10 Takeaways From My Early Use of Samsung’s Galaxy S8

As a longtime iPhone owner, I didn’t know what to expect when my new Samsung Galaxy S8+ arrived at my doorstep. I’m a longtime user of Apple products and have come to rely on the company’s hardware and software. Still, I found the Galaxy S8+’s appeal strong and its slate of features attractive. So, I preordered the device and it arrived days before its official April 21 launch date. Since then, I’ve been using the Galaxy S8+ and have been impressed. The handset’s design is outstanding, its screen is top-notch and battery life easily tops my iPhone’s. But there are still some annoyances and flaws I can’t quite get over. Thus, I’m not sure it’s a good value for everyone. Read on to learn about my good and bad experiences with the Samsung’s Galaxy S8.

The Galaxy S8’s design is outstanding, with gentle curves on the screen and rounded corners. My black version has a beautiful glossy back plate and no apparent seam between the face and rear. Plus, Samsung combined a big screen with smaller width, making it easy to use the device with one hand.

The Galaxy S8+ comes with a 6.2-inch screen and 18.5:9 aspect ratio. It is curved on both sides, offering a bit more functionality than the standard flat screen of an iPhone. The display delivers vibrant color, beautiful visuals and impressive detail.

The lack of voice command support in Bixby is a disappointment, but not a deal breaker for me. When I aim my camera at a water bottle, Bixby helps me find it and order it on Amazon. And if I want to learn more about a bottle of wine, Bixby schools me. It’s not perfect—there are cases when it didn’t work—but in general, Bixby is an effective virtual personal assistant.

Samsung has been criticized in the past for offering Android skins that aren’t very user-friendly, but that’s not the case this year. Stock Android is not used in the Galaxy S8, but the software is still responsive, well-designed and easy to maneuver.

While the operating system works well, I was disappointed by the amount of bloatware bundled with Samsung’s handset. As soon as it booted up, I was overrun with unwanted apps from both Samsung and my carrier AT&T, some of which couldn’t be removed. It’s an annoyance Samsung needs to address.

The Galaxy S8 might have a nice design, but it’s fragile. The device is made of glass and, as several recent YouTube videos show, a drop from 6 feet could break the device. So I’m investing in a case to protect my investment, as the Galaxy S8 isn’t as hardened as it needs to be.

I haven’t figured out how long my Galaxy S8+ will last on a single charge, but it holds out at least an hour longer than my iPhone 7 Plus. I’ve used the handset heavily all day and still have battery life the next morning. That and wireless charging make the Galaxy S8’s battery a nice upgrade.

Both photos and video recordings taken with the Samsung Galaxy S8 have outstanding resolution and visual appeal. The camera has built-in Snapchat-like augmented-reality features and a seemingly infinite number of settings. All in all, the camera is a fine option for most.

Samsung made a big deal about the Galaxy S8 and S8+ using the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor. Now I understand why: The processor is exceedingly powerful and doesn’t suffer any slowdown when running resource-intensive apps. I compared app performance in the Galaxy S8+ with the iPhone 7 Plus, and Samsung won hands down.

The Galaxy S8+ is one of the better smartphones I’ve ever used. It has an outstanding design and impressive performance, and can handle even the most demanding apps. But at $850, it’s pricey. Most customers likely will get the 5.8-inch Galaxy S8 and save $100. Let’s hope next year Samsung brings prices down.