The Samsung Galaxy S8 represents the pinnacle of smartphone technology in 2017. It’s beautiful, fast, has an insanely good camera, a fantastic display and a tonne of extra features – some good, some bad. In short, all the ingredients in place for this to be the best smartphone ever made.
However, things like Bixby (Samsung's personal assistant) being somewhat patchy, the fingerprint sensor is located in a less-than-ideal position, and the battery not being as good as its predecessor, make the phone frustrating.
Samsung Galaxy S8 review: What you need to know
The Samsung Galaxy S8 is a 5.8in flagship smartphone, which has a stunning design, blistering Snapdragon 835 processor, an incredible display with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio and an impressive camera make it the best Android phone to date.
It is, however, let down by its battery life, which is a tad lower than its predecessor, the Galaxy S7 - and its eye-watering price might also put you off. Still, if you're looking for the best Android phone on the market, the Samsung Galaxy S8 is the one to get.
Samsung Galaxy S8 review: Price and competition
At launch, the Samsung Galaxy S8 was an eye-watering £610. Since, the flagship phone has dropped in price, and can now be found for around £540. This makes it more expensive than the similar LG G6 that costs around £450.
There's also the very impressive Google Pixel XL, now at around £450, and the iPhone 7 Plus at around £700. If you're willing to take a drop in screen size, the regular iPhone 7 costs £579.
Is it worth it? If you want the very best smartphone on the market, then yes. It has waterproofing and a camera that's very good. It's better looking than most of its competitors, such as the Google Pixel XL, has a microSD card slot so you can expand the storage, and there's more storage as standard as well. It's better than the LG G6 and the iPhone 7, too, in almost every respect.
Even then you might say the price is too high, and I hear you on that front. However, the Samsung is not alone in raising UK prices to this level, as you can see by the prices of its rivals. In fact, it's part of a general trend that has going on for some time now. You might not like it, but this the reality right now; in a year paying £700 or thereabouts for a top-end smartphone will seem normal.
The best Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus deals
Best Samsung Galaxy S8 deals UK:
Samsung Galaxy S8 review: Design
There will be no Samsung Galaxy S8 Edge this year. Why? Because the Samsung Galaxy S8 is the device the S8 Edge would have been. Samsung’s new flagship is a phone with curved edges, and there’s no alternative.
The result is the best-looking phone on the market. Samsung has created an 18.5:9 “Infinity Display” that looks like no device you’ve ever seen before – well, none since the LG G6, anyway. The front of the phone is 100% glass, with the slimmest of bezels nestled above and below, resulting in an impressively high screen to body ratio of 84% (the Samsung Galaxy S7’s screen-to-body ratio was 72%).