Samsung's newly announced Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus are packed with the latest and greatest mobile technology. Compared to its predecessors, the S7 and S6 (and their respective Galaxy families), the S8 duo is now equipped with USB-C charging ports, up to 2TB of expandable storage and an 8-megapixel front-facing camera (bumped up from 5 megapixels). And at 5.8 and 6.2 inches, respectively, they're the largest Galaxy flagships yet.
Whether you're wondering if it's time for an upgrade from your S6, or you just want to make sure you're not missing out too much with your S7, read the chart below to see how the S8 compares to the two previous generations of Galaxy flagship phones. And be sure to read CNET's hands-on impressions of the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus more information about the phones.
Samsung Galaxy S8 comparison chart
| Galaxy S8 | Galaxy S8 Plus | Galaxy S7 | Galaxy S7 Edge | Galaxy S6 | Galaxy S6 Edge | Galaxy S6 Edge+ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display size, resolution | 5.8-inch; 2,960 x 1,440 pixels | 6.2-inch; 2,960 x 1,440 pixels | 5.1-inch; 2,560 x 1,440 pixels | 5.5-inch; 2,560 x 1,440 pixels | 5.1-inch; 2,560 x 1,440 pixels | 5.1-inch; 2,560 x 1,440 pixels | 5.7-inch; 2,560 x 1,440 pixels |
| Pixel density | 570ppi | 529ppi | 576ppi | 534ppi | 576ppi | 576ppi | 518ppi |
| Dimensions (inches) | 5.86 x 2.68 x 0.32 in. | 6.3 x 2.9 x 0.32 in. | 5.6 x 2.7 x 0.3 in. | 5.9 x 2.9 x 0.3 in. | 5.7 x 2.8 x 0.27 in. | 5.6 x 2.8 x 0.28 in. | 6.1 x 3 x 0.27 in. |
| Dimensions (millimeters) | 148.9 x 68.1 x 8 mm | 159.5 x 73.4 x 8.1 mm | 142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9 mm | 150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7 mm | 143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8 mm | 142 x 70.1 x 70 mm | 154 x 75.8 x 6.9 mm |
| Weight (ounces, grams) | 5.5 oz.; 155g | 6.1 oz.; 173g | 5.4 oz.; 152g | 5.5 oz.; 157g | 4.8 oz.; 138g | 4.7 oz.; 132g | 5.4 oz.; 153g |
| Mobile software | Android 7.0 Nougat | Android 7.0 Nougat | Android 6.0 Marshmallow | Android 6.0 Marshmallow | Android 5.0 Lollipop | Android 5.0 Lollipop | Android 5.0 Lollipop |
| Camera (megapixels) | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
| Front-facing camera (megapixels) | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Video capture | 4K | 4K | 4K | 4K | 4K | 4K | 4K |
| Processor | 2.35GHz + 1.9GHz eight- core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 or Samsung eight- core Exynos 8895 (2.35GHz + 1.7GHz) | 2.35GHz + 1.9GHz eight- core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 or Samsung eight- core Exynos 8895 (2.35GHz + 1.7GHz) | 2.15GHz + 1.6GHz quad- core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 | 2.15GHz + 1.6GHz quad- core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 | Samsung eight- core Exynos 7 Octa 7420 | Samsung eight- core Exynos 7 Octa 7420 | Samsung eight- core Exynos 7 Octa 7420 |
| Storage | 64GB | 64GB | 32GB, 64GB (varies by region) | 32GB, 64GB (varies by region) | 32GB, 64GB, 128GB | 32GB, 64GB, 128GB | 32GB, 64GB |
| RAM | 4GB | 4GB | 4GB | 4GB | 3GB | 3GB | 4GB |
| Expandable storage | Up to 2TB | Up to 2TB | 200GB | 200GB | None | None | None |
| Battery (all nonremovable) | 3,000mAh | 3,500mAh | 3,000mAh | 3,600mAh | 2,550mAh | 2,660mAh | 3,000mAh |
| Fingerprint sensor | Back cover | Back cover | Home button | Home button | Home button | Home button | Home button |
| Connector | USB-C | USB-C | Micro-USB | Micro-USB | Micro-USB | Micro-USB | Micro-USB |
| Special features | Water-resistant; wireless charging; Gigabit LTE-ready | Water-resistant, wireless charging, Gigabit LTE-ready | Water-resistant, wireless charging | Water-resistant, wireless charging | N/A | Curved screens | Curved screens |
| Price off-contract (USD) at launch | AT&T: $750; Verizon: $720; T-Mobile: $750; Sprint: $750; U.S. Cellular: TBA | AT&T: $850; Verizon: $840; T-Mobile: $850; Sprint: $850; U.S. Cellular: TBA | AT&T: $695; Verizon: $672; T-Mobile: $670; Sprint: $650; US Cellular: $672 | AT&T: $795; Verizon: $792; T-Mobile: $780; Sprint: $750; U.S. Cellular: $780 | $552- $685 (32GB); $672- $785 (64GB); $768- $885 (128GB) | $672- $780 (32GB); $768- $860 (64GB); $885- $960 (128GB) | $720- $792 (32GB) or $815- $888 (64GB) |
| Price (GBP) at launch | £689 | £779 | £569 | £639 | £379 (32GB); £539 (64GB); £599 (128GB) | £529 (32GB); £629 (64GB); £719 (128GB) | £579 (32GB); £649 (64GB) |
| Price (AUD) at launch | TBA | TBA | AU$1,149 | AU$1,249 | AU$899 (32GB); AU$999 (64GB); AU$1,149 (128GB) | AU$999 (32GB); AU$1,099 (64GB); AU$1,249 (128GB) | AU$1,199 (32GB); AU$1,299 (64GB) |