The comparison includes: 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 became interested in how the cameras of one of the market leaders are developing. After I got my hands on the Galaxy S8, I decided to compare pictures taken in the same conditions on flagships over the past three years. And let me tell you, there is something to see.

I’ll make a small digression about mobile photo capabilities. For me, a camera in a smartphone (and a digital camera in general) is not just a hole in the body, but an attempt by a person to recreate the eye, one of the most complex organs of perception of the world. A camera in a smartphone is a mutual and simultaneous operation within a matter of milliseconds of the matrix, optics, processor, memory, ISP chip, focusing elements, stabilization, etc. And, of course, the work of the software.

If in hardware terms the development of the camera in a smartphone is limited due to its compactness, then on the software front things are much better. Many developers are constantly working to perfect smartphone photo processing so that you get a good result.

An interesting fact is that with relatively the same hardware, different smartphones can shoot with completely different quality. This is thanks to 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 smartphones in 2016 and remains so to this day. Will the next one be able to Galaxy flagship S8 to surpass its predecessor, and how the pictures from the previous top-end devices of the Korean company look compared to them, we will find out in this material.

I will award points for each story (from 1 to 4) and ultimately reveal the winner. There you will also find a link to the original photographs at the end of this article.

Samsung Galaxy S7

Overall plan

In the photo below, the sun is opposite, but not included in the frame. Such conditions are not ideal for a smartphone, but they are not critical either.

Samsung Galaxy S6 and Note 5, the flagships of 2015, coped with the task the worst and at about the same level. Color rendering is poor due to the opposite sun, and the colors are muted. The Note 5's beam was completely reflected, exposing an area of ​​the image. I assume this problem is due to the optics.

The Galaxy S7 and S8, released in 2016 and 2017, are doing much better. The colors are saturated, the dynamic range is wide, as the blue sky clearly tells us, which is completely overexposed in previous opponents.

Let's look at this photo in more detail.

The Galaxy S6 and Note 5 smartphones take sharper pictures, and this is not surprising. After all, they have a 16 MP matrix, unlike the 12 MP 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 photograph. In photo quality, the size of these pixels, the size of the matrix itself, and the aperture play a major role. The diaphragm or aperture is the hole in 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 the camera can cover a larger range of light; in more difficult shooting conditions, a good picture will be taken (light differences 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 will be less detailed when enlarged.

It's time to compare the camera characteristics of the reviewed smartphones:

Well, let's sum up the results of the first production. If you need a smartphone with which you will photograph objects from afar, and for better image clarity at high magnification, then the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Note 5 are your choice. But such a scenario will be useful to few people, right?

If you want to see the best overall shot with color reproduction and contrast, then the S7 and S8 will not let you down in this regard.

The points were distributed as follows (let me remind you, the more the better):

1. Samsung Galaxy S8 – 4 Korean carrots;
2. Samsung Galaxy S7 – 3 Korean carrots;
3. Samsung Galaxy S6 – 2 Korean carrots;
4. Samsung Galaxy Note 5 – 1 Korean carrot.

Product photography (macro)

Here the result surprised me, and the 2015 flagship phablet Note 5 showed more rich details and correct color reproduction. We figured out the details in the last section, but it surpassed both 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. The Galaxy S6 completely fell into darkness, unable to adjust the exposure; even its detail is noticeably lower than the others. The Galaxy S7 is overexposed, and some noise is visible in the shadow of the leaf. The details are slightly better than the S6.

The new product of 2017 (S8) showed good detail and color reproduction, but was still one step behind the Note 7.

Why did it happen? I admit, this is a difficult question for me. But I believe that the software that is responsible for processing the image played a big role here.

If you need a camera phone for macro and subject photography 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 unknown how much time will pass for this to happen, and whether it will happen at all.

Samsung Galaxy S6

Let's get back to the carrots:

1. Galaxy Note 5 – 4;
2. Galaxy S8 – 3;
3. Galaxy S7 – 2;
4. Galaxy S6 – 1.

And now we come directly to the camera software.

Shooting in HDR mode

I won’t explain for a long time how it works and what HDR mode is in a smartphone. I will say that this mode directly reflects the quality of work of the software with the semiconductors responsible for shooting.

Shooting with the sun in the frame is difficult conditions for any camera. Let's see how smartphone software was able to cope with this task.

I'm increasingly inclined to believe that buying a Galaxy S8 just for the camera is not worth it. If the update improves the situation for the better, I don’t think it will be by much. Galaxy S7 is my favorite.

The points were distributed as follows:

1. S7 – 4;
2. S6 – 3;
3. Note 5 – 2;
4. S8 – 1.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5

Scenery

The following shooting conditions can be called the most ideal, the only thing missing is clouds. But the weather was like that. Any device, even a budget one, can handle landscapes in good lighting. But when comparing, someone may have poor color rendering or detail.

The winner here is the Samsung S6. Not only is the clarity better, but the orientation of the original photo itself is more suitable for landscapes. If 12 megapixels in the seven and eight have an aspect ratio of 3 to 2, then their predecessors with their 16 megapixels have an aspect ratio of almost 2 to 1.

But that’s not the only thing I liked more. The Samsung Galaxy S6 has close to natural color rendering of the sky and grass. The “seven” and “eight” are also fine with colors, but the most noticeable is oversharpening (excess contrast achieved programmatically), however, the latest flagship has less.

Note 5 did a poor job with color reproduction; the gradient in the sky from clear at the top to gassy at the bottom is least visible. And the grass seems withered, which is not the case in reality. That's why I give him the lowest score.

So, the pile of oriental delicacy was distributed like this:

1. Galaxy S6 – 4;
2. Galaxy S8 – 3;
3. Galaxy S7 – 2;
4. Note 5 – 1.

Shooting in low light

The best quality of smartphone photography can be determined in low light conditions. automatic mode. This kind of shooting is actually the most popular, since most of us take photos in the evening. In the dark, if the camera is good, the pictures will turn out more interesting and mysterious. Some objects are emphasized with shadows, while others are highlighted with light. 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 look like on paper. They have a wide aperture and large pixels, but in practice, not everything worked out smoothly for the latter.

In poor lighting, the number of pixels this time did not save the 2015 flagships. There is both the amount of noise and sharpness, and the color rendition of the Note 5 is completely poor. The Galaxy S6 showed the worst detail.

The S8 smartphone is not far behind them. There's a little bit of everything here, but the redness is not all over the picture, but more on the right edge, gradually leveling out to the left. The picture turned a little red with shame. But I was pleased with the S7. Everything is as befits a flagship.

I consider this scenario the most important and indicative in this material, so I do x2 with points:

1. Galaxy S7 – 8;
2. Galaxy S8 – 6;
3. Galaxy S6 – 4;
4. Note 5 – 2.

Selfie camera

Taking selfies 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 most cases, we have it in our smartphones, and it’s good. Only this year, Samsung began to pay special attention to narcissistic natures, and introduced 16 MP cameras into its A series (2017) at the beginning of the year. This was of little use, since the pixels there were small and the aperture ratio was small.

The Galaxy S7 also has noise, but to a much lesser extent. The Samsung Galaxy S8 is the best of the four, and the result is obvious, literally. There are even details visible on the skin that are not seen in other photographs. Color rendition is excellent.

So, smartphones are distributed in the following hierarchy:

1. Galaxy S8 – 4;
2. Galaxy S7 – 3;
3. Galaxy S6 – 2;
4. Note 5 – 1.

You may have noticed that in the preview of the article there is Huawei smartphone Nova, and it's not there for symmetry. I have already done a comparative test of this smartphone earlier, and compared it with its closest competitors in the price category (about $400). It performed well, and the manufacturer lists this line as a smartphone with a good selfie camera.

That's why I decided to compare the Nova's selfie camera with flagships, but upon closer examination I see only software processing. The image turned out as if painted with paints, without small details. Beautiful, to say the least, but not really. Huawei Nova gets 1 point for a good try.

Determination of the winner

We got to the most interesting part. I admit, I don’t know the result myself yet, and it’s wildly interesting. We count:

1. Galaxy S7 – 22 points;
2. Galaxy S8 – 21 points;
3. Galaxy S6 – 16 points;
4. Note 5 – 11 points.

YES! This is exactly the result I wanted to see. The Galaxy S8 not only performs as well as the S7, but in some scenarios it performs worse.

I don’t want to talk about the fact that the software has not yet been optimized, and perhaps in the future the camera in the S8 will take better pictures. If a company releases a smartphone on the market, then it should be regarded as a finished product, and no concessions should be given for any updates. And it’s not a fact that they will appear.

My result

As I said at the beginning of the article, the camera in a smartphone is the most important thing for me. Now the moment has come when I am looking at a new smartphone, and of my favorites on this moment – Google Pixel, Galaxy S7 and the new HTC U11, which scored the highest score in the test of the authoritative laboratory DxOMark. HTC has not yet gone on sale, but I have no reason not to trust the experts.

Why not iPhone 7 Plus? I've already done a comparison between Google Pixel and iPhone 7 Plus, and the latter lost that battle. Although it’s difficult to call his camera bad.

The Galaxy S8 cannot be said to be a failed product. The smartphone is actually good, but this is a story for a separate article, which Alexander Navagin wrote in his article.

These original photographs were used for comparison.

Are you looking for a camera phone? Ask your questions in the comments!

Last year's Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge impressed us greatly, but despite significant leaps forward, both phones were just intermediate versions - just like Apple, which releases its updates every other year. However, things are different with the Galaxy S8. In the form of the new model, which was revealed to the world only today, there is something familiar from the last couple of flagships. At the same time, the model heralds a dazzling new screen-dominated design that helps the phone shed unnecessary bulk.

Galaxy S7 or S8 - Which Samsung Galaxy is Better?

Apparently, the Galaxy S8 is an improvement in every aspect when compared to the previous model, but the fact is that not every modification guarantees an upgrade. Thinking about replacing your 2016 pipe? Wondering how the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S7 differ from each other? Let's figure it out.

DESIGN: SIMPLY STUNNING

Let's get one thing straight: there is no flat-screen version of the Galaxy S8. Apparently Samsung did curved screen its new standard: the standard Galaxy S8's screen is curved on the right and left sides. Yes, and the screen of the larger Galaxy S8 Plus is curved in the same way.

Name
Our assessment
Price from	$749	$720
operating system	Android OS, v6.0 (Marshmallow), upgradeable to v7.0 (Nougat)	Android OS, v7.0 (Nougat)
CPU	Exynos 8890 Octa	Qualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 835 (USA)/ Exynos 8895 Octa (Europe)
Dimensions	142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9 mm (LWG)	148.9 x 68.1 x 8 mm (LWG)
Weight	152 g	155 g
Screen size	5.1 inches	5.8 inches
Screen type		Super AMOLED capacitive, touch, 16 million colors
Screen resolution	1440 x 2560 pixels	1440 x 2960 pixels
Screen Pixel Density	577 ppi	570 ppi
Camera resolution	12 MP - rear; 5 MP - front	12 MP - rear; 8 MP - front
802.11x/Standards	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth version	v4.2, A2DP, LE, aptX	v5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX
NFC	Yes	Yes
Memory card slot		microSD, up to 256 GB (separate slot)
RAM	4 GB	4 GB
Inner memory	32/64 GB	64 GB
Battery	Non-removable Li-Ion 3000 mAh	Non-removable Li-Ion 3000 mAh

From the back and sides, the Galaxy S8 doesn't look too different from the Galaxy S7 Edge (except for some small details), but from the front it looks completely different.

The screen is not decorated with practically anything: no return button for you home page or a huge company logo on top. There's just a screen - a beautiful, extremely tall screen with rounded corners and a seamless design. This screen just blends in with a very narrow top and bottom edge. He is very beautiful.

But there is still a button to return to the home page: now it is on the screen and is sensitive to pressing. On the display you will see a software button that does not disappear even when the device is in standby mode. But the fingerprint scanner has moved to back panel, and is now located right next to the main camera. Oh yes! The Galaxy S8 still has a headphone jack.

Screen: bigger and better

Already in the Galaxy S7 the company has built best screen in the smartphone market, but believe it or not, the Galaxy S8's screen appears to have surpassed even that in some key areas.

The company is again using an AMOLED panel with Quad HD resolution, but now it's stretched out thanks to an 18.5:9 aspect ratio (compare with the regular 16:9 ratio when turning the phone on its side). The same thing happened in LG G6: we got more screen, but the phone did not become wider. In fact, the Galaxy S8 is even a couple of millimeters narrower when compared to the 5.5-inch Galaxy S7 Edge, which also has a curved screen, and the standard Galaxy S7.

The Galaxy S8's screen is a 5.8-inch panel, while on the Galaxy S8 Plus it increases to 6.2 inches. Both should be even more vibrant and stunning than last year's model, thanks to the addition of support mobile version HDR, which means you'll see even sharper contrasts between light and shadow in compatible videos and games. The company will update Netflix and other apps to make it possible to watch HDR content on mobile device, and on such a screen it will be just a bomb.

Just like with the LG G6, we're enamored with the curvature of the screen at the top and bottom, which goes well with the curve and subtle edges of the phone.

CAMERA: MODEST ADJUSTMENTS

Trying to work with the device at a company presentation is not The best way experience the full range of upgrades in the camera, and therefore, at the moment, we can not say much about it (although you will learn more very soon). However, we can give a couple of hints about what you can expect.

Like last year's model, the Galaxy S8 comes with a 12-megapixel rear camera with an f/1.7 aperture, which means we should see flawless shots in good light and decent shots in low light.

Apparently, with this model, the company has focused on improving the software, which now gives you better results in an instant. Press the shutter button and the camera takes three photos at once, doubling the pixels, reducing noise and flicker, and sharpening the image. Let's hope that in the end we will get a very impressive picture.

We'll need to test both models side-by-side to get a feel for what exactly these adjustments do for us, but we think we'll find noticeable benefits over the Galaxy S7.

Performance: More Power!

Depending on where you buy it, the Galaxy S8 will come with either the latest proprietary Samsung processor Exynos, or with the Snapdragon 835 chip. Although you are unlikely to feel the difference: personally, we are confident that both processors can easily get the highest scores in testing. In any variant, the phone comes with 4 GB random access memory.

Depending on the region, last year's Galaxy S7 models contained either an Exynos 8890 or a Snapdragon 820 (both came with 4GB of RAM), which were also the best of their kind at the time.

The company continues to keep pace with smartphone performance standards, and even sets them itself. We had no doubt that the Galaxy S8 would be a power monster that could easily handle all the applications and complex content. Android 7 Nougat rules the roost in this model, so you'll get all the latest optimizations, modifications, and options. By at least, they will be the latest until Android O comes out.

BATTERY AND BONUSES: OLD FAMILIAR AND FRESH IDEAS

The Galaxy S8 comes with the same 3,000 mAh battery as the Galaxy S7, despite having a larger screen. This is even less than the 3,600 mAh of the Galaxy S7 Edge. We'll have to wait to see if this will impact battery life, but if the S8 lasts a little more than a day like the S7, it'll be good.

For the rest, we can say the following. Galaxy S8 comes to market with 64 GB internal memory, which, again, can be supplemented with 256 GB of storage microSD card. It's also IP68-rated for water resistance and dust resistance, so the two big bonuses that the Galaxy S7 got (and the S6 left without) still apply here. Here we can breathe a sigh of relief.

IN new version headsets for virtual reality(Gear VR) will also fit the larger Galaxy S8. Plus, it comes with a remote controller, which we saw last month at Mobile World Congress.

As for innovations, the DeX dock is of great interest here. As with Microsoft Continuum, which comes with some Windows 10 phones, you can connect the Galaxy S8 to a DeX device and enjoy a very desktop-like experience on an external monitor. Applications designed for the big screen (like Word) look like exact replicas of their Windows brethren. You can even connect a keyboard and mouse to the device.

The retina scanner, a security feature introduced on the Galaxy Note 7, is also present on this model. According to the company, it has undergone a number of modifications and now works even better. The Galaxy S8 also introduces a new voice assistant Samsung's own Bixby has a dedicated physical button on the left side of the phone, but a UK version is coming later this year.

Initial verdict: new Galaxy.

If you're currently holding a Galaxy S7 in your hands, you must be tempted to upgrade. The Galaxy S8 dazzles with its curves and new screen-dominated design. Plus, it has a number of bonuses.

Of course, if appearance isn’t that important to you, then maybe you shouldn’t do it. When it comes to the camera, processor and battery life, any other improvements seem minor. The average user may not even notice them. Us new model I was impressed, but if we are talking about a couple of hundred dollars - and the S8, after all, will cost you a whopping $855 - then it will be easier to refrain from increasing it.

But if you have more old version Whether it's a Galaxy or something from two or three years ago, the Samsung Galaxy S8 could be this spring's, if not the year's, standout Android phone. We'll announce a more accurate verdict when we receive our test devices, but our first impressions were very positive.

Until the appearance of the Galaxy S8 on the market, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge smartphones were the best flagships in the Samsung manufacturer's line. Most recently, the company introduced the flagship S8, which is already on sale and is in great demand. Even before its release and appearance on store shelves, it was sold out on pre-orders. Is it that good and what are the main differences from the Galaxy S7?

Competitors

It is logical that the Korean phones Galaxy S7 and S8 have competitors. We compared them with other contenders:

Galaxy S8 comparison:

• vs Xiaomi Mi6 ()
• vs LG G6 (you will find)
• vs iPhone 7 plus –

Galaxy S7 comparison:

• vs OnePlus 3T – available
• vs iPhone SE – .
• vs iPhone 6s plus – .
• vs Huwaei P9 – by .
• vs iPhone 6s – .

This list will be updated as new reviews are released. We recommend that you consider competitive flagships.

"Dry" parameters

	S7	S8
Price (in May 2017)	37-40 thousand rubles	53-55 thousand rubles
Display	SuperAMOLED, 5.1, 2560×1440	SuperAMOLED, 5.8, Quad HD+ resolution (2960x1440)
CPU	Exynos 8890	Exynos 8895
Graphic arts	MALI T880 MP12	Mali-G71
RAM	4 GB	4 GB
Disk	32 or 64 GB	64 GB
Camera	12 MP, f/1.7, optical stabilization	12 MP, f/1.7, optical stabilization, 4K video recording
Battery	3000 mAh	3500 mAh
Peculiarities	Water protection (IP68)	Water protection (IP68), Iris scanner
Achievements		3rd place in the ranking best phones with cool cameras (located).

There is a difference between these smartphones. Essentially, the Galaxy S8 is a new generation device that is radically different from the S7 in some respects. It is expected to have higher performance, best camera, display. Against the backdrop of these advantages, the difference in cost is quite justified.

Display

Both phones have SuperAMOLED displays, which are the best today. Not only in the Samsung phone line, but in general. Many manufacturers are trying to get it from Samsung, which is a kind of recognition of competitors.

IN Galaxy phone The S7 uses a 5.1-inch screen with a huge QHD resolution, and until the release of the Galaxy S8, it was the best in its category. In the bright sun there are no glares or reflections, there is a large margin of brightness for adjustment. The screen is contrasty and saturated - everything is fine with this. There's even a polarizing filter so the contents of the display can be seen under polarized glasses.

Galaxy S8 received a new display called Infinity Display. This term will be used for vertically elongated screens. If you use the S7 and then pick up the S8, you will feel like you have moved from a small monitor to a large plasma. In this case, a high-quality matrix is ​​used here latest generation SuperAMOLED. This technology has basically remained the same since the Samsung Note 7, but it has been improved. In particular, the automatic brightness adjustment algorithm has become better, and the Always On Display operating mode has also been improved. Who doesn’t know what this is: Always On Display technology displays data on the locked screen: clock, date, missed calls or SMS. It could just be some beautiful image. This is what it looks like:

The display resolution is simply amazing - QHD+, that is, 2960x1440. With a diagonal of 5.8 inches, this gives a pixel density of 570 ppi (in the Galaxy S8). The screen diagonal in the S8+ is 6.2 inches, and there is a density of 529 ppi.

Known for its qualitative research on displays DisplayMate gave his assessment of the Galaxy S8 screen. There, experts believed that the company had once again managed to raise the bar and do the impossible. The English review is published on the official website of DispayMate. If you are fluent in English, we recommend that you read it. Let us briefly summarize the main points that DispayMate experts point out:

1. Unique screen image enhancement technology. That is, a non-HDR picture on the screen becomes an HDR image.
2. The maximum brightness in automatic mode exceeds expectations - reaches 1000 nits. Therefore, even with direct sun rays The image and even text will be clearly visible on the display.
3. Separate chip for AlwaysOn technology. According to DisplayMate, this allows for energy savings. Although earlier this technology“ate” only 1-2% of the battery.
4. Not one, but two light sensors. Allows you to better determine lighting conditions and, depending on this, adjust the colors/brightness on the screen.
5. Color gamut DCI-P3 Color. In short: the colors are bright, rich, and realistic even in bright lighting.
6. The smartphone “learns” and adjusts the screen brightness to the user’s preferences (based on the user’s previous settings).

These are not all the points that DisplayMate points out. There are more of them, but we won’t list them all - we’ll have to write too much text.

Here's an example: The S8 screen next to the S7 Edge display, which was perfect in terms of color reproduction. But next to the S8, you can see that the white color looks yellowish.

Plus, you can change the resolution from HD+ to FHD+ and WQHD+. Even at the highest resolution, the load on the battery remains small. The Galaxy S8 display sets a record for energy consumption, and this is with such a high resolution.

Conclusion: the display in the S8 and S8+ is revolutionary and has no equal to date.

Performance

It is known that the S7 and S8 smartphones use Exynos 8890 and 8895 processors. These are self-produced chips. But both flagships can also use processors from Qualcomm - Snapdragon 820 and Snapdragon 835 in the S7 and S8, respectively. True, models with processes from Qualcomm are practically impossible to find - this is an exceptional rarity. Exynos-powered flagships are available almost all over the world, and that's a good thing.

The Exynos 8890 processor in the flagship S7 is made using the 14nm FinFet process. It has 8 cores and a MALI T880 MP12 coprocessor. Until the release of the S8, the Exynos 8890 processor was the best. It has high performance, low power consumption and some technical solutions, which have not previously been implemented in any chipset.

However, the Exynos 8895, which powers the Samsung Galaxy S8, has taken the crown from the Exynos 8890, and now the leadership belongs to the new chip. This processor is already made using 10nm LPE FinFET technology, so its energy efficiency has increased significantly. The chip has a 64-bit architecture and 8 cores: 4 powerful Exynos M2 cores with a frequency of 2.5 GHz and 4 Cortex-A53 cores. It is optimized for machine learning, artificial intelligence, VR glasses and 4K content. The chip also has an ARM Mali-G71 MP20 coprocessor with 64 shader cores. This is twice as much as the best GPU of the last generation (Mali-G71).

But let's turn to the “dry” characteristics and compare the performance of these chips. The performance rating of smartphones according to the Antutu benchmark will help us with this. Their official blog published a performance table, which is still relevant today (mid-2017) it looks like this:

1. iPhone 7 Plus (177220 points)
2. Samsung Galaxy S8+ (172640 points)
3. Samsung Galaxy S8 (172636 points)

So in terms of performance, the Exynos 8895 chip is significantly superior to the previous Exynos 8890 processor. A completely different question is that it could not overtake its competitor from Apple. It is obvious from the rating that the flagship iPhone 7 Plus with the Apple A10 Fusion processor scores higher than the Exynos 8895. But it uses different software (iOS), which has always been famous for its excellent optimization.

Camera comparison

With the Galaxy S7 camera everything is more or less clear. We wrote about it in detail and compared the quality of the pictures with the photographs on smartphone iPhone 7. It uses a good Sony IMS260 sensor, f/1.7 aperture optics, and cool DualPixel focusing technology, thanks to which focusing affects every pixel of the matrix.

Examples of photos on the S7 camera

About the Galaxy S8 camera

Let's forget the front camera. She did not receive any revolutionary changes. It’s enough to just say that its capabilities are more than enough for cool selfies, certainly for Skype.

The rear camera has not received any major changes. These are the same 12 megapixels, DualPixel focusing technology and a sensor from Sony. But it applies here best processor and overall productivity has increased. Therefore, the camera now has its own memory, there is a Durst Mode in which you can take a dozen frames. The sensor focuses much faster and works with complex scenes (compared to the Galaxy S7 Edge). The S8 also uses multiframe technology: the phone takes 3 pictures at once and chooses the best one. Some blurred areas of the photo can be replaced with clear areas from another photo. That is, 3 frames taken are glued together into single image, and due to this high clarity is achieved.

The camera has become better, but one cannot loudly say that this new module takes it to a higher level. It is appropriate to compare the Galaxy S8 camera with the Galaxy S7 camera. The latter is worse, but not by much.

Examples of photos on Samsung Galaxy S8

Pay attention to the last night photo. The dynamic range of the camera is unimaginably wide. Even in complete darkness, clouds in the sky are clearly visible.

Example video on S8

Autonomy

The battery capacity of smartphones varies. Galaxy S7 is equipped with a 3000 mAh battery, S8 – 3500 mAh. Let's take into account that the latter has a processor made using 10nm technology and its power consumption is slightly reduced.

Model S7 at maximum load during the day it works from morning to night. In the evening, it is advisable to put your phone on charge. You can even watch videos at maximum brightness for 14 hours. Charging to 100% is carried out within 90 minutes. And 50% of the charge “accumulates” in just half an hour.

S8 with a 3500 mAh battery can play video for 18-19 hours at maximum brightness. At maximum load, the device will “live” for a whole day, at moderate load – two. There are improvements in terms of autonomy compared to its predecessor (S7), but there is no grand breakthrough.

Conclusion and video reviews

The question is not which is better - S7 or S8. The latter is definitely better due to its new processor, unusual new screen, because of which marketers had to introduce a new term (infinity display), as well as increased autonomy and an improved camera.

But that's not all. An iris scanner and facial recognition function are functions that are not present in the previous generation of phones. Even Apple can't boast of this. S8 charges quickly, yes wireless charger, uses cool sound chips inside and comes with cool headphones. There is a DeX mode for working with huge screens, as well as support for virtual reality glasses. With the release of S8, Samsung flagships are perceived differently and sharply jump to new level. If earlier smartphones from Apple were perceived as something exclusive, today only the Samsung S8 and S8+ are perceived this way.

Video review of Galaxy S8

Video review of S7

Please rate the article:

The nearly bezel-less display, which Samsung has taken from the Galaxy S7 Edge and optimized, is impressive. However, Galaxy S7 Edge users shouldn't be too upset because other than this impressive feature, there aren't any new features that justify upgrading to the next-gen model.

Galaxy S8 vs Galaxy S7: It's the display that 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 Samsung immediately catches your eye, first of all, one thing: a huge, wonderful display.

To optimize the image surface towards the front side, this time the manufacturer also uses an 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 under the S8 screen.

All this looks quite futuristic (however, Xiaomi design Mi is partly even more radical). However, one who is not overly delighted with curved display The S7 Edge will not be very happy with it in the S8 either, and therefore should take a closer look at the LG G6.

A clear advantage for the S8: the display is much larger

The Galaxy S7 is a little more user-friendly

The Galaxy S7, which is clearly a representative of an older generation, has a slight advantage in ease of use. Thanks to the wider frame, it is more comfortable to hold, and there is no need to worry about unintentional touches on the display.

In addition, the fingerprint scanner is located on the front side under Home button. This way, you can unlock the device when it is lying on the table. But S8 users have access to an iris scanner for use.

Otherwise, the models differ not so much. Both have excellent craftsmanship, a gorgeous glass back (which gets really greasy quickly), and they're both 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 compared to the previous model can be called bold - this is at least surprising, given the fact that other competitors are trying to outdo each other with various innovations like dual cameras and so on.

Even if you find Samsung's solution boring, the S7 offers excellent photo quality and lightning-fast performance, and the S8 certainly won't fall short in this regard. In addition, the manufacturer even promises improved image quality, since the S8 camera takes three pictures at once and combines them to minimize image blur.

The S7 has a fingerprint scanner located on the front panel

Performance and equipment

Also, for us personally, neither a faster processor nor support for such a new standard would be a serious reason to update our smartphone mobile communications, like gigabit LTE. 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 Bluetooth standard 5, which increases the throughput and range of the connection, allowing you to work even with two devices at the same time - this is a “nice to have” for us, but nothing more, since for most smartphone users this does not yet open up practically any new opportunities for their applications.

Galaxy S8 with USB Type-C and more memory

New USB port The Typ-C in the Galaxy S8 is twist-resistant, making the corresponding cable more convenient to use than the microUSB port in the Galaxy S7. Besides, new interface operates in accordance with protocol 3.1, which increases the theoretically possible data transfer rate to 800 Mbit/s. How high it will be in practice, we can only check a little later. In any case, you can no longer use the old charging cable.

Requirements technical progress Samsung is responding by increasing the amount of built-in memory. There's now 64GB of high-speed memory instead of the previous 32GB - but with the S8's price tag being so high, we'd like to have 128GB. However, as in the previous model, the built-in storage of the S8 can be expanded using memory cards.

Finally here: USB Typ-C in S8 provides more high speeds data transfer and ease of cable connection

Bixby is not an option

One more word about Samsung's new Bixby voice assistant: because this service does not yet understand Russian, and the manufacturer does not even give a time frame for when support for our language will appear, this competitor to Siri and Cortana is clearly not a reason to purchase the Galaxy S8.

During our first meeting, the Bixby voice assistant did not seem convincing to us

Stark price difference between S7 and Galaxy S8

Thus, to summarize, we see no significant reasons to change S7 to S8. And anyone who is thinking not about upgrading, but about buying a new smartphone, in practice is unlikely to be dissatisfied with the Galaxy S7 - in fact, he will only have to give up a huge display.

But S7 buyers 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. On this point the S7 has a significant advantage.

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, 2560x1440 dpi, 577 ppi
dimensions, weight	149 x 68 x 8 mm, 152g	142 x 70 x 8 mm, 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 built-in flash drive	4 GB RAM, 32 GB built-in 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	WiFi 802.11 alternating current Bluetooth 5.0 USB Type-C, LTE Cat. 16 (up to 1,000 Mbit/s)	802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2, MicroUSB, LTE Cat. 9 (up to 450 Mbit/s)
peculiarities	IP68, MicroSD	IP68, MicroSD
price:	about 55,000 rub. (pre-order)	about 30,000 rub.

Photo: manufacturing companies

In this article we compared the characteristics Samsung smartphones Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S8. Keep in mind that the Galaxy S8 is due out in April and most of the information about the specifications of this device is based on rumors and analyst forecasts. If the rumors are true, this will be a great smartphone.

Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S7: design

The Galaxy S8 will be quite different from its predecessor. The edges of the display on the sides will be much narrower, and the Home button will be built into the display. There will probably be a separate button on the side to activate the personal assistant.

It's difficult to say whether Samsung will keep the combination of glass and metal, but the dimensions of the Galaxy S8 will be approximately the same as the S7. Galaxy Dimensions The S7 measures 142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9 millimeters and weighs 152 grams. The device is equipped physical button Home with a built-in fingerprint scanner. In the new device, the fingerprint scanner will be located on the back surface, next to the camera.

According to some reports, Samsung plans to abandon the audio jack in its new flagship. However, there are different opinions on this matter. The new smartphone will have speakers Harman Kardon and a USB Type-C connector. These innovations should significantly improve sound quality.

Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S7: display

According to rumors, the Galaxy S8 will have a display with a diagonal of 5.2, 5.7 or even 5.8 inches. Let us remind you that the S7 model has a 5.1-inch display. The display will most likely have rounded edges, like the S7 edge. It will probably be Super AMOLED display, which guarantees good quality images, regardless of whether it is a flat display or a display with rounded edges.

There are several reports that the screen resolution will be increased from 2K to 4K. However, according to other sources, Samsung will not increase the screen resolution. In any case, the display of the new device will be more suitable for VR.

Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S7: camera

Opinions differ regarding the main camera of the new device from Samsung. According to some sources, the rear camera will be dual, with matrices of 12 and 13 megapixels. Other sources report that one main camera with a 30 megapixel matrix will be installed.

The Galaxy S7 has a 12-megapixel camera with an f/1.7 aperture. The camera has automatic focus and optical stabilization Images.

Concerning front camera new device, a matrix with a resolution of 8 megapixels and automatic focusing are expected here. On the S7, the front camera matrix has a resolution of 5 megapixels, fixed focus and HDR.

Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S7: hardware

The new device will have a Snapdragon 835 or Exynos 8895 processor. Which one will depend on the region. There are rumors on the Internet about the amount of RAM of 4, 6 and 8 gigabytes. The amount of memory for data storage will be 64 and 128 gigabytes.

In turn, the Galaxy S7 is equipped with Snapdragon 820 or Exynos 8890 processors (depending on the region) and 4 gigabytes of RAM. The device is available in versions with 32 and 64 gigabytes of internal memory and has a slot for a microSD card.

Presumably, the new smartphone will have a 4200 mAh battery. According to other sources, the battery capacity will remain the same - 3000 mAh.

Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S7: Software

Will be installed on Galaxy S8 operating system Android Nougat with additional TouchWiz shell from Samsung. The Viv personal assistant will be installed on the smartphone.

Let us remind you that it is installed on S7 Android Marshmallow with the ability to upgrade to Nougat. After the update the difference is software of both devices will be very small.

Please note that performance information Galaxy smartphone S8 is based on analysts' rumors and forecasts. The exact characteristics of the new device are still known only to Samsung engineers.