Samsung Galaxy S8: Here Are 4 Reasons To Buy, 3 Reasons Not To

Samsung Galaxy S8 has been officially announced, confirming (and at the same time debunking) rumors that have been going on for a while. It’s primed to be the flagship smartphone of the year, but there are already some turn-offs that we’ve seen from its reveal. Should you buy it? Here are four reasons why you should and three reasons why you shouldn’t.

Good: Infinity Display

Let’s be honest, many people would buy the Galaxy S8 just for the looks alone. Samsung made a good decision of doing away without a physical home button, making for a bezel-less display. Dubbed the Infinity Display, the screen is curved like that of the Edge, allowing the Galaxy S8 to cram a 5.8-inch display in the size of a normal smartphone. It can be better appreciated in Samsung’s official video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8Ert5yjMV4

Good: Face Scanner

We expected an iris scanner, but we got more. Samsung is yet again one step ahead of Apple as the facial recognition software that is heavily rumored for the iPhone 8 can now be seen on the Galaxy S8. That’s not all, though. The Verge notes that the feature is fast, meaning it probably won’t be just a gimmick after all. Combined with the iris scanner, users now have two reasons not to use the fingerprint scanner that’s badly placed (more below).

Good: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835

The latest from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 835 is said to be exclusive to Samsung’s flagship. The LG G6, in comparison, sports a Snapdragon 821 chip (which is still current-gen) despite being revealed just this year also. Having also 4GB of RAM, the Samsung Galaxy S8 may be one of the most powerful, if not the most, devices in 2017.

Good: 3.5mm Headphone Jack

When Apple removed the 3.5mm headphone jack in what they considered as an “innovative” move, the mobile community went into uproar. This is probably why Samsung decided to make it stay. Users of “old school” earphones can rejoice as they can still listen to music privately while charging the Galaxy S8 via its USB-C port.

Bad: Bixby Artificial Intelligence

The Bixby AI is Samsung’s attempt at a Siri challenger, but it seems to be undercooked. A review by CNET reveals that the virtual assistant only looks good on paper, but it’s still in its very early stages. If you were planning to have the Galaxy S8’s Bixby to literally work as an assistant, it might be better to wait for it to be updated down the line or opt to buy a different phone that already has an established AI.

Bad: No Dual Cameras

Samsung offers two variants: the regular Galaxy S8 and the S8 Plus, which only offers a larger screen. The cameras did not receive much of an upgrade, which is disappointing since we’ve been hearing about a dual-camera set-up. It is now expected to appear on the Note 8, which might be a better buy than the S8 Plus that parades as a phablet.

Bad: Awkward Fingerprint Scanner Placement

This might be the worst design aspect of the Galaxy S8. For whatever reason, Samsung decided that placing the fingerprint sensor at the back and below the camera is too mainstream, so it installed the scanner beside the camera instead. Apart from it being obviously not comfortable to reach, fingers that will miss the scanner will put a lot of fingerprints in the camera lenses.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 has not yet been officially released, but pre-orders are now live for those who want it. As with any other phone, the flagship has its pros and cons, and we haven’t seen them all. Hands-on reviews are limited, so it might be better to wait for it to be launched before deciding which flagship smartphone to buy this year.

[Featured Image by Jason Kempin/Getty Images]