Now that Samsung has launched its Galaxy S8+, users of the older-gen Galaxy S7 edge may be thinking of upgrading to the newer iteration.
Here's a quick look at what both the Samsung smartphones have to offer, so that people looking to upgrade can make an informed decision.
Design
The very first thing that a user will notice when comparing the two devices is that the home button is absent in the Galaxy S8+, which results in a greater screen to body ratio. The absence of the physical home button also reduces the overall bezels in the handset, when compared to the Galaxy S7 edge.
The fingerprint scanner has also been shifted in the Galaxy S8+. The sensor is now placed at the rear of the smartphone, next to the camera. The Galaxy S7 edge, on the other hand, has a fingerprint sensor embedded in the home button of the device.
Display
The Galaxy S7 edge sports a 5.5-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED (2,560 x 1,440 pixels) display with a pixel density of 534 ppi. On the other hand, the Galaxy S8+ boasts a bigger 6.2-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED (2,960 x 1,440 pixels) display with a pixel density of 529 ppi.
While both the Galaxy S7 edge and the latest Galaxy S8+ devices come with a Super AMOLED display, the latest smartphone supports an 18.5: 9 aspect ratio. This makes the Infinity display of the Galaxy S8+ narrower and taller than the 16:9 display of the Galaxy S7 edge.
Processor, RAM, And Memory
The U.S. variant of the Galaxy S7 edge houses a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset, while the Galaxy S8+ comes with an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor.
Both devices boast 4 GB of RAM. However, the Galaxy S7 edge comes in two storage variants in the United States: 32 GB or 64 GB. The Galaxy S8+, on the other hand, has only one variant for now i.e. 64 GB.
Both devices support expandable memory via a microSD card and the storage can be increased to an additional 256 GB.
Camera
Both the smartphones have similar 12-megapixel primary cameras with f/1.7 apertures. However, the Galaxy S7 edge did not have a dual pixel camera like the Galaxy S8+.
The secondary camera, however, has been improved slightly in the Galaxy S8+. The Galaxy S7 edge houses a 5-megapixel camera, whereas the Galaxy S8+ has an 8-megapixel one.
Battery Capacity And Software
It may surprise enthusiasts to know that the Galaxy S8+ sports a slightly smaller 3,500 mAh battery when compared to Galaxy S7 edge, which houses a bigger 3,600mAh one.
The Samsung Galaxy S8+ comes with Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box. The Galaxy S7 edge, on the other hand, released with Android 6.0 Marshmallow but was upgraded to Android 7.0 Nougat.
Other Features
The Galaxy S8+ brings some new functionalities which are absent in the older Galaxy S7 edge. The latest flagship comes with the Bixby AI assistant, similar to the Google Assistant.
The Galaxy S8+ also supports the Samsung DeX functionality, through which users can connect the smartphone's display to a computer monitor.
The inclusion of the iris scanner as an additional security feature may also go a long way in enticing fans to upgrade to the Galaxy S8+.
Available Color Options
The Galaxy S7 edge is available in several hues such as black, white, gold, silver, pink gold, black pearl, and coral blue.
The Galaxy S8+ is available in five exciting shades such as Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Arctic Silver, Coral Blue, and Maple Gold.
Pricing
The unlocked variant of Galaxy S7 edge is currently retailing at $670 at Samsung's online store. However, the pricing of the Galaxy S8+ is not yet known. It is speculated to be somewhere around the $720 mark. The handset will hit the shelves on April 21. Interested buyers can however, pre-register for the upcoming product.
Both the Galaxy S7 edge and the Galaxy S8+ are water and dust resistant. However, what tilts the scales in the favor of Galaxy S8+ is its bigger screen, as well as iris scanner functionality.
Those willing to upgrade may gravitate toward the Galaxy S8+ for these reasons.
