Front camera s8. Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus - a review of new products from the South Korean developer. Sample photos of Samsung Galaxy S8
Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus are the first major new products from Samsung after the failure of the Galaxy Note 7. It was already clear from pre-orders that the Galaxy S8 will become one of the best-selling smartphones of 2017, even though it is $100 (5,700 rubles) more expensive than the S7.
Cool smartphone Samsung Galaxy S8 - Reviews
The Galaxy S7 Edge also has impressive capabilities, and it costs $400 (22,500 rubles). Do I need to pay $750 (42,200) for new Galaxy S8? I think so - not only because of the better screen, but also the high build quality, stylish design with powerful performance. Let's take a closer look at the new Samsung flagship.
The surface of the Galaxy S8 smartphone is smooth and soft to the touch, thanks to the use of glass in the design, there is no gap between the back and front panels.
The screens of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus have a resolution of 2960x1440 pixels, the image is very clear. The Super AMOLED display is highly bright and color accuracy is guaranteed with HDR Premium certification. This is the best screen we've ever seen on a smartphone. The edges of the display are rounded and there is minimal bezel at the top and bottom. The screen occupies 83% of the front panel.
The diagonal of the Galaxy S8 Plus is 6.2 inches, the S8 has 5.8 inches. It's even easier to use on large screens by email, but you need to get used to the frameless design - during testing of the S8 Plus, at first I constantly activated the screen when I picked up the smartphone.
The all-glass design makes Galaxy S8 smartphones slippery, fragile and prone to fingerprints. You have to keep a microfiber cloth on hand at all times for cleaning.
The power button is located on the right side of the device, while the dual volume rocker and Bixby voice assistant button are on the left. For the first time, Samsung has not added a Home button to the front panel.
The headphone jack is located at the bottom, to the left of USB port Type-C. Also, at the bottom there is a single speaker, which has the same problem as the Google Pixel and LG G6 - it is covered with your hand when using the smartphone in landscape mode. The sound quality is good, but the iPhone 7 sounds louder.
The back is not as impressive as the front, and is almost no different from the Galaxy S7. The camera is located next to the flash, heart rate sensor and fingerprint scanner. Both versions are thin, pleasant to the touch and have excellent build quality, although the S8 is smaller, making it easier to hold in your hand.
Features and Features
The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus are powered by an Exynos 8895 processor with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory, which can be expanded thanks to a MicroSD card slot.
I got a Galaxy S8 that kept freezing, especially when opening the notification tray and recent apps section. A factory reset fixed the problem and everything worked as it should, but everyone should be prepared for this.
The games Asphalt Xtreme and FIFA Mobile never froze, although Dawn of Titans lagged at some points, but this happened rarely. Applications launch quickly and easily, and multitasking allows you to use several programs at the same time.
In the benchmark, the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus surpassed the Google Pixel in performance, and in some indicators they were better than iPhone 7Plus.
While the initial issues have passed and we've enjoyed the smooth performance of the Galaxy S8, Samsung obviously won't be able to push out updates and optimize the performance of its new smartphones as quickly as Google and Apple do.
operating system
The Samsung Galaxy S8 is stylish and comfortable user interface, icons are evenly spaced and fonts are easy to read.
The absence of a physical Home button gives the smartphone a more modern look. In its place is an area of the screen that, when pressed and held, will take you to the home screen from any application. The navigation icons can be swapped, placing the Back button on the left and Recent Apps on the right. This is how they are located on most Android smartphones.
There are many options for changing the interface: adjust the screen resolution, turn on and off the use of edges, change the position of the brightness slider on the notification panel, activate the LED indicator, and so on. The Galaxy S8 has many useful features to suit every taste. For example, Smart Stay allows you to keep the screen backlit only when you're looking at it.
Multitasking is better here than on any other Android phone - using the split screen, you can move application windows as you like, or launch Picture in Picture mode and place one on top of the other.
Galaxy S8 is the first smartphone to use Bluetooth 5 with 4x the range of Bluetooth 4.2 and 8x zoom bandwidth(2 times the data transfer speed). This means you can move 200 meters away (with line of sight) from your smartphone and still listen to music via Bluetooth headphones. In addition, you can now stream music to 2 different Bluetooth devices at the same time.
Samsung's facial recognition technology doesn't work 100% of the time, especially in low light, but it's still faster and more reliable than a fingerprint sensor. An iris scanner is also available on the Galaxy S8, although it's not as powerful.
The worst performer was the fingerprint sensor in new series S8. The scanner is difficult to reach on the Galaxy S8 Plus, and you won’t be able to use it to control your smartphone, as is now fashionable. The Samsung Galaxy S8 sensor is located close to the camera, so users will often get confused and touch it by mistake. Samsung is aware of this issue and advises cleaning the camera more often, but this could have been avoided by simply placing the fingerprint scanner below, as is done on almost all other smartphones.
The main 12-megapixel camera hasn't changed much compared to the S7. Given enough lighting, the Galaxy S8 takes high-quality photos with accurate colors. If there is not enough light, sometimes the clarity decreases, but as a rule, even in the dark, the photos turn out to be of high quality.
Unfortunately, Samsung hasn't added anything new to the regular camera, such as a second lens. There are still several modes to choose from, including Selective Focus and Panorama. In Pro mode, you can change the shutter speed, focus and ISO.
The 8-megapixel one was more impressive front-camera, which has a lot of fun filters and masks, just like Snapchat. By rotating the camera to the sides in Wide Selfie mode, you can “stitch” pictures into one, taking a panoramic selfie.
Samsung Voice Assistant
Samsung's new digital assistant is disappointing; recognition isn't even available in the first version voice commands. The only functions available are Bixby Home, Reminder and Vision.
Home displays a variety of information, such as your current pedometer reading, upcoming calendar events, weather forecast, and trending Twitter posts. But, in practice, it’s easier and faster to look at the corresponding applications separately, since the Bixby button is too slow and unreliable.
Reminders - analogue of reminders in Google Inbox or Google Assistant. Assistant can still be used by pressing and holding the on-screen Home button.
The most useful feature is Vision. Augmented reality technology allows you to receive information about different objects in real time. For example, you can point your camera at a pair of shoes and find out how much they cost on Amazon.
Samsung promised a lot, but this moment Bixby is an unfinished service.
Battery Samsung Galaxy S8
The Galaxy S8 Plus uses a 3,500 mAh battery, the Galaxy S8 – 3,000 mAh. By the end of the day, with intensive use (watching streaming videos, listening to music, filming videos, etc.) both smartphones will be discharged up to 25%. Under normal load, they are discharged to 40% in the evening.
Supports fast wireless charging via connector USB Type-C- a new standard that not everyone has yet gotten used to.
Bottom line
Samsung Galaxy S8 is a smartphone with high build quality, excellent screen and camera. The battery is standard, designed for 1 day of operation. Voice assistant Bixby is still terrible, but you can turn it off and use Google Assistant.
There are plenty of decent smartphones that cost less than the S8 and S8 Plus - Google Pixel, LG G6 and iPhone 7 - but none have such a high-quality display. It's worth considering buying the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus when you're aiming for the top-end smartphones and are willing to pay $750 (42,200 rubles) or more.
Advantages
- Gorgeous display
- High quality assemblies
- Cool Features
- Improved user interface
- Waterproof
I've been using the Samsung Galaxy S8 as my main smartphone for two weeks now. In addition to a bunch of new features in it, they updated the front camera.
And they updated it very much - so much so that it is worthy of a separate article.
Samsung Galaxy S8 and its awesome front camera
The front camera in the Samsung Galaxy S8 has evolved from the camera of the Samsung Galaxy S7: it was good, it became just great. But first, about what has not changed.
Used wide angle lens, which seems to move you away from the camera and allows you to take group selfies much easier than on an iPhone. The aperture, as before, is f/1.7 instead of f/2.2 in the iPhone 7 Plus, that is, much more light is allowed into the sensor.
Because of this, pictures in the dark come out clear, with noticeably less noise and artifacts. See for yourself.
Well, now to the upgrades.
On the front of the Galaxy S8 more pixels - 8 megapixels versus 5 megapixels in the Galaxy S7. Purely technically, this gives sharper pictures under the same conditions, and also allows you to crop the photo more, keeping its quality high.
Samsung Galaxy S8 makes portraits cool, agree. Even if you don’t believe me, the photos will say it all for me. The complexion is natural, the teeth are white, the hair is well-designed - there is no emphasis on yellowness, which the iPhone loves so much. The pictures are rich and sharp, the latter can be adjusted: for example, to soften the skin tone!
Photo taken on Samsung Galaxy S8
But the main trump card of the Samsung Galaxy S8 front camera is autofocus .
It works as fast as on the main camera. Automatically focuses on all faces in the frame, so you almost never need to tap the display.
This is straight bomb. Autofocus is oh so lacking on the iPhone, because of this, almost all selfies from more or less close range turn out blurry. I think that optical stabilization will appear in the next generation - and happiness will come.
The selfie camera in the Samsung Galaxy S8 has more features.
For example, you can take pictures using a heart rate monitor. Just turn on the camera and touch the sensor with your finger - it is located on the back, not far from the camera. This is if it’s inconvenient to poke at the screen. There is only one downside to this method - your finger gets on the camera and dirty it. You'll have to wipe it down periodically.
Just like on an iPhone, I don’t recommend taking photos using the volume button - the pictures often come out blurry.
=
Photo taken on Samsung Galaxy S8
In addition, all selfies are retouched during shooting. Before taking a photo, you can “Photoshop” yourself in advance: for fun, make huge eyes, and correct the tone of your face.
Photo taken on Samsung Galaxy S8
There is a super-wide mode, a la panorama. While shooting, tilt your smartphone left and right to create a panoramic self-portrait. Using Selective Focus, you can take selfies with cool bokeh - similar to Portrait Mode on the iPhone 7 Plus.
Well, one last thing. Appeared mask stickers: animated, with or without sound. You can add text, filters, and effects to the photo.
Publication from site (@site) May 30, 2017 at 9:46 PDT
Naturally, we check it out. But, alas, we are not so beautiful. Although we tried very hard.
Stickers really rule, especially in the hands of other people. You give them a Samsung Galaxy S8, they snap themselves with funny faces, then all this is saved in memory. And you, of course, don’t post this on your Instagram, tagging them, so that it’s disgraceful;))
Total. The Samsung Galaxy S8 has a front camera that:
- Shoots brighter and clearer than iPhone 7
- Shoots great even in the dark
- super-wide selfies rule, especially with a crowd
- mask stickers blow up any party)
Now iPhone 7 Plus. And his 3 year old camera
The front camera in the iPhone 7 Plus has not changed much from previous generations. The lens angle is still small, you look close in the photo. You must either have long arms or carry a selfie stick with you. Especially if you decide to take a photo with friends.
The number of megapixels in the iPhone 7 Plus has increased from 5 to 7 megapixels. At the same time, the aperture remained the same - f/2.2. In good lighting, the pictures are quite good, but in the evening noises come out, the background turns to mush.
This is no longer an outstanding result, and it lacks in any restaurant: the now fashionable yellow decorative lamps and dim light turn a nice photo into a set of pixels, each of which can be counted on one’s fingers.
Photo taken on iPhone 7 PlusTo somehow smooth out this jamb, Apple offered Retina Flash. It adapts to ambient light to reveal natural skin tone. With it, the photos come out bright, if slightly blurry. Well, not everyone likes the flash itself.
Reality: selfies on the iPhone 7 Plus are not far removed from the 6s Plus and are similar to those in the Samsung Galaxy S8.
The pictures became clearer, but the problems of its predecessor remained. It's strange that Apple neglects the front camera. But while they are thinking there, Samsung is doing it. And other competitors are not asleep.
There are rumors that radical changes await it in the iPhone 8, but it seems that it will simply catch up with its competitor.
What's the result? Although wait, you already know everything
I'll have to confess. If you are into modern mobile cameras, then they knew the result of this article in advance. Apple has remained on the sidelines of progress in the quality of its cameras, and another example is above.
Long, frameless, with an excellent camera and top performance
Samsung recently officially introduced its long-awaited flagship smartphones Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ in Russia. Even despite major failures in the recent past, Samsung's flagship devices not only continue to be the main competition Apple iPhones, but are also one of the most technically advanced Android smartphones. Compared to the previous (seventh) generation, a lot has changed here, from the design in general to the arrangement of individual elements in particular, not to mention the improved hardware and updated software. Not all the changes are for the better, but there are so many of them that we can say that Samsung decided to start from scratch. It is worth noting that, to the delight of many, the difference in the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ models is only in size; almost everything else is the same. There are no various modifications with varying amounts of built-in memory or RAM, different performance, the presence or absence of certain elements. The user does not need to agonize over the choice; they just need to decide on the preferred dimensions of the device. The technical characteristics of both models are almost identical, and we will begin this review by listing them, choosing the Galaxy S8+ model as a sample.
Main characteristics of Samsung Galaxy S8+ (Model SM-G955F)
- SoC Samsung Exynos 8895 Octa, 8 cores: [email protected] GHz (Exynos M1) + [email protected] GHz (ARM Cortex-A53)
(another modification of the smartphone is based on SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 835) - GPU Mali-G71
- operating room Android system 7.0
- Touch display Super AMOLED 6.2″, 2960×1440, 529 ppi
- RAM(RAM) 4 GB, inner memory 64 GB
- Nano-SIM support (2 pcs.)
- MicroSD support up to 256 GB
- GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
- WCDMA/HSPA+ networks (850/900/1900/2100 MHz)
- FDD LTE Band 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 66 networks
- Networks TD LTE Band 38—41
- Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5 GHz) MIMO
- Bluetooth 5.0LE
- GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, BDS
- USB Type-C, USB OTG
- Main camera 12 MP (f/1.7), autofocus, 4K video
- Front camera 8 MP (f/1.7), autofocus
- Waterproof IP68
- Proximity sensor, lighting, heart rate, magnetic field, accelerometer, gyroscope, barometer
- Iris scanner, fingerprint scanner
- Battery 3500 mAh, fast charging
- Wireless charger(WPC, PMA)
- Dimensions 160×73×8.1 mm
- Weight 173 g
Contents of delivery
The Samsung Galaxy S8+ received a stylishly designed matte black cardboard box with a laconic design as packaging. The lid is not completely removable, it folds back like a box. The contents are neatly packaged in separate cells.
The kit, in the best Samsung traditions, turned out to be extensive. The smartphone package includes a USB Type-C connecting cable, a network adapter with variable output current and voltage 5/9 V 1.67/2 A, an unusually shaped key for removing cards, a Micro-USB - USB Type-C adapter, a second USB adapter- USB Type-C.
The company also included high-quality wired dual-driver AKG stereo headphones with a set of interchangeable in-ear pads.
Appearance and ease of use
The design of the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ turned out to be unusual and attractive. The streamlined body is made entirely of metal and glass, there is no plastic here. A metal frame rounded on all sides, symmetrically tapering at the sides and widening at the top and bottom ends, connects two glass panels - front and back. Gorilla Glass 5 is used as a coating; the glass has noticeable curves on the sides. The frame in the front plane of the screen is completely hidden behind the curve of the glass, so here we can talk about a truly frameless option.
The body of the Samsung Galaxy S8+ is absolutely symmetrical; the back side is also completely covered with Gorilla Glass 5 with curved edges. The edges of the glass are rounded so much that they flow almost seamlessly (not counting the frame) into one another, creating a complete shape without a single sharp corner or straight edge. For this shape, Samsung marketers dubbed their new brainchild a “smartphone without borders.”
The Samsung Galaxy S8+ looks very attractive. And although such a design may seem too “sleek” and “pampered”, but these are modern realities, the vast majority of users liked it.
Due to the unusual aspect ratio of the display (not 16:9, but 18.5:9), the body turned out to be very elongated in height. At the same time, the absence of a frame on the sides of the screen in the front plane made it possible to make the body so narrow that it is quite comfortable to hold in the hand even with a screen diagonal of 6.2 inches. True, the device is quite slippery due to its glass panels, smooth frame and streamlined shape.
 |
 |
The curved edges of the front glass work in conjunction with the corresponding software in the same way as in previous models of the series Galaxy Edge. Above the screen you can find a full range of elements, including an LED event indicator and even an iris scanner.
The scanner works reasonably well, but the process of setting the lock and constant recognition is quite tedious, because this system only works in certain lighting conditions and at a certain distance from the eyes. It is much easier and faster to use the fingerprint scanner, although its location here causes some confusion.
There are no more control buttons under the screen, only on the screen itself. This is not typical for Samsung, it has Galaxy smartphones There was always a hardware button on the front (in the latest models, with an integrated fingerprint sensor). Now its place has been taken by a virtual button on the screen, but it is also not quite ordinary. To ensure that the static button, which is constantly illuminated in the Always On Display mode, does not cause pixel burnout, it was made movable. Thus, the seemingly static central button on the screen actually constantly moves imperceptibly in different directions.
The fingerprint scanner has been moved to the back. At the same time, it is greatly shifted from the center to the right, so that it is inconvenient for a left-handed person to reach it with his finger. In addition, the tactile area of the fingerprint sensor does not differ from neighboring elements; it is difficult to feel it blindly, you need to get used to it. In general, this is perhaps the most unusual and inconvenient option for the location of this element that we have previously encountered; Samsung again went too far with the fingerprint sensor.
Next to the scanner you can find a camera module with a flash, as well as a heart rate sensor familiar to Samsung smartphones. None of the elements protrude beyond the surface, so the smartphone lies stable on the table and does not wobble when you touch the screen. The flash is as bright as possible.
There are no complaints about the operation of the fingerprint scanner itself; it works quickly, clearly and accurately. But, as already mentioned, reaching for it while holding a smartphone in your left hand is very inconvenient.
The slot for installing cards is located at the top end. The cover of the removable slide on which the cards are placed has a rubberized gasket, since the Samsung Galaxy S8+, like the LG G6, meets the IP68 protection category, that is, the case is completely protected from dust and allows immersion in water to a depth of 1.5 m for 30 minutes. However, the developers did not go further: the design here is not designed for harsh operating conditions, like the LG G6, so the hero of the review does not have military standard certification.
A standard hybrid slot is used, which can accommodate either two Nano-SIM cards or one SIM card and one card microSD memory. The slides are made of flexible plastic; the device itself reports the need to tightly close the connector cover to protect it from water.
The volume button has been moved to the left side, where it is adjacent to a separate key for calling the Bixby intelligent assistant, with which you can work with available services and applications via the touch screen, voice or text commands. The power key remains on the right side. The buttons are not very large, but handling them is quite comfortable; the keys are easy to feel blindly.
All other interface elements are located at the bottom end. There is a USB Type-C connector installed here that supports connection external devices in USB OTG mode, the main speaker is brought out here, as well as a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a microphone hole. Surprisingly, the developers were unable to install any of the elements exactly; each of them turned out to be offset relative to the longitudinal axis of the end, which spoils the impression a little.
Having studied the structure of the Galaxy S8+ case, let's compare it with the previous Galaxy S7 Edge model. The naked eye can see that the width of these smartphones is almost identical.
However, the Galaxy S8+ has a longer screen with a non-standard aspect ratio, which allows for more surface area to be devoted to the screen. As a result, the Galaxy S8+ with a 6.2″ screen fits as comfortably in the palm of your hand as the Galaxy S7 Edge with a 5.5″ screen.
In addition, the sides of the case of the review hero have become less slippery due to the increased width of the metal frame: the curved edges of the screen on the Galaxy S8+ have been reduced, the frame is now located exactly in the middle between the front and rear panels. So, in general, the changes only benefited the new product.
Samsung Galaxy S8+ is presented on the Russian market in three colors: black (“Black Diamond”), gray (“Mystical Amethyst”) and golden (“Yellow Topaz”).
Screen
Samsung Galaxy S8+ features a Super AMOLED display with protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass 5 with highly curved edges. The physical dimensions of the screen are approximately 70x142 mm with a diagonal of 6.2 inches, that is, the aspect ratio is 18.5:9. The screen resolution is 2960x1440, the pixel density is about 529 ppi. The corner parts of the screen, like the LG G6, are rounded, there are no side frames as such in the front plane of the screen, the upper and lower segments surrounding the screen are only approximately 8.5 mm in height.
 |
 |
The display brightness can be adjusted manually or set automatic settings, based on the operation of the ambient light sensor. HDR10 mode is supported. The AnTuTu test diagnoses support for 10 simultaneous multi-touch touches. There is a vision protection mode (preventing eye fatigue). In Always-on mode, information about the current time and date, as well as missed events, is displayed on the switched off screen.
In the screen settings section, you can select the resolution and applications that should be used in full-screen proportions. It seems that the developers first made a screen with an unusual aspect ratio, just to make it “not like everyone else,” and then added various “crutches” to the software so that the programs would work normally with such a screen.
 |
 |
A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the sample under study.
The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are better than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) screen (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected when the screens are turned off (on the left is Nexus 7, on the right is Samsung Galaxy S8+, then they can be distinguished by size):
The screen of the Samsung Galaxy S8+ is slightly darker (brightness according to photographs is 107 versus 115 for the Nexus 7) and does not have a pronounced tint. The ghosting of reflected objects on the Samsung Galaxy S8+ screen is very weak, which indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen. Due to the smaller number of boundaries (glass/air type) with very different refractive indices, screens without an air gap look better in conditions of intense external illumination, but their repair in the case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be replaced. On the outer surface of the screen of the Samsung Galaxy S8+ there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effective, better than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much easier and appear at a lower speed than in the case of regular glass.
When displaying a white field in full screen and manually controlling the brightness, its maximum value was 370 cd/m² in normal conditions and rises to 580 cd/m² in very bright light. You also need to take into account the fact that in this case, the smaller the white area on the screen, the brighter it is, that is, the actual maximum brightness of the white areas will almost always be higher than the specified value. For example, when displaying a white field on half the screen and a black field on the other half, we obtained values of 460 cd/m² and 725 cd/m² for the above conditions. As a result, readability during the day in the sun should be at a good level. The minimum value is 1.6 cd/m². The reduced brightness level allows you to use the device even in complete darkness without any problems. Automatic brightness adjustment works based on the light sensor (it is located to the left of the front speaker slot). The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment slider; the user can use it to try to set the desired brightness level in the current conditions. If in an office environment the brightness slider is set to maximum, then in complete darkness the auto-brightness function reduces the brightness to 6.4 cd/m² (dark), in an office illuminated by artificial light (approximately 550 lux) it sets it to 340 cd/m² (excessively bright) , in a very bright environment (corresponding to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) increases to 545 cd/m² (sufficient). If in complete darkness and in an office environment, use the slider to set the brightness a little higher and lower, then the screen brightness for the three conditions indicated above is as follows: 13, 180, 545 cd/m² (ideal combination). It turns out that the auto-brightness function works adequately and to some extent allows the user to customize their work to individual requirements. At any brightness level there is significant modulation with a frequency of approximately 60 or 240 Hz. The figure below shows brightness (vertical axis) versus time (horizontal axis) for several brightness settings:
It can be seen that at maximum and close to it brightness the modulation amplitude is not very large; as a result, there is no visible flicker. However, as the brightness decreases, modulation appears with a large relative amplitude; its presence can already be seen in a test for the presence of a stroboscopic effect or simply with rapid eye movement. Depending on individual sensitivity, this flickering may cause increased fatigue.
This screen uses a Super AMOLED matrix - an active matrix on organic light-emitting diodes. A full-color image is created using subpixels of three colors - red (R), green (G) and blue (B), but there are twice as many green subpixels, which can be referred to as RGBG. This is confirmed by a fragment of a microphotograph:
For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.
In the fragment above you can count 4 green subpixels, 2 red (4 halves) and 2 blue (1 whole and 4 quarters), and by repeating these fragments, you can lay out the entire screen without breaks or overlap. For such matrices, Samsung introduced the name PenTile RGBG. The manufacturer calculates the screen resolution based on the green subpixels; based on the other two, it will be two times lower. The location and shape of the subpixels in this version is close to the case of the screen of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and some other newer ones Samsung devices(and not only) with AMOLED screens. This version of PenTile RGBG is better than the old one with red squares, blue rectangles and stripes of green subpixels. However, some unevenness of contrast borders and other artifacts are still present. However, due to very high resolution they have only a minimal impact on image quality.
The screen has excellent viewing angles. True, the white color, when deviated even at small angles, alternately acquires a light blue-green and pinkish tint, but the black color remains simply black at any angle. It is so black that the contrast setting is not applicable in this case. For comparison, here are photos in which the screens of the Samsung Galaxy S8+ (profile Basic) and the second comparison participant, identical images were displayed, while the brightness of the screens was initially set to approximately 200 cd/m², and the color balance on the camera was forced to switch to 6500 K.
White field:
We note good uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field (with the exception of slight darkening and a change in hue towards the curved edges).
And a test picture (profile Basic):
Color rendition is good, the colors are moderately saturated, the color balance of the screens varies slightly. Recall that photography can not serve as a reliable source of information about color rendering quality and are provided for illustrative purposes only. In particular, the pronounced reddish tint of the white and gray fields present in photographs of the Samsung Galaxy S8+ screen is visually absent when viewed from a perpendicular view, which is confirmed by hardware tests using a spectrophotometer. The reason is that the spectral sensitivity of the camera sensor does not exactly match this characteristic of human vision. Note that in this case, the image occupies the height (at this screen orientation) of the entire area available for image display and extends onto the curved edges of the screen, which leads to darkening and color distortion. Also, in the light, these areas almost always glare, which makes it even more difficult to view images displayed on the entire screen. And even the picture of films with an aspect ratio of 16:9 bends, which greatly interferes with watching movies.
The photo above was taken after selecting a profile Basic in the screen settings, there are four of them:
Profile Adaptive display differs in some kind of automatic adjustment of color rendering to the type of output image and environmental conditions:
Saturation and color contrast are greatly increased, it looks terrible. What happens when you select the two remaining profiles is shown below.
Movie AMOLED:
Saturation and color contrast are also increased, but not as much.
Photo AMOLED:
Saturation is slightly lower, but color contrast is slightly higher than in the case Movie AMOLED.
Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen (profile Basic).
White field:
The brightness at an angle for both screens has noticeably decreased (to avoid strong darkening, the shutter speed has been increased compared to previous photographs), but in the case of Samsung the drop in brightness is much less pronounced. As a result, with formally the same brightness samsung screen The Galaxy S8+ looks much brighter visually (compared to LCD screens), as the screen mobile device often you have to look at least from a slight angle.
And a test picture:
It can be seen that the colors have not changed much on both screens and the brightness on Samsung smartphone at an angle noticeably higher. Switching the state of the matrix elements is performed almost instantly, but at the switching edge there may be a step with a width of approximately 17 ms (which corresponds to a screen refresh rate of 60 Hz). For example, this is what the dependence of brightness on time looks like when moving from black to white and back:
In some conditions, the presence of such a step can lead to plumes trailing behind moving objects. However, dynamic scenes in films on OLED screens are distinguished by high clarity and even some “jerky” movements.
A gamma curve constructed using 32 points with equal intervals based on the numerical value of the shade of gray showed that there is no significant blockage either in the highlights or in the shadows. The exponent of the approximating power function is 2.09, which is slightly less than the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma curve deviates little from the power dependence:
Let us recall that in the case of OLED screens, the brightness of image fragments dynamically changes in accordance with the nature of the displayed image - it decreases for generally light images. As a result, the resulting dependence of brightness on hue (gamma curve) most likely slightly does not correspond to the gamma curve of a static image, since the measurements were carried out with sequential display of shades of gray on almost the entire screen.
Color gamut in the case of a profile Adaptive display very wide:
In profile Movie AMOLED coverage is a little narrower:
When selecting a profile Photo AMOLED coverage is adjusted to Adobe RGB boundaries:
When selecting a profile Basic coverage is compressed to sRGB boundaries:
Without correction, the spectra of the components are very well separated:
In case of profile Basic with maximum correction, the color components are already noticeably mixed with each other:
Note that on screens with a wide color gamut, without appropriate correction, the colors of regular images optimized for sRGB devices appear unnaturally saturated. Hence the recommendation - in most cases, watching movies, photographs and everything natural is better when choosing a profile Basic, and only if the photo was taken on an Adobe RGB setting, does it make sense to switch the profile to Photo AMOLED. Profile Movie AMOLED, despite the name, is the least suitable for watching movies or anything else.
The grayscale balance is good. The color temperature is close to 6500 K, while in a significant portion of the gray scale this parameter does not change very much, which improves the visual perception of color balance. The deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) remains below 10 units across most of the gray scale, which is considered good for a consumer device:
(The darkest areas of the gray scale can in most cases be ignored, since color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)
For some reason only when selecting a profile Adaptive display It becomes possible to adjust the color balance by three adjustments of the intensity of the primary colors, but due to the too wide color gamut in this profile there is no point in correcting the balance.
Let's summarize. The screen has a very high maximum brightness and has excellent anti-glare properties, so the device can be used outdoors without any problems, even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. It is acceptable to use a mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works adequately. The advantages of the screen include an effective oleophobic coating, as well as a color gamut close to sRGB and good color balance. At the same time, let us remind you about the general advantages of OLED screens: true black color (if nothing is reflected in the screen), a noticeably smaller drop in image brightness than LCDs when viewed at an angle. Disadvantages include modulation of screen brightness. For users who are particularly sensitive to flicker, this may cause increased fatigue. However, overall the screen quality is very high. Separately, we note that from the point of view of image quality, curved edges are only harmful, since this design discovery introduces very noticeable distortions of the color tone and reduces the brightness at the edges of the picture, and in ambient light conditions it leads to inevitable glare along at least one long side of the screen.
Camera
The front 8-megapixel camera does not have its own flash, but it has a fast f/1.7 lens and even supports intelligent autofocus with face detection. As a front-facing flash, you can use the “fill in” bright backlight of the screen directly at the moment of shooting. Naturally, there is a mode for retouching selfie photos. The front camera shoots well for its level, there are no special complaints about detail and sharpness, but it’s hard to say that this camera is in any way better than analogues from Huawei, for example. Not bad, but nothing more.
 |
 |
The main camera uses a 12-megapixel sensor with a pixel size of 1.4 microns, as well as a fast lens with an f/1.7 aperture, an optical stabilization system and Dual Pixel technology, which is designed to provide autofocus so fast that you can capture even the most sudden movements in low light conditions. There is a very bright LED flash.
The camera takes pictures in automatic or manual mode. In mode manual settings You can adjust the shutter speed (from 1/24000 to 10 s), photosensitivity (up to ISO 800), white balance and exposure compensation. There is the possibility of retouching images, support for HDR auto and a selective focus mode for changing the depth of field in the finished image. The camera is also connected to the Bixby intelligent assistant, which should recognize subjects, find places and translate texts from the screen.
Using the Camera2 API, you can transfer camera control to third-party applications. It is also possible to save pictures in RAW.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The camera can shoot video in 4K resolution (3840x2160), but only at 30 fps, and 60 fps is only available in Full HD (1920x1080). There is also a shooting mode in an intermediate resolution of 2560×1440, also at a speed of 30 fps. There is an optical stabilization feature that really makes handheld shooting on the go extremely smooth. In any of the resolutions, the camera copes with video shooting very well: sharpness, color rendition and detail are normal, there is enough brightness, there is no question of artifacts and slowdowns. There are no complaints about sound recording either: the sensitivity of the microphones is high, the sound is clear and loud, and the noise reduction system adequately copes with wind noise.
- Video No. 1 (87 MB, 3840×2160@30 fps, H.264, AAC)
- Video No. 2 (33 MB, 2560×1440@30 fps, H.264, AAC)
- Video No. 3 (28 MB, 1920×1080@60 fps, H.264, AAC)
 |
Good sharpness across the frame. |
 |
Good detail in the background. |
 |
For indoor shooting, the detail is excellent. |
 |
The camera handles small and complex details well. |
 |
Good detail when shooting at dusk. |
 |
The text was done perfectly. |
 |
The camera copes well with macro photography. |
 |
Good sharpness across the frame and in the plans. |
 |
As the shot is removed, the sharpness drops slowly and smoothly. |
We also tested the camera on a laboratory bench using our method.
| JPEG | RAW |
 |
 |
|
Lighting ≈3200 lux. |
|
 |
 |
|
Lighting ≈1400 lux. |
|
 |
 |
|
Lighting ≈130 lux. |
|
 |
 |
|
Lighting ≈130 lux, flash. |
|
 |
 |
|
Lighting<1 люкс, вспышка. |
|
Samsung continues to work on the quality of its cameras. The megapixel race, fortunately, has been forgotten, and now the manufacturer pays more attention to the little things. Even in complex scenes, the camera does not forget about small details, so images look good even in low light. The soapiness is gradually fading away, which means that the program’s algorithms have improved. The program has practically stopped “eating” parts, and sharpening is almost invisible. Of course, if you look closely, you can find both, but this is nitpicking.
A laboratory test confirms that the camera has remained virtually unchanged since the previous generation. However, there are differences, they just lie in little things that are difficult for the stand to reflect. For those who like to tinker with photo processing, the manufacturer has made a very good RAW, which in some situations actually allows you to get better results than in-camera JPEG.
In general, the camera turned out to be quite flagship and will cope well with many different scenes.
Telephone and communications
The communication capabilities of the Samsung Galaxy S8+ include support for advanced LTE Cat.16 technology, all three LTE FDD frequency bands of interest to us are supported (Band 3, 7, 20), and there is also support for four TDD LTE bands (Band 38-41). It supports two Wi-Fi bands (2.4 and 5 GHz), has Bluetooth 5.0 LE, and you can organize a wireless access point via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth channels. The developers claim that thanks to support for Wi-Fi 1204-QAM and LTE Cat.16 standards, download speeds compared to previous flagships Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 edge have been increased by 20% both over Wi-Fi and via the mobile Internet. In the city limits of the Moscow region, the device behaves confidently, the quality of signal reception is not satisfactory, the device demonstrates high speeds in the usual test places, and quickly restores communication after a break.
The device has an NFC module, but it does not support working with electronic travel cards. The USB Type-C connector supports connecting external devices in USB OTG mode; the corresponding adapter is included in the accessory kit. The data transfer speed between a computer and a smartphone via a cable connected in the case of a PC to the USB 3.1 Type-C ports is about 26 MB/s.
The navigation module works with GPS (with A-GPS), with the domestic Glonass and the Chinese Beidou. During a cold start, the first satellites are detected within the first seconds, positioning clarity is maximum. There is a built-in magnetic compass.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The phone application supports Smart Dial, that is, while dialing a phone number, a search is immediately carried out by the first letters in contacts. In conversational dynamics, the voice of a familiar interlocutor is clearly recognizable, there is no extraneous noise, the sound is natural, clear, and there is enough volume reserve. The vibrating alert is much higher in power than the average level; its intensity can be changed manually.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Software and multimedia
The Samsung Galaxy S8+ uses Android OS version 7.0 Nougat with its own proprietary shell as a software platform. There is a convenient option to quickly transfer all data from your old smartphone to the new Samsung Galaxy S8 or S8+ using the OTG adapter that is included in the package.
First of all, it should be noted that the larger display with a changed aspect ratio and high resolution provides more space for any information, text or graphics, so a lot of attention is paid to the dual-window mode. Not every application here can be made to work in a small window; for this, each has a corresponding icon displayed in the menu of recent open programs. That is, you first need to launch and minimize the application to understand whether it has the ability to work in two-window mode, and then find a second one of the same kind. Not a very simple and intuitive option, but you can get used to it. In addition, the size of such windows can be changed. It is also possible to reduce the entire working area of the screen for ease of operation with the fingers of one hand. We can’t say that this functionality is convenient in practice, since all the elements on the screen become too small, especially the virtual keyboard buttons, but it is possible.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Due to the non-standard aspect ratio of the screen, the video in the player appears with black bars on the sides, but using scaling you can stretch the image to the very edges of the screen. Some games have reported potential display issues, but overall we haven't encountered any issues that can't be resolved.
Another feature of the Samsung Galaxy S8+ screen is the ability to use its curved sides, which are accessible for finger interaction due to the lack of frames. There is nothing new here: as before, you can display an illuminated virtual strip on the side of the screen, which, when pressed, opens a menu responsible for quick contacts and instant access to the most used applications. Also here it becomes possible to select and save any part of the screen with further text recognition.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
But of course, the main feature of the software of the new Korean smartphones was the appearance of the Samsung voice assistant - Bixby, which is a direct competitor to both Siri and Google Assistant, which, by the way, remained in place. According to the developers, Bixby will not only be able to answer questions by collecting information on the Internet, but also identify a product using a camera and search for it on Amazon, translate texts in real time, and recognize landmarks. But the functions that will allow you to fully control your smartphone through voice commands are not yet available and will appear later.
 |
 |
 |
 |
As already mentioned, the smartphone camera is connected to the Bixby intelligent assistant, which should recognize shooting objects, find places and translate texts from the screen. True, in practice, for Russian realities, he still manages to do all this with difficulty. Even if the main language of the device is Russian, the program will persistently offer to translate from any other language, but not from Russian. The assistant doesn’t yet know everything about the sights either. At the same time, there were no problems with translation from English into Russian.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
There are very few additional programs, and those that exist are mainly represented by a set of Microsoft applications. Of particular note is Game Launcher, a convenient game aggregator that automatically collects all installed gaming applications in one place, and also provides additional functions related to it. For example, it is possible to start recording the gameplay from the screen right during the game, with its further broadcast on the network. You can also use Game Launcher to improve system performance when launching selected games to improve your gaming experience.
 |
 |
 |
 |
To listen to music, only the standard Google Play Music player is provided, supplemented by a powerful set of manual settings and equalizer presets, as well as Adapt sound technology for headphones. The smartphone comes with dual-driver AKG headphones with very good sound quality for their level. But while the sound in the headphones is fine, the main speaker of the smartphone is not so impressive. It produces a rather monotonous and flat sound, without noticeable depth and richness, although there are no complaints about the purity and volume reserve.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Performance
The Samsung Galaxy S8+ hardware platform is built on the Samsung Exynos 8895 Octa SoC with 8 cores in two clusters: 4 Exynos M1 cores with a frequency of up to 2.3 GHz and 4 ARM Cortex-A53 cores with a frequency of up to 1.7 GHz. This SoC is made using the latest 10-nanometer process technology. The Mali-G71 video accelerator with support for the Vulkan graphics API is responsible for graphics processing. The amount of RAM is 4 GB, and the internal memory is 64 GB, of which about 1.6 GB of RAM and 52.5 GB of ROM are initially free.
It is worth noting that traditionally for Samsung, Galaxy devices can be based on different SoCs: in this case, it is Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 or Exynos 8895. As always, the issue of supply of one or another modification will depend on the region. The smartphone we received for testing ran on the Samsung Exynos 8895 platform.
 |
 |
Based on the results of all tests without exception, the Samsung Exynos 8895 SoC showed maximum results; this is the most powerful mobile platform of all those we have tested so far. Accordingly, the Samsung Galaxy S8+ is one of the most powerful modern smartphones, and it has a significant performance reserve for future updates. The smartphone confidently copes with any tasks in real scenarios, and thanks to a powerful video accelerator, it performs well in the most demanding games. These videos recording gameplay in Modern Combat 5 and Mortal Kombat X were recorded using the built-in means of the smartphone itself using the Game Launcher application.
Testing in comprehensive tests AnTuTu and GeekBench:
For convenience, we have compiled all the results we obtained when testing the smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks into tables. The table usually adds several other devices from different segments, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry figures). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison it is impossible to present the results from different versions of benchmarks, so many worthy and relevant models remain “behind the scenes” - due to the fact that they once passed the “obstacle course” on previous versions of test programs.
 |
 |
Testing the graphics subsystem in gaming tests 3DMark, GFXBenchmark and Bonsai Benchmark:
When testing in 3DMark, the most powerful smartphones now have the ability to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (which can cause the speed to rise above 60 fps).
| Samsung Galaxy S8+ (Samsung Exynos 8895 Octa) |
LG G6 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 821) |
Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe (Qualcomm Snapdragon 820) |
Honor 8 Pro (HiSilicon Kirin 960) |
Meizu Pro 6 Plus (Samsung Exynos 8890 Octa) |
|
| 3DMark Ice Storm Sling Shot ES 3.1 (more is better) |
2628 | 2409 | 2676 | 1417 | 1869 |
| GFXBenchmark Manhattan ES 3.1 (Onscreen, fps) | 19 | 12 | 31 | 18 | 13 |
| GFXBenchmark Manhattan ES 3.1 (1080p Offscreen, fps) | 36 | 24 | 32 | 21 | 24 |
| GFXBenchmark T-Rex (Onscreen, fps) | 57 | 38 | 59 | 46 | 52 |
| GFXBenchmark T-Rex (1080p Offscreen, fps) | 103 | 61 | 92 | 57 | 71 |
 |
 |
Browser cross-platform tests:
As for benchmarks for assessing the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowance for the fact that their results significantly depend on the browser in which they are launched, so the comparison can only be truly correct on the same OS and browsers, and this is possible during testing not always. For Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.
| Samsung Galaxy S8+ (Samsung Exynos 8895 Octa) |
LG G6 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 821) |
Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe (Qualcomm Snapdragon 820) |
Honor 8 Pro (HiSilicon Kirin 960) |
Meizu Pro 6 Plus (Samsung Exynos 8890 Octa) |
|
| Mozilla Kraken (ms, less is better) |
2535 | 2494 | 2931 | 3139 | 13047 |
| Google Octane 2 (more is better) |
9905 | 10036 | 9287 | 10155 | 3116 |
| SunSpider (ms, less is better) |
 |
 |
Testing has traditionally been done at normal power consumption levels without using power-saving features. In the settings of the Samsung Galaxy S8+ you can find operating modes from high-performance to economical, the choice of which will affect many things, including brightness and even screen resolution.
Continuous reading in the Moon+ Reader program (with a standard, light theme) at a minimum comfortable brightness level (brightness was set to 100 cd/m²) with auto-scrolling lasted 21.5 hours until the battery was completely discharged, and when continuously watching videos in high quality (720p ) with the same brightness level via a home Wi-Fi network, the device operates for up to 14.5 hours. In 3D gaming mode, the smartphone can work for more than 5 hours.
The smartphone should support fast charging, but we were not able to test this because at the time of writing the review, there was no AC adapter included with the test unit. However, from a conventional charger (5 V 2 A) the device charges quite quickly, within about an hour and a half with a current of 1.75 A at a voltage of 5 V. Wireless charging (WPC and PMA) is also supported.
Bottom line
Prices for the Russian market are as follows: On April 28, the Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones went on sale in Russia at a recommended retail price of 54,990 and 59,990, respectively. It is not entirely clear why the difference in the cost of devices that are identical in functionality with a slight difference only in the size of the display and battery is as much as 5 thousand. Be that as it may, in the case of the Samsung Galaxy S8+ for 60 thousand, the manufacturer offers one of the best smartphones in many respects, including camera quality, hardware platform performance and very advanced communication capabilities, in an attractive and very unusual case, as well as with a lot of additional functions, many of which, however, were also available in previous models of the series.
At the same time, it cannot be said that the smartphone has become some kind of breakthrough, a new word in the creation of mobile devices and is completely devoid of disadvantages. The single main camera, although it is one of the best on the market, still looks rather strange against the background of the general movement towards increasing the number of modules. We also cannot praise the sound of the main speaker: in terms of sound, the device is clearly inferior to the flagship smartphones of Apple and Huawei. The decision to move the fingerprint scanner to the back side, and even to such an unsuccessfully chosen place, was also very questionable. Well, we can’t help but recall the recent problems with the batteries of Samsung mobile devices catching fire, against the backdrop of which users may now be wary of immediately paying the very high price that the manufacturer asked for its new mobile devices. And yet, interest in the flagship devices of the Korean company has not weakened, this is clear. Even those who had no intention of shelling out 60 thousand rubles for a smartphone are now eagerly discussing its capabilities on the Internet. However, something during the testing process remained undisclosed for us, since we did not have the final commercial sample in our hands. Most likely, we are still waiting, at a minimum, to meet with the Bixby assistant, which has been brought to life, as well as with camera firmware updates, which may well expand its already remarkable capabilities.
In conclusion, we suggest watching our video review of the Samsung Galaxy S8+ smartphone:
We also suggest watching our video review comparing the Samsung Galaxy S8+ and Galaxy S7 Edge smartphones:
In recent years, smartphones have performed well in terms of photography. Previously, the South Korean manufacturer provided too much unnecessary functionality, but recently the pre-installed Camera app provides interesting, convenient and useful options. This year's flagships are equipped with a high-quality camera, which in the right hands can work wonders.
New camera app
Application Camera on Galaxy S8 Not much has changed compared to previous devices, but it has still been updated to make it easier to use. The new layout puts the camera's most sought-after features front and center. For example, you can now zoom when taking photos by simply moving the shutter button from left to right. Thus, with one finger you can both take pictures and change the size of the image.
What Each Camera Mode Can Do
Swiping to the right in the camera interface allows you to open different shooting modes. Among them are available following:
Bixby Assistant in the Camera app
Along with these smartphones, Samsung introduced a new digital assistant called Bixby, which is not quite ready for use yet. However, it is with the camera that the assistant already works; we are talking about a function called Bixby Vision.
You need to press the Bixby button on the case. Point the camera at an object or landscape and the assistant will display related images and links to purchase the specified items. Bixby Vision works with a variety of items, including cosmetics with stickers and electronics from famous brands. Sometimes the assistant gets things mixed up.
Bixby is included in the camera app, motivating users to use it frequently, just as a physical button on the body motivates users to make frequent voice requests. If you find its work useful for comparing what you see in stores with your own eyes with what you can find on the Internet, you can activate the “Quick Launch” option in the camera settings.
Using focus manually
Do you want to master the bokeh effect on ? Open manual settings by swiping left next to the camera shutter button and select Pro shooting mode. Here, click on the “Manual Focus” option and move the cursor until you achieve the desired effect. You will see green lines in the viewfinder that indicate what the camera is focusing on. After this you can take photos.
Activating Quick Launch
By default, Fast Startup is enabled initially. You need to quickly press the power button on the right side of the case twice to launch the camera application. You can use this option even when the screen is off. If you accidentally disabled this feature, you can return it in the camera settings.
Galaxy S8 smartphones have larger screens compared to the previous generation devices, so reaching the farthest edges is not easy. For this reason, the shutter button floating on the screen increases the convenience of photography. You can enable it in the camera settings; it is located two lines below the camera quick launch. When enabled, the camera interface will show a floating button that can be placed anywhere in the Camera app.
Shooting video before taking photos
In the camera app settings, turn on Motion photo to record a short video before taking a photo.Quickly switch between cameras
The button for switching between cameras is located at the top of the application interface. You can also switch with a simple upward gesture in the viewfinder, which is convenient to do with one hand.
Use photo filters
At the bottom of the camera interface, where the shutter button is, swipe left to open effects. You can also get here from the “Face Masks” menu. There are many different filters available here, some suitable for landscape photos, others for selfies.Face smoothing
The front camera resolution of the Galaxy S8 is 8 megapixels, which is quite a lot. The aperture is f/1.7, there is autofocus, so you can safely use this camera to photograph yourself and your friends. If you're not completely confident in your beauty, you can use the beautification modes built into the camera app to hide imperfections. Click on the icon that looks like a person with long hair to reveal different beautification options, like smoothing the skin, adding artificial lighting, or brightening the eyes.
Wide-angle selfies
To take wide-angle photos with the front camera, you need to swipe right on the area next to the shutter in front camera mode, just like opening the filter on the rear camera. Wide-angle selfie mode is similar to panoramic shooting in the rear camera, you need to swipe the viewfinder from left to right to take a photo.Use face masks
Samsung has built a feature into the Galaxy S8's camera called Face Masks; It's not the same as Snapchat filters, although it works almost identically. You can use them in the front camera on yourself or in the back camera with other people. Unfortunately, they cannot be used in conjunction with other effects; only one filter can be applied at a time.At the spring presentation, very little attention was paid to the Samsung Galaxy S8 camera - technically it is almost the same as in the previous generation of smartphone. Unless they updated the exterior by recessing the module into the back. However, the image processing and software components have been improved, and the next flagship is again with one of the most advanced cameras on the market. What the S8 shows in practice - below with photo examples.
Samsung Galaxy S8
Camera Specifications
Shooting quality
The positioning on the official website and reality coincide: thanks to the combination of a 12 megapixel matrix with enlarged 1.4 micron pixels and a fast F/1.7 lens, pictures even in low light are clear and detailed.
Focus plays an important role in this. Like the S7, Dual Pixel hybrid autofocus technology is supported, in which each pixel is equipped with focal sensors. The publication DxOMark recognized the autofocus of our ward as one of the fastest among those tested, and they test all hype smartphones. And those who compared the Galaxy S8 with the iPhone 7 Plus note the latter’s unconditional surrender in terms of AF performance.
Photos have good exposure, accurate white balance and low noise in any lighting. Thanks to powerful noise reduction, the skin in the photo turns out smoother, but there is a downside. Small details may be blurred, and frames will come out less sharp than we would like.
As a feature of the camera, multi-frame shooting is presented, combining several frames into one. There is auto HDR, but with a small nuance: in this mode, pictures are slightly overexposed and with insufficient contrast in dark areas.
Video can be praised for its color reproduction, improved stabilization and sharp tracking focus, but noise is noticeable in low light.
In general, everything is cool, but not without a fly in the ointment.
Modes
There are only eight preset modes: Auto, Pro, Panorama, Selective focus, Slow motion, Hyperlapse, Food, Virtual shooting. But you can download several additional add-ons from the company’s application store.
A feature of the camera is the selective focus mode, in which you can save a frame with near, far or panoramic focus. However, according to reviews, it does not always work correctly, and the background blur sometimes turns out unnatural.
But, using manual focus adjustment in Pro mode, you can take excellent shots with a shallow depth of field. Here everything is fine with blur - the frames are obtained with gorgeous bokeh and a clear object in focus.
To effectively blur the background around a beautiful dish shot close up, the Food mode is highlighted separately. It makes culinary masterpieces clearer and brighter than in Auto.
What’s unusual, in comparison with smartphone cameras from other brands, is Virtual Shooting in the list of modes. The object is captured from all sides, and then you can view it by scrolling through the resulting image. Like a circular panorama, only in reverse - not around itself, but around the object.
The video mode has rich settings, including the ability to manually set the shutter speed and ISO value. But some features are limited: when shooting at Full HD 60 fps or higher, HDR and focus tracking are not available. Digital stabilization and parallel photography do not work in all resolutions.
Camera app interface
The application launches instantly: it’s convenient that the camera turns on by double pressing the power button on the body. It's very easy to use - everything is intuitive, nothing superfluous. To switch to the front camera, just swipe up on the screen. If you swipe to the left, shooting modes will open, and to the right - filters and new cartoon stickers.
One of the main features of the interface is that by moving the shutter button you can move the subject closer or further away. However, in practice this option does not seem convenient to everyone. But what is definitely convenient is the ability to release the shutter with your voice and drag the shutter button across the screen in some modes.
In full resolution, the frame is obtained with an aspect ratio of 4:3 and on the oblong 18.5:9 screen it appears with thick black frames on the sides. Therefore, the choice was a 16:9 ratio or a frame according to the format of the display itself, which is achieved by cropping the frame and, accordingly, reducing the resolution.
Another feature is the integration of the camera with a smart assistant or the Bixby Vision function. By pointing the camera at an object, it finds similar images on the Internet, but so far it does not work any better than returning similar images in Google image search. The assistant finds a lot of nonsense that matches in color and outline with what the camera sees
A little about the front camera
The front camera has been more seriously updated compared to the S7. Instead of 5 megapixels, there is now an 8 megapixel matrix, there is intelligent autofocus with face detection. What else: Uses a wide F/1.7 aperture lens, supports wide-angle selfies taken by moving the smartphone like for a panorama, and masks like Snapchat.
The quality of shooting with the front camera can be described as normal: no complaints, no delights.
Total
Samsung has made its strengths where its competitors are weak: fast and tenacious autofocus, bokeh (even without an additional module), excellent photo quality with minimal noise in poor light. The main thing you can find fault with the Samsung Galaxy S8 camera is that it has improved slightly compared to last year's model. You will find a comparison of S7 and S8. But, despite this and minor shortcomings, the device can be considered one of the best in 2017 for shooting in any lighting.
