Thoughts and Impressions: Samsung Galaxy S8

Samsung’s latest flagship phone has been officially announced and its no surprise as to why people have been buzzing about it in social circles. After the fiasco of the Note 7, they are not afraid to pull the punches and pull innovative features while still keeping Samsung’s iconic design.

Here is what you need to know:

Battery

That battery difference is pretty subtle: 3500mAh for the Galaxy S8+ and 3000mAh for the standard Galaxy S8. You may note that the Galaxy S8+’s battery is actually 100mAh smaller than the Galaxy S7 edge of last year, while the Galaxy S8’s is the same size as the Galaxy S7 despite being a larger phone.

Screen Size (Display)

One of the more obvious features is the screen size of the S8 and the S8+. The two phones, which are only differentiated by their screen size and battery capacity, come in at 5.8-inches and 6.2-inches with extra-tall 18.5:9 aspect ratio displays. While it may sound like a rather big number; don’t fret. For those who love smaller phones this still can fit in your hand without any extra wiggle room. The screen to body ratio is 90%, which is ideal for those who love reading a book or watching movies.

DeX

Samsung has a line up of great accessories, one which would change the way we use our phones.  The DeX is desktop docking system for the Galaxy S8. It’s a little piece of hardware no larger than a wireless charger that lets you plug in your Galaxy S8, attaching it to a keyboard, mouse and monitor to transform it into a desktop-like environment. The Galaxy S8’s interface scales up gracefully to fill the large monitor, and Samsung’s own apps have been designed to be resized and operated with a keyboard and mouse.

The features and benefits alone, make your life easier when it comes to sending emails or texts, especially if all you use is your personal phone. Samsung has also partnered up with major software companies (Microsoft and Adobe) to create content for the desktop iteration of the S8.

Impressions

The phone feels great once you have a chance to feel it in your hands. I am excited to see what they have going on, if they do plan on bringing back the Note Series. But this is a good start on the right direction to bring back the appeal and trust of consumers.