.The year 2017 was definitely the year of Korean Giant as it released the biggest and without any offense. The sexiest flagships in the history of smartphones. After the release of its addition to the Galaxy S series. The company moved on to surprise us with another version of Note, this year. Yep, we are talking about the Samsung Galaxy S8 / S8 Plus and Samsung Galaxy Note 8. We also had the chance to Compare Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus and Nokia 8.
The introduction of jaw-dropping Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus in the market was not enough for the Korean Giant. So they released the even bigger and even better phone – Galaxy Note 8. Well, with this revolutionary introduction of the Samsung flagships in the market has got its fanatics of Samsung confused about which one is better? It also leads to various questions like should they upgrade from Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus to Note 8? And a very basic one, which phone is worth the price?
Well, to answer all your questions in a very simple way. We have done a side by side and detailed comparison of both the biggest smartphones, S8 Plus and Note 8, down below to help you decide. So, let’s dive deep into the features and specs of both the smartphones to compare them at best. And if you already own any of the Samsung smartphone, you will love to read about Best Accessories that you can buy for your Samsung smartphones.
Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus vs. Samsung Galaxy Note 8 – Which One’s Better?
For those who don’t know, we are going to start from the release date of the two phones. The Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus was released in the month of April 2017 while the bigger phone, Samsung Galaxy Note 8 rocked the market shelves six months later the release of S8 Plus, in the month of September, the same year. Well, the interesting thing to find out here that, is there any changes that the company has made in Note 8 in this distinct gap of six months? Or it is the same bigger S8 Plus with an S Pen?
Read on to find out.
1: Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus vs. Note 8: Build and Design
Let’s start with the build and design of the two smartphones that appear to be same on the first gaze. The reason for this is both the phones have got the dominating big screen on the front with the unique dual curved edges and the gorilla glass body on the front and the rear, surrounded by the metal rim on the sides. However, on the closer look, you will find that both the phones are not identical at all.
Display and Shape Comparison
Although, both the phones are large and tall, offering the bigger Quad HD plus Infinity display, but the distinctive difference in size of the phones can be seen, as Note 8 has got a slightly larger display of 6.3” than the other phone which is 6.2”. That’s not the only difference between the two phones. There is a slight difference in the overall shape of the two competitors as well. The edges of the Note 8 are slightly more squared around the corners, while the edges of S8 Plus are round, giving a completely gorgeous and different look than the Note 8. The rectangular edges of the Note 8 make the phone more grippy and comfortable to hold.
Another difference that lies in both the smartphones is at the rear. Samsung Galaxy Note 8 has got the flashlight, heart rate sensor, the dual cameras and the fingerprint sensor in the case of a rectangular frame, while all these accessories in Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus are all separately housed. Note that it is an important point to consider, but the bundled concept in Note 8 gives a neat and clean look to the rear of the phone.
With this, it is clear that both the phones offer the gorgeous looks and top-notch build quality. However, that is not all. Both the phones do offer the tough IP68 grade water resistance that can protect your phones in the water immersion for up to 30 minutes. They also feature the 5.0 Bluetooth, single non-stereo speaker, USB Type C port and 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom. The volume rockers, the power buttons and the Bixby controllers, all are located at the same location on both the phones.
Bottom Line
In design and build, both the smartphones have got a gorgeous, fine look that clearly depends on the user’s subjective taste to decide which one is more appealing to them. You can share your solid win between the both in the comments section below and let us know which one you will prefer.
2: Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus vs. Note 8: Processor, Memory, and Storage
Moving on to the technical aspects of both the phones that play an important role in choosing a phone. In case of Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus and Samsung Galaxy Note 8, these specs are roughly similar. However, the difference lies in the RAM of both the phones. The bigger the phone, the bigger the RAM, that is what Samsung has played. The bigger Note 8 has got the bigger RAM of 6GB, while 0.1 inches smaller phone, S8 Plus has got the 4GB RAM.
However, even with the extra bit of RAM, the performance scores are not that groundbreaking of Note 8, giving a relief to S8 Plus users.
Depending on your market, both the phones have got similar processing chips. That means, if you are buying your phones from US markets, you will get the Snapdragon 835 chip in both, Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus and Note 8, but if you are a non-US market purchaser, you will get, Adreno 540 chip in both the smartphones. Both the phones also come with the 64GB internal storage that is fortunately expandable to the capacity of up to 128GB via the use of microSD card.
Bottom Line
In this case, we will assign the win to the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 because of the bigger RAM, however, even with the bigger RAM, there is not a very distinct difference in flagship performance. If you are already an S8 Plus user, you can compromise this performance at a smaller cost.
3: Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus vs. Note 8: Display and the Screen
We have talked about the display in the first section of the post, however, to give a clear win, we have to talk about it separately. Despite the 0.1 inch difference in the screen size, Galaxy Note 8 is about 12 percent heavier, thicker and wider as well than Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus. Check out the Best Display and Wallpaper Apps for Samsung Smartphones.
As mentioned above, the Note 8 has got the 6.3” Super AMOLED Display with Quad HD+ Resolution, which is 1440 x 2690 bringing the total PPI to 521. On the other hand, Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus has got a size difference of 0.1 inch, with the same Super AMOLED Display with Quad HD+ Resolution of 1440 x 2690 but bringing the bigger PPI calculations of 529, due to the smaller screen size.
So is there any difference in display quality of both the phones? Fortunately, the answer to this question is Absolutely Not! Both the phones have identical and stunning display quality with equally sharp, crisp and clear results, as both the phones have been incorporated with the same technology. You can also customize the display with tons of best android launcher apps, which we had already covered for you.
Moreover, both the phones have also featured the HDR 10 compliant displays supporting the HDR content. Although there are not a lot of HDR content available for smartphones, but you can still find some films and documentaries on Netflix that will allow you to enjoy the HDR content whenever you want.
Bottom Line
In case of display and screen, the Note 8 is only 0.1 inches bigger than the Samsung Galaxy S8, that roughly don’t affect the display quality and any other aspect of the screen. So that is the factor that should not be playing role in your phone buying decision, as both the phones are going to offer you top-notch quality with sharp colors and smooth visuals.
4: Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus vs. Note 8: Dimensions and Weight
Being 0.1 inch bigger in the size, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 measures 162.5mm in height, 74.8mm wide and 8.6mm in thickness, while weighing 195 grams. On the other hand. Being 0.1 inches smaller than its competitor, Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus is 159.5mm long, 73.4mm wide and 8.1mm thick while weighing 173 grams.
Bottom Line
The size and the weight difference of both the smartphones is minimal and is definitely not an important consideration while buying a phone.
5: Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus vs. Note 8: Software and S-Pen
Well, software and S Pen do matters as they both are the important things while making a decision for buying a phone. Both the smartphones, Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus and Note 8 runs the same Software called the Android Nougat 7.0. Overall, the user interface and the software features are pretty same on both the phones but with a very slight polishing on Note 8. Talking of the polishing, the phone has got the app drawer that has 5 apps across instead of 4, that you get on S8 Plus. It also includes the nice edge panel that allows you an easy access to your apps and games. With the tweak of softer and smoother touch and two apps at the same time, instead of one, so that you can compare two compatible apps with the press of a single button.
You have secure folders on both the phones that allows you to store your important official files, pictures, videos and documents tucked with the securest password ever. Not only this, you have a rich them store as well on both the phones that allows you to customize the theme. And every nook and cranny of your phone when you are bored of the staring at the same for days or months. This means, both the phones are feature rich and are almost identical in software specs.
Secure usage of S-Pen on Galaxy Note 8
However, this is not the full story. There is a staple thing that makes Note 8, Note 8! Yep, we are talking about the signature feature of Note series and that is S Pen. Note 8 is meant to be a productivity increasing phone. So it incorporates a similar S Pen, but with some major tweaks and changes for good. S Pen is a Stylus designed for precision writing and precision sketching.
It is more pressure sensitive. And it also comes with the new carry itself feature. Where you can choose the action you are looking for by scrolling the wheel. It makes the writing on the screen easy and understandable even if your handwriting sucks. You can also use this S Pen to navigate your smartphone. Instead of your fingers and we think it is the best and the much-needed thing for the people living in cold regions where they can’t use their fingers out of gloves to use their smartphone.
Moreover, the smart capture feature of S Pen allows you to capture and take a screenshot of any portion of the screen. You select using the S Pen. It also has the translate feature allowing you to translate the words and phrases from one language to another with ease. S Pen brings diverse functionality to the Note 8 that is missing heavily in the S8 plus series.
Bottom Line
S Pen brings a new dimension to the table that gives an edge to the Note 8 over the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus. As a matter of fact, this is the major category that has a role in making you decide, which smartphone to choose. It depends on your needs and requirements for the stylus.
6: Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus vs. Note 8: The Camera
Finally, Samsung doubles up! As a matter of fact, the camera is the most important feature that decides which phone to get. So here we go with the comparison of the cameras of both the smartphones. Samsung Galaxy Note 8 features the dual camera. Finally, that is one of the most notable changes in the Note line. It features a 12 MP wide f/ 1.7 lens and an f /2.4 telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom. The Wide lens of Note 8 is identical to S8 and S8 Plus. That also rocks 12 MP but the addition of telephoto lens in the series allows you to do several exciting things. Like the ability to use the feature called Live Focus that will give you a chance to take professional photos. With a blurred out background, just like with DSLR’s Bokeh effect or iPhone’s Portrait mode. Do not forget to check out Top 10 Best Camera Apps for Samsung Smartphones.
However, it does allow more functionality as compared to DSLR and iPhone by allowing you to be able to adjust the amount of blurriness in the background. Not only this, both these lenses have optical image stabilization which really helps you to get amazing photos even in low light and smooth videos in the darkest room ever.
Now coming to the front camera of both the smartphones, that is almost identical, unlike the rear cameras. Both the phones pack the same 8 MP front-facing cameras. Allowing the users to capture some crystal clear and attractive selfies. That comes as no surprise as Samsung manufactures some of the best cameras in the business.
Bottom Line
Clearly, on the basis of the camera, Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is the winner. As it offers the dual camera lens and allows you to capture some next level, professional photos in the row of smartphones. Besides this, the primary cameras of both the phones are identical offering the same video capability and the same selfie quality. So, this time, we go with the Note 8 only because it offers an extra camera and can add life to your photos.
7: Security, Biometrics and Fingerprint Sensor Options
When you have got everything on your phone, it has to be more secure and safe than ever. That is the reason why Samsung has offered the futuristic security and biometric features in its both flagships, Note 8 and S8 Plus. Both the competitors have identical security features including fingerprint sensors on the rear, facial recognition, as well as the famous iris scanner. We had covered Best Fingerprint Lock Apps that work awesome with all Samsung phones having fingerprint sensor installed.
The fingerprint scanner and the iris recognition are the highly secured and the fool-proof biometric features of the Samsung phones. And they work flawlessly each and every time. Although facial recognition can be tricked, but still it can be used as an option.
Bottom Line
In this category, we have a total draw. Because both the phones incorporate the same security features, without even a single change.
8: Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus vs. Note 8: Battery and Charging Options
Counting on the battery life of both the phones. Here, Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus has got an edge. As it hoods 3500mAh battery capacity, that is larger than Note 8, that has got 3300mAh. You might need to have a look at Battery Saving Tips for your Samsung Smartphones.
The battery life has got us concerned that has been fallen short to 3300mAh as compared to S8 Plus. Which makes sense for the reason that happened last year to the Note 7, but that can’t help feeling disappointed. Despite the small battery, Note 8 gives 30 minutes to 1-hour extra battery life than the S8 Plus. Thanks to Software tweaks and changes.
Coming to the charging options, both the phones offer a diverse range of charging options including wired fast charging. Wireless charging and also wireless fast charging. Moreover, both the phones have got the maximum power saving modes. That allow the users to extend the battery lives of their phones by limiting the battery usage. By disabling some battery killing features of the phones. The power charging option. That is included in both phones transform your smartphones in very basic one by disabling heavy duty task like gaming. And allowing the access to the minimum and most basic apps like phone, calendar, calculator, messages etc.
Bottom Line
Both the phones offer a very close battery life and we will call this a draw.
9: Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus vs. Note 8: Pricing and Color Options
Both the phones come with the same 4 color options including:
- Midnight Black
- Orchid Grey
- Coral Blue
- Gold
As far as the pricing of both the phones is concerned. Note 8 is currently retailing at $929. You can buy Samsung Galaxy Note 8 right now.
While the S8 plus has fluctuating prices within the range of $675 to $829. You can order your Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus right now.
Bottom Line
With the clear difference, Note 8 is really pricey and costly as compared to the S8 Plus. So your budget is a major deciding factor. When it comes to buying between the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus and Note 8.
The Difference and the Similarities
Before proceeding to conclusion, here, have a look at the difference and similarities between the two smartphones:
The Difference lies in:
- 6GB RAM
- Dual 12 MP Cameras
- S Pen and added S Pen software functions
While the Similarities lies in:
- Superior Build and Design
- Superb Quad-HD+ Display
- IP68 Water Resistance
- Wireless Charging, iris scanner and Bixby
- Similar Software and performance
Final Verdict
So the conclusion of all what we have been traversing above is that both the smartphones have superior build. Almost similar design and roughly the same size with the smallest difference of 0.1 inches. Not only this, both the phones have got the IP68 grade water and dust resistance. Wireless charging and almost similar software and performance and superb quad HD+ Display, making both the phones identical. However, it is not the end of the story. Note 8 has some extra features. Besides the core features including dual 12 MP camera, S-Pen and a larger screen, atop the 6GB of RAM.
With all these features, the one thing that we noticed that we have a superior smartphone – Samsung Galaxy Note 8. Yes, Note 8 has more features as compared to the S8 Plus, making it a better smartphone than S8 Plus. However, if you can compromise on your productivity and the pictures. No smartphone can make the option better than Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus.
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