Is the S Pen mightier?
There are few Android handsets that inspire the same hype and
hoopla that surround the launch of Samsung's top-end devices.
But the existence of two "flagship" smartphones, the
Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy Note 8, is also what puzzles most users who can't
decide if they should invest in the Note 8 with its built-in stylus support
or opt for the slightly lesser-priced S8.
Ashutosh Desai compares both premium handsets to help you decide
which one is for you...
BUILD
& DESIGN
The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Note 8 are almost the same size. The
devices sport metal frames, with Gorilla Glass 5 on the front as well as the
back to protect against scratches. The back of both devices boast of a glossy
finish, and you will need to keep a kerchief handy because it tends to
accumulate fingerprints over time.
That said, the S8 has curvier corners and is marginally slimmer
than the Note 8 but this is probably to create some space to house the S Pen
stylus in the latter. Look wise, we prefer S8 because it just feels more
polished and sleeker. Both handsets feel sturdy , and look premium. The phones
carry an IP68 rating, which means they are resistant to dust as well as water
(up to 1.5m for up to 30 minutes). Even the S Pen, which is housed in the Note
8, is IP68 compliant. So you don't have to worry when using the Note 8 and S8
in the rain or in a dust-prone environment.
You get an almost edge-to-edge display that gently curves on
either side of the device. Instead of a physical homescreen button, you get a
virtual one, which is embedded under the lower edge of the display and gets
activated when the area is pressed lightly . Notably, you get an extra button
on the left edge, which activates Bixby Samsung's smart assistant that
works with voice commands (more on this later).
A fingerprint sensor on the back panel is placed alongside the
rear camera. This seems inconvenient as some folk will need to `stretch' their
digits to unlock the screen. Also, most times, reaching for the sensor, could
lead to smudging of the camera lens as they both are placed fairly close
together.
DISPLAYSCREEN
A gain, both devices share similar touchscreens that are clearly
visible even under bright sunlight and very responsive to taps and swipes. Text
and images are rendered sharply , while colours appear punchy . There is a
slight blue tinge, which is more visible in the whites, but this can be reduced
with the help of the colour profiles in “Screen Mode“ within the display
settings. From here, you can also activate the “Blue light filter“ mode to cut
screen glare, and you also get the option to reduce screen resolution to
conserve battery .
When watching movies or playing games, the curved “Infinity“ displays
on both the Galaxy S8 and Note 8 creates the illusion of watching a movie on a
much larger display . Compared to other smart phones, there is less of a
`letterbox' effect (the black strips above and below the video) and you even
get an option in compatible apps to watch the movie in full screen mode.
PROCESSOR,
RAM, STORAGE & BATTERY
The S8 and Note 8 are equipped with top-of-the-line hardware.
The former comes with 4GB while the latter packs in 6GB RAM.
Both devices run Samsung's octa-core `Exynos 9' 8895 chip, and a Mali G71
graphics core.
In benchmark tests, both handsets posted very similar high
scores. This is all the more interesting when you consider that the S8 comes
with 4GB RAM while the Note 8 has six. It is therefore safe to deduce that in
most real-world scenarios, the Note 8's extra RAM is not going to help it get
work done faster.However, this extra headroom could allow the device to deliver
the same fluid performance when dealing with heavier processes that occupy a
larger memory footprint.
For most part, both the S8 and Note 8 are smooth performers,
and you can expect quick load times, as well as jitter-free handling of 4K
videos, heavy-duty 3D games and AR applications. Both devices come with 64GB
internal storage with the option to add a microSD card but at the cost of a
second SIM in case you need more space.
You can expect a day's worth of mixed use listening to music,
playing games, web browsing, office productivity from the Galaxy S8. The Note
8, which packs in a slightly higher battery capacity , lasts for little over a
day. This can be further extended with its battery management profiles and
adjusting the display's resolution settings.
USER
INTERFACE BIXBY:
Both devices have Samsung's voice-controlled assistant, which
can be summoned with a “Hi Bixby“ or a press of a button.This feature works
flawlessly and we were able to get Bixby to launch apps, increase screen
brightness, disable mobile data, and even look for “JPG“ files with voice
commands in English.
Bixby also comprises Home and Vision. The former consists of
vertically stacked cards--weather updates, calendar, reminders, nearby places,
etc--and is accessible with a right swipe. Vision, which is more interesting of
the two, identifies text, objects, and places that you capture with your camera
to give you accurate translations, web searches, and location details. Object
recognition works really well, though searches are not localised enough to
display relevant results. Vision's AR component lets you use the camera and GPS
to find places of interest. But this is powered by Foursquare and the data
doesn't seem up to date.
SECURITY: Here, you get a password manager, and the Knox
encryption service to create a separate secure environment for personal or
work-related data. The S8 and Note 8 also let you unlock the screen with your
face, eyes and fingerprint. All work as advertised, but they come with
downsides: Face recognition does not work in the dark; the iris scanner works
in the dark but not against a bright background or if you wear contact
lensspectacles.
SAMSUNG PAY: This app lets you make payments at any existing
card swipe machine wirelessly . Just save your debit and credit card details in
the app.
To make a payment, choose the card you want to use, authorise
with your fingerprint, and bring the phone close to the card machine to
complete the process. The transaction is carried out smoothly , and this also
means if you have your phone, you don't need to carry the physical cards.
TOUCHWIZ: Samsung's user interface provides a number of
customisations. You can access the “Edge“ panel with a swipe for quick access
to apps, contacts and utilities; reduce screen size for single-handed use;
change system font size; use the multi-window mode to allow two apps to share
the screen; send a distress SOS message with a triple-press of the power
button; optimise battery life with the help of configurable power-saving modes
and more.
Notably , the Note 8 has a Dual Messenger mode that allows you
to run two instances of WhatsApp, Snapchat and FB Messenger.
CAMERAS
You get a great set of cameras on both handsets.
The S8's rear camera renders rich colours with details and
excellent colour contrast. The snapper is quick to focus and fares well in low
light, though there is a slight drop in details due to image softening.
Alternatively , you can use its Pro mode to control exposure, ISO, shutter,
aperture and white balance to improve output a little.
A “Selective Focus“ mode lets you to choose whether you want to
focus on the background or foreground to create a depth-of-field effect. This
works well against contrasting backgrounds, as for most part the software
optimisation does not do a perfect job along the edges of the in-focus object.
Plus, you get live photo filters, preset scene modes to capture
panoramas, GIFs, hyper-lapse and slow motion clips. You even get a live
Stickers mode, which lets you add text banners and superimpose comic masks on
the faces it detects.
In the Note 8, you get two rear cameras, and this is another
area where this handset scores over the S8. Both its rear cameras have image
stabilisation to offset vibrations and shaky hands. One camera takes wide-angle
shots while the other lets you shoot at 2x optical zoom. A Live Focus mode lets
you adjust focus on objects even after the shot has been taken.
Overall picture quality on the Note 8 is similar to the photos
taken with the S8. However, the second rear camera (with 2x optical zoom) gives
it an edge. For instance, it is able to do a better job of blurring the
background to get a DSLR-like depth of field.
Both handsets are equipped with the same type of front camera.
They support auto focus and you can expect to capture a fair amount of detail.
Low-light captures are also good. Of course, you get beautification modes to
smoothen complexion, adjust the size of your eyes and jaw line.
AUDIO
Voice calls are clear on both handsets. In the box, you get a
pair of tangle-free AKG earphones that do a great job of handling the mids and
the highs, with a warm and clear audio signature.Bass output is discernable,
but not very nuanced. That said, the handsets support playback of 32-bit PCM
and DSD64128-bit audiophile-grade files. Notably , you get Dual Audio a
feature that lets you connect to and play music simultaneously on two
devices.This works quite well, and we could connect and listen to music on two
Bluetooth devices simultaneously.
VERDICT
Both handsets are equipped with top-of-the-line hardware. For
most users, the S8 ticks all the right boxes: It can be used for 4K content,
double up as a gaming device and also take quality photos at a lower price.
On the other hand, the Galaxy Note 8 makes a case for its higher pricing due to
its S Pen stylus support, related software features, and the additional camera
capability .
Simply , if you don't see yourself using a stylus for work and
productivity , buy the S8. Otherwise, there's always the Note 8 arguably the
best handset that supports a digital pen.
S Pen:
The digital stylus is the primary feature that differentiates
the Note 8 from the S8. Remove the stylus from the Note 8 while the screen is
locked and a blank note is activated. You can scribble a message and save it to
the Samsung Notes app. When the screen is unlocked, you can activate the Air
Command dial with the press of a button on the stylus or tap on the floating
pen icon. This dial gives you access to functions that let you extract text from
images, make notes, annotate screenshots, magnify text, translate foreign
languages, share animated messages and more.
Samsung says its S Pen can detect up to 4096 levels of pressure.
In real-world scenarios this translates to a difference in the way inkpaint
spreads on the canvas whenever you apply pressure. Using the stylus is almost
like writing with a pen. It makes text selection easier and strokes appear with
minimal lag. Even if your fingers or the palm of the hand rests on the phone
while writing, the Note 8 will only register the S Pen's input.
The stylus lends itself well for design apps like Inkredible
and ArtFlow which can be installed from Google Play. Of course, the S Pen is
also optimised to work with the preinstalled MS Office Mobile suite.
Sep 30 2017 : The Times of India (Mumbai)
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