Samsung Galaxy S8+ review

[freakee1]

Ok, from an iPhone 7+ Apple fan......... this phone is really hard to beat

I was fortunate to get onto someone who pre-purchased the whole kit VR Gear

The specs are

obviously camera's cpu's, gpu's are the best samsung have so no use even comparing and not going too

Samsung have done a really nice job, the finish is perfect, it feels really nice and not too light or too heavy. The Operating System is refined to be useful and looks professional. I did struggle with the smartswitch program to transfer my icloud stuff but it eventually worked

I like the screen resolution and the home button is a taptic area where home buttons belong - the fingerprint scanner is on the back near the camera lens - this is the only real let down. You cover your camera with fingerprints/chocolate/grease etc when trying to use your fingerprints to open the phone.

The Face recognition is pretty cool, but I understand a good photo will work too and it does have iris scanning available but either face or iris

The Dex is something new to mobiles (Windows has something similar, but who buys windows phones???) - the OS is nice, simple and OK to use - as a micro laptop, for small limited business use it is fine - but it isn't Windows 10 or Sierra - and that is obvious. The painful thing with the Dex is you need to remove your device from the case you have protecting it.......

I'm impressed (like seriously impressed) with the VR gear headset and gameplay, but I am a big kid at heart so enjoy the far out funstuff

So the Samsung Phone, camera, gaming maching, VR, desktop, communications device that I have - at this point would beat the Apple 7 plus


and for me - that is saying something




f

[admin]

Bah, why did you have to post this ?

I almost upgraded today.....I currently have a Note 5, which is a great phone, and am on contract until October.

My wifes phone is almost dead. I can payout the Note 5 and keep it for $250, which is pretty good as they are worth more than that second hand, and as I am upgrading there is no penalty with the contract.

I was considering Telstra's new lease option rather than buy, its a little cheaper and allows an upgrade in 12 months if you want to. The major thing that makes me want to is the S8's camera. I no longer have a stand alone camera as phone camera's are now very very good and what I save on a quality camera goes towards a phone.

BTW, anything Android beats Apple

Hows this for funny, Telstra's (VERY foreign name) live chat operator recommended that I do not upgrade and keep my current phone for another 6 months so I can have it for free I cant see a sales promotion on the horizon.

[ol' boy]

I currently have a Note 5, which is a great phone, and am on contract until October.

I know this is in the S8 thread
But can i ask how your Battery Life on the Note 5 is after 2 years ownership?

I'm still looking at buying Secondhand one, or perhaps a new one now they are $500 new.
The non replaceable battery concerns me (on all Samsung phones)
No SD slot is a negative too.

Thanks

[admin]

I know this is in the S8 thread
But can i ask how your Battery Life on the Note 5 is after 2 years ownership?

I'm still looking at buying Secondhand one, or perhaps a new one now they are $500 new.
The non replaceable battery concerns me (on all Samsung phones)
No SD slot is a negative too.

Thanks

Sorry mate, I am on sporadically these days and tend to miss a lot.

As ( I think ?) you know, my wife now owns it. She isnt a big phone user and uses it for the odd call and predominantly facebook. Yet she cant operate a computer.

She charges it once a day as far as I know , I'll ask her when she gets up. She works night shift full time, but every second week has 5 days off so her use is a bit up and down.


I'll make a big statement here........I think the Note 5 camera is better than the S8's camera. Thats just a side by side comparison......I have not been able to replicate the quality of photos I have taken on the Note 5. The S8 is better in low light, but thats the only positive. Its also annoying that the S8's photos are native 4:3, while the Note 5's are 16:9. Why make a phone like the S8 which massively long, and then have 4:3 photos with massive gaps on the sides ?

I also dont use the finger print sensor on the S8 as its on the back.......massive fail from Samsung on this. The Note's sensor on the home button is great.

You could get a price on a battery replacement on a Note 5........its not water proof so you are not breaking a seal by doing it. But if you can get a new one for $500......better option.

I haven't used an SD slot for years....... I take a photo and it auto uploads to Google Photos. If the photo is under 16 MP, storage is free. If its over, you can choose to either have it compressed or have it counted as storage towards your 15 gig limit. Music.......I stream it if I want to listen to it. I honestly can't think of an SD slot use these days.....all my documents are accessible via Dropbox. I always buys phones with the smallest storage because they are cheaper and I never use the space.

[ol' boy]

Can you choose to not use the Finger Print sensor at all?

Personally, i hate lock screens and have no reason to have a phone locked at all or password protected
Im also not a fan of having an online device scan my finger print and collect that info along with all the other Google data collection

[admin]

Can you choose to not use the Finger Print sensor at all?

Personally, i hate lock screens and have no reason to have a phone locked at all or password protected
Im also not a fan of having an online device scan my finger print and collect that info along with all the other Google data collection

No, you dont have to use it. I use face recognition and iris scanning. Basically, I pick it up and look at it and it unlocks.


So yes, all because of freakee1 I upgraded

Wow, what a nice phone. I was initially a bit worried that it would be too big, but that worry promptly disappeared. Its about 3 mm longer than my Note 5, but is skinnier, making it much easier to hold than the Note 5.

The display is yet again another beautiful Samsung display. No one does it better....if you want proof By default, it runs at 2220x1080 which is brilliant on its own, but you also have the option to ramp it up to 2960x1440 or save power at 1480x720.
Online video tests over 1 hour show about a 5% difference in power use between 2220 and 2960, so 2960 it is for me

The only let down is the fingerprint sensor location. I used the fingerprint sensor a lot on my Note 5, it is embedded in the physical home button. As the S8 doesn't have a physical home button anymore, its on the back. Its annoying enough that I wont use it, thankfully as I mentioned face scanning and iris scanning work well, though definitely not as well if its dark. In which case, I dont have a problem using a pin or pattern. But during the day, all I have to do to unlock it is look at it.

I haven't done a great deal with the camera yet, but just turning it on and looking around shows that it is even better than the Note 5 when it comes to low light. Many sites have rated it as the best smart phone camera on the market and I have no reason to doubt that.

It oozes quality, glass front and back on an aluminum frame. Phone repairers will be kept busy with that much glass , many are sure to drop and smash them and Samsung breakages should rival iPhones.

Android 7 is lovely and smooth, and the Samsung Exynos chip doesnt seem to have a problem with anything while using less power than it predecessors. The 8+ has a 3500 mAh battery that should easily get you through a day and more.

I got it on lease, I am actually paying less than what I was on the Note 5. The Note 5 went to my missus, I only had to pay $199.16 which is great because it was supposed to be about $250. The Note 5 is still a $450 phone second hand.

[ol' boy]

Oh, i was going to ask if you wanted to sell the Note5
I had been looking for the passed few months, as you said, the go from $350 - $450.
JB Hi-Fi still sell them for $947!!!!



Why the hell would pay that, when you get what hoe bought for less or even a S8 for that matter.

[mtv]

freakee1 & admin,

How well does GPS work, guys?

[freakee1]

freakee1 & admin,

How well does GPS work, guys?

I will give it a full test tomorrow for you MTV


f

[admin]

It has a new interesting GPS feature. In regards to locking your phone, you can set a safe zone, ie, your address, and if you are in your zone your phone stays unlocked.

You can also set the same for if its in your hand or on your body.

Some good ideas, unlocking your phone is a pain but with these methods you never have to worry about it.

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

[mtv]

It has a new interesting GPS feature. In regards to locking your phone, you can set a safe zone, ie, your address, and if you are in your zone your phone stays unlocked.

That's different, not sure it's something I'd necessarily use though.

I'm just wanting to know how well the bog-standard GPS works.

I have a couple of apps that rely on 'seeing' where I am.

It doesn't need exact accuracy, just that it's reliable.... that will be the clincher for me buying an S8.

The Huawei I'm using ATM has an absolute crap GPS.

[admin]

It doesn't need exact accuracy, just that it's reliable.... that will be the clincher for me buying an S8.

The Huawei I'm using ATM has an absolute crap GPS.

I have had no problem with GPS with my last 3 phones, all Samsung - S5, Note 5, S8+.

Only briefly used GPS on this one, but it seems to be very accurate on Google Maps, ie, it even has me in the correct room in the house.

It looks like Seymour has confirmed all is good.

[Seymour Butts]

I now use the S8+ GPS in mapping mode in the Car - far superior to the Mercedes built in maps system.
With Blue tooth enabled the phone answers, dims the S8 screen and mutes the directional instructions.
I'm very impressed (and yes I'm still a big kid - Love the VR)

[admin]

I now use the S8+ GPS in mapping mode in the Car - far superior to the Mercedes built in maps system.
With Blue tooth enabled the phone answers, dims the S8 screen and mutes the directional instructions.
I'm very impressed (and yes I'm still a big kid - Love the VR)

Seymour, where did you get that mount ? Looking at our car, it would be perfect. GPS is lovely on these phones.

[mtv]

Thanks guys.

I didn't expect there'd be any issue, but always good to check with new models.

I previously has a company-supplied S3 and the GPS was good in it, as was the camera... but as a phone, it was crap.

Samsung (and other manufacturers) have come a long way since then.

Now, to find the best deal for an outright purchase.

[mtv]

OK... took the plunge and now added to the list of happy S8 owners.

Haven't had a chance to do much with it yet, but transferred all my contacts, apps, pics etc, effortlessly.

Blown away by the camera performance in low light!

[lsemmens]

I've used my phones for navigation for years, only thing that is likely to beat them is a HEMA off road system.

[ol' boy]

I've used my phones for navigation for years, only thing that is likely to beat them is a HEMA off road system.

And there is better Free options than Hema too, which work on Android.
Nice one admin, nice to see to car mod for phone, i like it