Samsung Galaxy S8 vs Samsung Galaxy S7: What’s new?

What has Samsung changed from the last generation to this?

Spencer Hart
By
published
in Features

Samsung has just unveiled its latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S8.  The Galaxy S8 is by far the most attractive smartphone Samsung has ever created (especially in Midnight Black). It’s sleek, futuristic, and functional.

It's got a big screen, powerful guts, and a a sexy new design, but what exactly has Samsung changed from the S7?  

This year Samsung has dropped the ‘flat’ model, and released the ‘Edge’ in two different sizes. The Infinity display is one of Samsung’s iconic designs, so we’re really happy to see it’s now standard across Samsung’s flagship phones.

Let's have a look...

Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S8 design

One of the biggest differences between the S7 and S8 is the design, even though there hasn't been a massive departure in terms of design language. 

Unlike previous years, both S8 models (regular and +) will feature the Infinity Edge display. Samsung has also got rid of the front home button, and minimised the bezels as much as possible.

It's a striking design, that makes last year's crop of flagships look instantly obsolete. 

The finger print sensor has been moved to the rear of the device - it's not next to the camera. This has both positive and negative points, but you'll quickly get used to it.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 is 142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9mm, while the S8 is slight taller and narrower at 148.90 x 68 x 8mm.

Both S7 and S8 are IP68, meaning they can be submerged up to 1.5 meters deep for up to 30 minutes.

Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S8 screen

Despite being roughly the same dimensions, the S8 packs a 5.8-inch screen (vs the S7's 5.1-inch) and the S8+ features a 6.2-inch display (vs the S7 Edge's 5.5-inch).

Both the S8 and S8+ have a Quad HD+ display, that's a resolution of 2960x1440 pixels.

On the S8 that's a pixel density of 570ppi, and the S8+ it's 529ppi.

That's actually down from the S7 last year, which had a ppi of 577.

The new display does have a slightly weird aspect ratio of 18.5:9, and it's the world's first mobile device to be certified by the UHD Alliance as Mobile HDR Premium, so you'll be able to watch HDR Netflix content right on your smartphone.

That means colours should look more natural on the S8, over the S7.

Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S8 key specs and OS

Both smartphones run Android Nougat - don't worry, Samsung hasn't switched to Tizen yet.

The S8 has received the typical yearly power boost. The Galaxy S7 packed 4GB RAM and an octa-core Exynos 8890 processor.

Samsung has stuck with 4GB RAM, and hasn't confirmed which chipset it's using. The company did say it's much more efficient than the previous generation, which is easy on the battery.

Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S8 camera

On paper at least, it appears Samsung hasn't changed anything about the rear-facing camera. It may have received a software update, which improved the way the images are processed.

We'll have to see how much it's changed over the previous generation

The front-facing camera has at least got more of an update on the S8 though, with an 8MP sensor in place of the Samsung Galaxy S7’s 5MP one.

Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S8 battery

Worryingly, the Samsung Galaxy S8 has the same, 3,000mAh battery as the Galaxy S7. As we know, larger screen need more power.

Hopefully, the more efficient chipsets will balance it out, and the S8 won't have worse battery life than the S7.

This is another one we'll need to test when we get the phone into review.

Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S8 verdict

The Samsung Galaxy S8 isn't actually all that different from the S7. The battery, camera and OS is all the same.

That's fine though, because the biggest update - that new screen - makes the S8 feel lightyears ahead of the previous generation of smartphones.

Want to know more about the Samsung Galaxy S8? Check out the links below:

Spencer Hart
Spencer Hart
Style and Travel Editor

As the Style and Travel Editor at T3, Spencer covers everything from clothes to cars and watches to hotels. Everything that's cool, stylish, and interesting, basically. He's been a part of T3 for over seven years, and in that time covered every industry event known to man, from CES and MWC to the Geneva Motorshow and Baselworld. When he's driving up and down the country in search of the greatest driving roads, he can be found messing around on an electric scooter, playing with luxury watches, or testing the latest fragrances.

Latest