asia) or Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (USA)
  • 4GB RAM, 64GB storage (microSD up to 256GB)
  • 3000mAh battery with wireless and fast charging
  • Rear camera: 12 megapixels, f/1.7 aperture and Dual Pixel sensor
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What is the Samsung Galaxy S8?

Since Samsung unleashed its 2017 flagships the edge-to-edge design it started has spread. Now the Google Pixel 2 XL, iPhone X, LG V30 and Huawei Mate 10 Pro have it. But is the S8 still king? Or should you prepare your wallet for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S9?

Samsung Galaxy S8 – Design

Nothing comes close to the Galaxy S8 design-wise. It’s the best-looking phone I’ve ever seen, leaving every other handset trailing in its wake.
The curved rear, as seen on the Galaxy S7, nestles perfectly in your palm, while the glass shimmers as the light hits it. The device is available in three colours – a dark black, bright silver and a grey with a blueish tinge – with no ugly white front plate in sight.
My review unit is the black option, and it’s properly black all over, with shiny sides that blend into the display. It feels like one complete piece, with the glass, screen and metal combining all together.


The volume rocker and standby switch are joined by a new button on the side. This is a dedicated Bixby button – which I’ll cover in more detail in the Software section – and while it shows Samsung is taking its new virtual assistant seriously, it feels too much for Bixby to have its own button.
The S8 is thin and incredibly light at 155g, but it feels sturdy and precisely made. The last time Samsung opted for a huge change of direction with its flagship, many of the basic features were lost in the transition. Thankfully, this isn’t the case here. A microSD slot continues to sit tucked away with the nano-SIM, the criminally underrated Qi wireless charging is also present, and the device is IP68 water- and dust-resistant too, so it will survive a dunk in water for 30 minutes to depths of 1.5 metres.

Samsung has also retained the headphone jack; I’d be very surprised to hear that anyone thinks that’s a bad idea. Apple’s decision to remove a physical headphone connection looked like it might signal the demise of the 3.5mm jack, but Samsung has gone in the other direction, by including a pair of very good AKG wired buds in the box.
Like the recently launched LG G6, the front of the Samsung Galaxy S8 is almost all screen – and it’s this that really makes the S8 stand out. Unlike with the G6, though, the display here melts into the sturdy metal rim.


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