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Maintaining the expectation has been a challenge when you can, the level of leaks this time has been epic. However, the interest in what is new from Samsung is never lost and we have finally officially met the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+.

The Koreans continue betting on a duo that perhaps this year is more similar than ever, with both terminals sharing design, a large part of the technical specifications and the curved screen that became the hallmark of the flagship since the Galaxy S6. Thus, the surname "Edge" disappears and the plus that makes the difference (pun intended) is the size.

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+, technical specifications

Design

Beyond how beautiful or not they may seem to us and that the distinctive touch of the curve prevails in the Galaxy S line this year, the work that has been done here with the front compared to the previous one is quite outstanding, Since the size varies very little with respect to the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, it has been possible to integrate 5.8 and 6.2-inch panels (coming from 5.1 and 5.5 inches). We do not have confirmation of the figure of the use of the front, but whether or not that 83%, the truth is that the edges are almost anecdotal in this front and we do not have a logo here.

The curvature exists on both sides (front and back) as well as the Gorilla Glass 5 glass), leaving the metal for the edges, repeating the formula of the previous ones and looking for the smoothness of the lines. But on the front we find one of the main novelties that will not only influence the appearance: placing the fingerprint reader in the camera area, so that the front does not have any relief integrating an invisible start button.

In this way, the S8 break with the above by slightly varying the design and interaction (we will talk about this below), with a front that is quite attractive by giving prominence to the screen, without logos or buttons (visible). In the rear part, the camera also protrudes very little (the protruding edge, as in the previous ones).

Screen: more inches, more curves and less frame

The average size of the screen of smartphones has grown in recent years, but both LG and now Samsung have wanted this to happen rather high. The S8 stands out from the rest with the commitment to an aspect ratio different from the usual 16: 9 and remaining in that 18.5: 9 that we already saw with the specifications, but in this case the subdivision chosen for the divided screen is of a third for one app and two thirds for the other.

All this in a 5.8 or 6.2-inch (depending on the model) super AMOLED panel, following tradition, and staying in a (now) cautious QHD (1,440 x 2,960 pixels), although with a few more pixels than its predecessors). But in addition to adding pixels, the S8 come with Mobile HDR Premium certification (from the UHD Alliance), promising more color and contrast. Something that in part inherits from the Note 7 and with which it can compete more directly with the LG G6, which, as we saw, incorporated HDR10 support (although supported by Dolby).

And what about curves for everyone? It is worth thinking about the weight of aesthetics, but beyond the distinction or brand of the house (and even beyond functions), what has been done is to make the curves somewhat smaller so that the experience is better, for example to when avoiding inadvertent touches.

Yield: welcome, 10 nanometers

As much déjà vu as the presentation gave us, if the S8 were expected for something, it was because they were the first to incorporate the Snapdragon 835, finally opening the ban for the rest, although as we have seen at the beginning (and as on previous occasions ) there is also a version with Exynos 8895. What Samsung says is that the new processors are 10% and 21% more powerful compared to the S7 (the S8 and the S8+ respectively).

Of course, the manufacturer has not jumped on the 6 GB train like OnePlus, Xiaomi or Huawei at the moment, leaving its Galaxy S in 4 GB of RAM, which without being few will have to see how they defend themselves with the SoC and the new graphics in video games and heavy tasks. For storage, 64 GB has been chosen, but for the peace of mind of many there is a microSD tray.

Cameras: the double lens is not everything

Finally, the suspicions are confirmed and neither of the two terminals integrates a double rear camera. The Koreans have already let us know that they are working on it, but for the first two flagships of 2017 they have chosen to stick with one lens.

Of course, improving the above with a larger aperture and a brighter lens in the case of the rear, which has an optical image stabilizer and works with the Dual Pixel focus system (all the pixels help to obtain well-focused images).

In the case of the front we have 8 megapixels and Smart Focus, that is, face detection to achieve always-focused selfies. Here you can also see the weight of trends in apps that usually require a subjective camera such as Snapchat or Instagram, with the possibility of adding stickers.

The app is still quite complete, with shooting modes and certain manual controls, but with a revamped interface and improvements such as gesture control to access filters or switch cameras. And as an addition, there is the possibility of connecting with the Gear 360 (of which there is a new model), allowing the creation of 15-megapixel photos and 360-degree videos with 4K resolution.

Software: The magic touch extends to the help desk and the desktop

To the new TouchWiz we also saw the leg, appearing with a new interface. In addition to this there are new gestures and a new interaction since we do not have a physical button to press, although according to the manufacturer the invisible home button maintains its functions. The vibration will be the response to the user indicating that the action is carried out.

Among the apps provided by the manufacturer, the novelty that stands out is Samsung Connect, an app to control home automation. This app works with compatible devices, but this does not mean that they have to be Samsung, since the commitment is also made to third parties that wish to integrate it into their products.

The layer itself dresses the Nougat 7.0 version of Android. In this sense, we have new features of the system such as the multi-window or the pronounced click on icons to display the menu. But the highlight in terms of software and interaction is in the new additions: Bixby and Samsung DeX.

Hello finally, Bixby (and not 'Bixbai')

We met the new Samsung assistant a few days ago, although somewhat above. We learned that it was not going to be a simple update of S-Voice and that it will support a large number of tasks (at the moment between 8-10 typical of Samsung), in addition to "understanding" the context and better understanding human beings and our orders. intermittent and continuous.

Thus, Samsung's assistant has a dedicated button, as we can see in the leaked renders, but it also responds to the "Hello, Bixby" command. In the first tests it has been seen that it understands natural language and that, for example, it is capable of showing Amazon links just by taking a photo of an object.

We will have to see how this new way of interacting is, but what we know for now is that it opens with the new terminals and that it does not replace Android's own assistant: Google Assistant is also available on the S8.

There was talk of multi-language support, but Bixby is currently available in English and Korean. Samsung has commented that it will arrive in Spanish from the United States in the middle of the year, and later in other languages. And when it comes to devices, we'll see it in other Samsung connected products soon.

conquering the desktop

One of the novelties that most attracted attention in the latest Microsoft Lumia was Continuum, that is, the connection of a phone to a base or dock to emulate a computer. Something that Samsung has incorporated into its new terminals with the Samsung DeX base that we also had the opportunity to know in advance and we have already been able to see how it works.

Despite not being something strictly new, it is still an interesting proposal, especially if you are looking to increase productivity in corporate environments. In addition to allowing a desktop interface, we can remotely connect to a computer in another location via Citrix. The S8 connect via its USB type-C to the DeX base, which has two USB ports and one HDMI, and to this a monitor, mouse and keyboard are connected.

Security: no lack of sensors

As we have already mentioned, in the S8 the fingerprint detection occurs in the back. This may imply that we have to get used to it more or less (if our previous terminal had it in another location), but at the moment it seems to work quite quickly.

Other options for access control and use of the terminal are the face detection system (it is not the most secure but it will be convenient if the user is looking for speed) and the iris reader inherited from the Note 7. The latter can be the access system to locations within the system such as secure folders in addition to unlocking, with the particularity that according to Samsung it works with glasses.

The jack stays, but the milliamps/hour are gone (but not much)

There was no shock wave after the iPhone 7 with the elimination of the audio jack and its rivals have not dispensed with it for the most part, we already saw it in the past MWC. Neither have the S8, which integrates it into the base along with USB-type C and the mono speaker, in fact the new headphones calibrated by AKG by Harman are included as a standard accessory.

Obviously we can't talk about autonomy, but we do know that the S8 maintains the 3,000 mAh of the S7 (even with a larger screen it has a very similar volume) and that the S8+ has a few less than its predecessor, staying at 3,500 mAh (in this case, by cons, the terminal is somewhat larger and heavier). In both cases non-removable batteries as it has been since the Galaxy S6.

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+, price and availability

As we have been seeing in anticipation of the filtering, the colors in which the new Samsung terminals are available in the colors midnight Black, Orchid Gray and Arctic Silver (black, lead gray and silver gray). The starting price is 809 euros for the Galaxy S8 and 909 euros for the S8+, going on sale on April 28.

The reservation period will start both through the Samsung website and through authorized distributors from March 29 at 6:00 p.m. to April 19 at 11:59 p.m., receiving the device from April 20 .

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Samsung Galaxy S8 - Unlocked Android Smartphone (5.8", 4 GB RAM, 4G, 12 MP), Black

Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus, Unlocked Android Smartphone (6.2", 4 GB RAM, 4G, 12 MP), [Spanish version: includes Samsung Pay, software and Bixby updates, network compatibility], Black

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