Why The iPhone7 Still Betters The Samsung Galaxy S8

A LOOK AHEAD TO THE iPHONE 8, 7S, AND 7S PLUS.

- Benjamin Kerry & Gavin Lenaghan

Samsung’s Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ smartphones were unveiled in March before their retail release the following month - and since these very promising handsets broke cover, a wide array of tech journalists and commentators have been salivating over the changes. The all-screen displays almost led BGR’s Zach Epstein to liken this move to the paradigm shift between his old Symbian handset and an iPhone, while TechRadar called the S8 “officially the best smartphone currently available.”

But is it really? The answer is more complex than initial assessments of Samsung’s new devices might have led you to believe. In fact, as the weeks have passed and the dust has settled on the early hype, users have been uncovering more flaws with the Galaxy offerings. Still, how big are these drawbacks - and are they sufficiently serious to leave the iPhone 7 the reigning smartphone king? The short answer to that second question is “yes” - and here are some of the biggest reasons why.

THERE’S LITTLE DISMAY WHEN IT’S ALL-DISPLAY

Easily the most initially noticeable step forward with the S8 is its design language. We’re expecting a similar thing with the 10.5-inch iPad Pro rumored for unveiling in June and the “iPhone 8” later in the year. Yes, you’ve guessed it: an all-screen display. Well, admittedly, not quite; on the S8, the bezels have been dramatically thinned rather than eliminated, and the upcoming iPhone and iPad are unlikely to differ in this respect. However, the bigger display brings tangible benefits.

One is that all of the usual merits of a big-screen smartphone - like being able to view more of websites and more blown-up versions of highdefinition video - are further strengthened.