We’re almost certain that Samsung is going to announce not one, but two, new flagship phones on March 29, with the Samsung Galaxy S8 joined by the largerSamsung Galaxy S8 Plus – a phone that’s likely to be a successor to the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge in all but name.
While we don’t know for sure what the specs or features of either of these phones will be, they have both been heavily rumored and leaked for weeks, which gives us a clear picture of what we might see launched.
With that in mind we’ve created a breakdown of the ways in which these two phones are likely to differ, and the things that will probably be the same.
Screen
While the Galaxy S7 Edge’s screen is very different to the Samsung Galaxy S7 ’s by virtue of being curved, the same difference probably won’t be present this year, as both the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus are expected to have a curved display – hence why the Edge name has likely been ditched.
They’re also sure to both use Super AMOLED technology, and they’re both expected to use a widescreen 18.5:9 aspect ratio and be the same resolution, with current rumors pointing to that being 1,440 x 2,960 – which would be an upgrade on the 1,440 x 2,560 screen on last year’s handsets.
So, as you’ve probably guessed, it’s the size that will likely be the real difference. While we don’t know for sure how big either screen will be, most rumors agree that the Samsung Galaxy S8 will have a 5.8-inch display, while the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus will have a 6.2-inch one.
It’s worth noting that, assuming they’re the same resolution, the S8 Plus will be less sharp thanks to having fewer pixels per inch, but if the resolution rumors are right it’s not a difference you’re likely to notice much, as there should be pixels to spare.
Design
The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus are likely to have an almost identical design, with a glass back, a metal frame and tiny bezels above and below the screen.
There will be no physical home button on either phone if rumors are to be believed, and the fingerprint scanner will be relocated to the back. Both the S8 and S8 Plus are also expected to be water and dust resistant.
The likely differences, again, are related to their size. The Samsung Galaxy S8 is rumored to be 148.9 x 68 x 8mm, while the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus is apparently 159 x 74 x 8mm, in which case they’ll be the same thickness, but the S8 Plus would be significantly longer and wider.
These dimensions make the S8 Plus a phablet-sized phone, and even the standard S8 slightly on the large side, but neither is as big as you might expect given their screen sizes.
By almost eliminating the bezel Samsung - assuming these dimensions are accurate - has managed to make the standard Samsung Galaxy S8 smaller than theSamsung Galaxy Note 7 , while the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus is a similar size overall to the iPhone 7 Plus .
Of course the S8 Plus will be heavier than the S8, though we don’t yet know by how much, and it’s very possible that it will be available in a different selection of colors.
We've only seen some of the shades it might appear in, but we’ve created a guide to the Samsung Galaxy S8 colors you can peruse, based on the rumors so far.
OS and power
Don’t expect any difference in the operating system or power (or not between the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus at any rate) but there may be different versions of the phone for different regions.
In most of the world both handsets will probably have 4GB of RAM, though China may get a 6GB model. As for the chipset, that’s likely to be a Snapdragon 835 in the US and an Exynos 8895 in Europe and most other locations.
The split is likely to be the same for both phones, but it isn’t one you should worry about too much, as those are both top-end chips.
Both the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus and the standard Samsung Galaxy S8 will also almost certainly run Android Nougat, overlaid with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI.
Camera
The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus camera will probably be the same for both phones, and also something which isn’t much different to last year’s, as while there are various camera rumors the most recent ones are leaning towards a 12MP single-lens snapper on both the S8 and S8 Plus – just like the S7 and S7 Edge had.
Some changes are likely though, for example it may be able to shoot slow motion video at 1000 frames per second if one rumor is to be believed.
And the front-facing camera is likely in for an upgrade, with both handsets thought to be getting an 8MP one with an autofocus, where the S7 range has a 5MP one with a fixed focus.
Battery
Other than the screen, the battery could be the biggest difference between the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus, as Samsung is rumored to be using the extra space inside the S8 Plus to pack in a 3,500mAh juice pack, where the standard Galaxy S8 will apparently have just a 3,000mAh one.
It’s worth noting that neither size would be massive, especially given the size of the phones they’ll be powering. The S8’s would be the same size as the S7’s, and the battery in the S8 Plus would actually be marginally smaller than the 3,600mAh one in the Galaxy S7 Edge, which seems a bit odd when the footprint doesn't look likely to change... what else is Samsung packing in?
That’s a worry, but it’s a decision that could have been made to avoid risking another Note 7-like catastrophe. And, given the likely more power-efficient chipsets, these batteries may last longer than similarly sized ones in other phones. Both handsets will probably also support fast charging via a USB Type-C port.
Price
You can expect the bigger Galaxy S8 Plus to carry a higher price tag, and while we don’t know exactly what that will be, rumors point to a roughly $950/£780/AU$1,255 price for the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus, and a lower – but still very high – price of around $845/£695/AU$1,115 for the Samsung Galaxy S8. In other words, there might be a difference of approximately $100/£100/AU$140.
Takeaway
We’re not expecting a huge amount of difference between the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus. Where previously Samsung differentiated largely based on the presence or absence of a curved screen, now all models are likely to have curves.
You also can’t really think of one as being a phablet while the other one is a ‘normal’ handset, as with even the standard Galaxy S8 likely to be 5.8 inches both of them are phablet-sized.
But at 6.2 inches the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus would still be significantly larger, and if the bigger battery translates into longer life that could be a major point in its favor - but it will come at a much higher cost.
Otherwise, there may be little to choose between them, with the Galaxy S8 possibly having a slightly sharper screen and almost certainly more manageable dimensions, but the Galaxy S8 Plus being a better bet for real phablet fans. If the prices are right, they could both be very desirable handsets.
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