Thinking of pre-ordering one of Samsung's latest flagship smartphones? We give our early verdicts to help you decide.
So, the Samsung Galaxy S8. You’ve heard of it, right? Chances are you already know what it looks like and even what the specifications are, because this phone is probably the most leaked major smartphone in history.
Still, leaks and rumours are one thing; it’s quite another to get confirmation of the specs at Samsung’s official launch – along with actually getting our hands on the new smartphone and its new bigger sibling, the Galaxy S8+. There’s no substitute to getting up close and personal, tapping the touchscreen, eyeballing the display and jamming it into your pocket.
Being the latest of Samsung’s premium phones, they’re priced according – in fact, at $1,199 for the Galaxy S8 and $1,349 for the Galaxy S8+, they’re a bit pricier than their predecessors, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. Don’t expect any plans below $75 per month either.
However, based on our initial impressions of the handsets, Samsung looks to have again raised the bar with its two flagships.
Both phones will be available from most major Australian mobile carriers and retailers from 28 April. They will be available for pre-order from today (31 March) – which includes a bonus Samsung Gear VR virtual reality headset – from those outlets or from Samsung's website.
We’ll look at the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ in more depth, but first, here are the key specifications.
Specifications
| Samsung Galaxy S8 | Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus |
| 18.5:9 aspect ratio 1,440 x 2,960 OLED, HDR-capable display | 18.5:9 aspect ratio 1,440 x 2,960 OLED, HDR-capable display |
| 68.1 x 148.9 x 8mm (WDH) | 73.4 x 159.5 x 8.1mm (WDH) |
| Octa-core (2.3GHz quad + 1.7GHz quad or 2.35GHz quad + 1.9GHz quad), 64 bit, 10nm processor | Octa-core (2.3GHz quad + 1.7GHz quad or 2.35GHz quad + 1.9GHz quad), 64 bit, 10nm processor |
| IP68 dust and water resistance | IP68 dust and water resistance |
| 4GB RAM | 4GB RAM |
| 64GB UFS 2.1 storage | 64GB UFS 2.1 storage |
| microSD slot | microSD slot |
| 3,000mAh battery | 3,500mAh battery |
| USB Type-C | USB Type-C |
| 12MP rear camera with f/1.7 aperture and multiframe image processor | 12MP rear camera with f/1.7 aperture and multiframe image processor |
| 8MP front camera with f/1.7 aperture | 8MP front camera with f/1.7 aperture |
| Gigabit LTE/4G capable | Gigabit LTE/4G capable |
| Android 7 Nougat | Android 7 Nougat |
| Price: $1,199 outright; from $75 per month on a plan (with 2GB from Virgin) | Price: $1,349 outright; from $80 per month on a plan (with 2GB from Virgin) |
