Earlier this year, Samsung launched its flagship phone Galaxy S8, a phone that set the standard for what a smartphone should look like in 2017. Samsung has also announced the Galaxy A8 that will replace the A7 launched this year. The new and improved Samsung Galaxy A8 is a mid-range phone model that bear good quality specs and a design heritage reminiscent of the former Galaxy S7 model. The A8 also resembles Galaxy S8 line in terms of user experience bringing features like: Infinity Display and IP68 certification.
You may wonder what are the main differences between Galaxy S8 and Galaxy A8, so we analyzed what these two devices have to offer and came up with the review below:
DESIGN & DISPLAY:
The aluminum frame and the all-around glass encasing gives these two smartphones the premium feel. However, when it comes to the physical dimension, the Galaxy A8 is larger, slightly thicker (172 grams) compared to the sleek S8 (155 grams). Both devices are IP68 certified, a rating that has been kept from the former models, which provides environmental protection and makes the two phones dust-, dirt- and water-resistant.
The Infinity Display is the crowning achievement of Samsung Galaxy S8 and this type of display extends to the A8 model as well. The Galaxy S8 has a 5.8-inch display diagonal, slightly bigger than the 5.6-inch display of The Galaxy A8, both packing an 18.5:9 format that makes it easier for one-handed usage. S8’s display is stretched as long as it possibly could and shows a perfect curvage while the A8 has a flatter appearance but feels equally as compact as it’s higher-end sibling.
Both devices use a Super AMOLED panel displaying clear, rich colors including deep blacks. In terms of resolution, Galaxy S8 has a Quad HD+ resolution of 2960 x 1440 pixels resulting in 570ppi which makes it superior to A8’s Full HD resolution of 2220 x 1080 pixels resulting in a pixel density of 440ppi. Thus, S8 shows more detail, brightness and more saturated colors compared to Galaxy A8.
CAMERA:
Samsung Galaxy S8 is among the best smartphones when it comes to camera experience and the upcoming Galaxy A8 has a new feature in store: the dual camera which is not placed on the back as one would expect but on the front, designed for the selfie-taker enthusiasts. The twin-lens with megapixel counts of 8 and 16 each offering a f/1.9 aperture, allows the user to switch between the two cameras for close-ups or wider shots. The rear camera is a 16MP sensor but it is not as stunning and proficient as the the 12MP back camera of the Galaxy S8.
Both phones have the Live Focus mode feature which allows the user to adjust bokeh effect before and after the shot is taken, on A8 the two front sensors work together to produce a shallow depth of field.
On the software part, the back camera of the A8 is not equipped with optical image stabilization, a tech that we can find on the Galaxy S8 has and that is very helpful when it comes to locking focus and avoiding taking blurry shots.
HARDWARE & SOFTWARE PERFORMANCE:
Regarding the hardware specs, it appears that Samsung will approach the new Galaxy A8 and A8+ in a similar fashion to the Galaxy S8 line, the former models will be powered by Samsung’s own Exynos 7885 chipset, with 4GB RAM and the same level of internal storage capacity. Even with such a respectable processor for the mid-range market, it’s safe to assume that A8 is not as powerful as S8’s SoCs Exynos 8895 (in most regions) or Snapdragon 853 (in China and U.S.).
As for connectivity, both devices have the latest Bluetooth 5 functionality, but in terms of network connectivity, the Galaxy S8 reaches LTE Cat. 16 while the A8 only offers LTE Cat. 11. The S8 potentially runs faster over mobile network but the internet speed is determined by the region and carrier providing a suitable infrastructure.
Other hardware specs are similar, both devices offering a type-C USB port for charging purposes. Galaxy S8 has surprisingly kept the headphone socket, as for the A8 there is no mention yet of the 3.5mm headphone jack. The two phones have the same 3,000mAh battery, but it is too soon to judge how they both behave in comparison.
The A8 is expected to run on Android 7.1.1 which is a slightly dated operating system when most smartphones have already adopted Oreo as OS. We expect some OS updates from the South Korean company for both Galaxy S8 and Galaxy A8.
RELEASE DATE AND PRICE
Samsung Galaxy S8 has been around since April 2017 and the new Galaxy A8 and A8+ will launch in January 2018 in some countries and in April 2018 in the UK. The S8 is priced at £689 SIM free (but you can get it cheaper) and it retails for either $720 or $750 (depending on the shop) in the US. As for the Galaxy A8, South Korean giant has not revealed yet the retail price but if priced right, it could surpass the competition.
In closing, the Galaxy A8 sounds promising at least on paper but keep in mind that the new Samsung Galaxy S9 will launch next year too.
