Galaxy S8 is finally here and it’s as impressive as we imagined. It has a curved screen with super slim edges, a last generation processor plus a multitude of other features.
On the other hand, iPhone 7 continues to be one of the most popular mobile phones in the world. To help you see more clearly the differences between these two giants we share with you a comparison where we analyze their designs, technical specifications and prices.
Design
Currently it’s very easy to say that two smartphones are similar but when it comes about their designs the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the iPhone 7 are in two completely different worlds.
iPhone 7 continues to be a very slim (7.1mm) and light (138grams) device, although its general aspect hasn’t changed for several years, while Galaxy S8 is slightly thicker (8mm) and heavier (155grams) and has a design that combines metal and crystal (while the iPhone has a metal unibody design).
The biggest difference between the two devices lies in the Galaxy S8’s curved screen. Samsung placed the fingerprints sensor in the back side of the phone to eliminate the physical Home Button. As result of this Samsung Galaxy S8 has a much bigger screen (5.8 inches) than the 4.7 inches screen of iPhone 7.
On the other hand, both devices are water resistant, although Galaxy S8 has an IP68 certification, slightly better than the iPhone 7’s IP67.
Also, Galaxy S8 has a headphones connector of 3.5mm and a USB-C port with support for quick charge, while iPhone 7 lacks on jack headphones and has a Lightning port without support for wireless or quick charge.
In general, Galaxy S8 has a more impressive design than iPhone 7 and considering the different renders of iPhone 8 that we have seen around, it seems that Apple’s new device won’t be better that Galaxy S8 regarding design.
Camera
Both smartphones have very similar cameras. Galaxy S8 has a back camera of 12 megapixels with F/1.7 aperture, Dual-Pixel autofocus and image optic stabilization, while iPhone 7 has a sensor with the same 12 megapixels resolution but F/1.8 aperture. With both cameras you’ll be able to record videos in RAW format or apply diverse manual adjustments. For selfies, Galaxy S8 incorporates an 8 megapixels camera with F/1.7 aperture, facial recognition and iris scanner, while iPhone 7 has a camera of 7 megapixels with F/2.2 aperture.
Hardware
Samsung has incorporated a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 octa-core processor 2.3GHz in the Galaxy S8. It’s a processor made with 10nm technology that not only offers a better performance than the previous Snapdragon 821 but also is more efficient and it’s optimized to spend less battery.
Snapdragon 835 will only be available in the American version of Galaxy S8, while the international model will have the SoC Exynos 8895 that has characteristics and performance similar to Snapdragon.
In contrast, iPhone 7 Plus has an Apple A10 Fusion processor quad-core 2.3GHz along with the M10 movement processor. Apple’s chip is made of a 16nm technology and it’s not as potent as the SD 835 or the Exynos 8895.
Regarding other specifications, Galaxy S8 incorporates 4GB for RAM, 64GB of internal storage with support for microSD, Adreno 540 graphics and a 3000mAh battery.
In the case of iPhone7 we find a 2 GB RAM, 32/128/256GB of internal storage and no microSD support. Besides, iPhone 7 has a 1960mAh battery that lacks on support for wireless and quick charge, two technologies present on Samsung’s devices for years now.
Finally, both cell phones offer support for LTE 4G networks, although the S8 has a Gigabit (LTE-A Pro Cat 16) modem and Bluetooth 5.0 module in contrast with the 4.2 version of the iPhone. The big benefit of Bluetooth 5.0, besides a better coverage and velocity, is that you’ll be able to transmit audio to two different devices (headphones, speakers, etc.) simultaneously. However, sound quality remains the same in both technologies.
Software and other characteristics
Samsung commercializes its Galaxy S8 with the operative system Android 7.0 Nougat, while Apple sells iPhone 7 with its iOS 10 platform, but the most striking features are Samsung’s new virtual assistant Bixby (which at first sight look better than the iPhone assistant Siri) and the Samsung DeX Stattion accessory.
Samsung DeX is an external dock (it’s sold separately) that will allow you to connect Galaxy S8 or S8 Plus to transform smartphones into desktop computer. Thanks to a special compatibility mode S8 apps can be used with a keyboard and a mouse through a big screen. In the moment, iPhone 7 doesn’t have anything like that.
Besides, Galaxy S8 also offer more security options, like facial recognition technology or an iris scanner to unlock the device or specific files. In the case of iPhone 7 you can only unblock it with a key or the fingerprint sensor.
Prices and conclusion
The Galaxy S8 can be already be purchased in advance for a price of 809 euros, while iPhone 7 has an average price of 650 euros for the 32GB model.
In my opinion, it’s a very small price difference and if I had to choose, I would definitely prefer the Galaxy S8 that besides having a more spectacular design, it offers more possibilities to the user and a better performance.
It is still to be seen if iPhone 8 will catch up Galaxy S8 but for now it’s evident that the S8 is a superior device in all senses.
Galaxy S8 vs iPhone 7 – Technical Specifications
| Galaxy S8 | iPhone 7 | |
| Brand | Samsung | Apple |
| Screen | Super AMOLED Quad HD+ of 5.8 inches | IPS LCD Retin HD of 4.7 inches |
| Resolution | 2960 x 1440 pixels (567 pixels per inch) | 1334 x 750 pixels (326ppp) |
| Aspect ratio | 18.5:9 | 16:9 |
| Protection | Gorilla Glass 5 | Oleophobic treatment + scratch proof |
| Main Camera | 12 MPx | F/1.7 | OIS | 12 MPx | OIS | F/1.8 |
| Frontal Camera | 8 MPx | F/1.7 | 7 MPx | F/2.2 |
| Video recording | 4K to 30FPS or 1080p to 60FPS | 4K to 30FPS or 1080p to 30FPS or 60FPS |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (EEUU) or Exynos 8895 (International) – both of 10nm | Apple A10 Fusion with architecture of 64 bits (16nm) and M10 movement processor |
| Graphics | Adreno 540 | A personalized version of PowerVR GT7600 |
| RAM | 4GB | 2GB |
| Storage | 64GB | 32/128/256GB |
| MicroSD | Yes (up to 256GB) | No |
| NFC | Yes | Yes (Only Apple Pay) |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 4.2 |
| GPS | GPS | A-GPS | BeiDou | Glonass | Galileo | GPS | A-GPS | GLONASS |
| Connectivity | 4G LTE | GSM | CDMA | HSPA | Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | 4G LTE | GSM | CDMA | HSPA+ | Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac |
| Fingerprint Sensor | Yes (in the back side) | Yes (in the front side – below the screen) |
| Other sensors | Barometer + gyroscope + accelerometer + proximity sensor + iris scanner | Barometer + 3- axis gyroscope + accelerometer + proximity sensor + environmental light sensor |
| Water resistant | IP68 | IP67 |
| Battery | 3000mAh | 1960mAh |
| Charger | USB-C | Lightning |
| Quick charge | Yes | No |
| Wireless charge | Yes with Qi and PMA | No |
| Other characteristics | Google Assistant | Bixby | Siri |
| Operative system | Android 7.0 Nougat | iOS 10 |
| Dimensions | 148.9 x 68.1 x 8.0 mm | 138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1 mm |
| Weight | 155 grams | 138 grams |
| Price | 809 euros | Aprox. 650 euros (32GB) |
