PC_Pro_Issue_274_August_2017

Samsung Galaxy S8+
The S8+ follows in the Galaxy
S8’s brilliant footsteps, but
its oversize design will be
too big for most tastes
SCORE ✪✪✪✪✪
PRICE £649 (£779 inc VAT) from
samsung.com/uk
You might think the Samsung
Galaxy S8+ doesn’t really
deserve its own review. It’s
much the same as the Samsung
Galaxy S8, which we covered last
month (see issue 273, p74), with the
same internals, camera, storage
options and screen resolution.
What makes it different is the
sheer size of the thing. The screen
measures 6.2in across the diagonal,
which would make a regular
phone practically unusable – but
then the Samsung Galaxy S8+ is no
regular phone.
That’s mainly because the 18.5:9
aspect ratio allows Samsung to add
extra screen space without expanding
the width of the phone too much.
Surprisingly, it’s comfortable to hold
and use in one hand.
A look at the numbers reveals why.
The Samsung Galaxy S8+ is a mere
73.4mm wide, which works out at
only 0.8mm broader than last year’s
S7 Edge. It’s noticeably taller at
159.5mm (compared with 150.9mm
for the S7 Edge), but thanks to
incredibly narrow top and bottom
screen bezels, it isn’t unwieldy.
Despite this, the S8+ isn’t the most
pocketable of phones. It’s almost half
a centimetre taller than the Google
Pixel XL, and hefty at 173g. You’ll need
to keep it in a jacket pocket or get
handy with a needle and thread and
add extensions to your jeans pockets.
In terms of practicality and looks,
these are the only differences between
the Samsung Galaxy S8+ and the
regular S8. They’re both available in
the same two colours –Orchid Gray
and Midnight Black – and both look
and feel glorious. There’s Gorilla Glass
5 on the front and rear, although the
lack of bezels means it probably will
smash if you drop it anyway. It’s IP68
dust- and water-resistant, so should
continue to work when you
accidentally drop it down the toilet.
Just like its little brother, the S8+
has a microSD slot and a fingerprint
reader that’s been repositioned at the
rear. Once again, it’s too close to the
camera lens for comfort. At least there
are other ways to unlock the phone,
with both iris recognition and the new
facial recognition possible if you lift
the phone up to your face.
Most importantly, this is one
handsome smartphone, largely due to
the lack of bezels and the gorgeous
curved edges that run up its flanks.
It’s the smartest plus-size phone
around, that’s for sure.
All-round performer
It’s also supremely quick. You get the
same octa-core Samsung Exynos 8895
found in the S8, and this is paired with
4GB of RAM and 64GB of UFS 2
storage. Whichever test you choose, it
matches the S8.
The Galaxy S8+’s AMOLED panel
also meets our high expectations.
Colours are perfectly poised – not
oversaturated yet still vibrant. Our
usual tests for brightness showed it
ABOVE The only
visible difference
versus the S8 is the
S8+’s sheer size
“This is one handsome
smartphone, largely due to
the lack of bezels and the
gorgeous curved edges that
run up its flanks”
LEFT You can buy the
S8+ in Orchid Gray
(right) or Midnight
Black (left)
can reach a maximum of
554cd/m2, which means it
will be bright enough to
read in most conditions.
That’s not the full story,
however. Since the screen
is HDR Premium-certified,
it can reach an even higher
peak brightness under
certain conditions. With
only a small patch of white
pixels displayed on the
screen, the S8+ pushes
peak brightness up to a
searing 912cd/m2.
It’s one heck of a
display, then, but there are
practical issues to contend
with. That long-tall screen
aspect ratio means that not
all apps and content adapt
perfectly. I came across a
number of games during
testing that left thick black
borders at the top and
bottom of the screen and,
when you turn the phone
on its side, it’s a similar
situation with movie and
TV content.
While YouTube and
Samsung’s own video
player let you stretch
content to fit the wide
screen, other apps don’t yet offer the
option to do this. Fire up a movie on
Netflix, for instance, and you’ll have
to put up with black bars to the left
and right. No doubt this will change.
One area of performance where the
Samsung Galaxy S8+ has the potential
to be different from the regular S8 is
battery life. With a larger 3,500mAh
capacity, you’d expect increased
stamina, despite that larger screen.
Anecdotally, this is a long-lasting
phone, surviving a full day’s use and
still having energy to spare. Our
video-playback battery test backs up
this experience. With the
phone set to its default
screen resolution (1,080 x
2,220), the screen
calibrated to 170cd/m2
and Flight mode engaged,
the Samsung Galaxy S8+
lasted 20hrs 33mins
before running dry. That places it a
long way ahead of the Google Pixel XL,
iPhone 7 and the regular S8.
Pics vs the Pixel
On paper, the rear camera isn’t much
to shout about. It has the same
resolution as last year’s Samsung
flagships, remaining at 12 megapixels,
and the secondary specifications are a
match as well, with optical image
stabilisation, dual-pixel autofocus
and a bright aperture of f/1.7.
The only technical difference is
that the camera, via the S8+’s ISP
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