The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus are finally here, boasting perhaps the best specs we’ve seen in a flagship phone yet. But they’re not the only flagship phones around — some pretty excellent devices have launched in the past six months or so. Like, for example, the Google Pixel XL.
But how do the two “plus”-size phones compare when it comes to overall power and performance? We pit the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus against the Google Pixel XL to find out.
Specs
Google Pixel XL |
Samsung |
|
Size | 154.7 × 75.7 × 8.5 mm (6.09 × 2.98 × 0.33 inches) | 159.5 x 73.4 x 8.1 mm (6.28 x 2.89 x 0.32 inches) |
Weight | 5.93oz | 6.1oz |
Screen | 5.5-inch AMOLED | 6.2-inch AMOLED |
Resolution | 1,440 × 2,560 pixels (534 ppi) | 2,960 x 1,440 pixels (529 ppi) |
OS | Android 7.1 Nougat | Android 7.0 Nougat |
Storage | 32GB/128GB | 64GB |
MicroSD Card Slot | No | Yes |
NFC support | Yes | Yes |
Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Samsung Exynos 9 Series 8895 (International) |
RAM | 4GB | 4GB |
Connectivity | GSM, CDMA, HSPA, EVDO, LTE, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi | 4G LTE, GSM, CDMA HSPA+, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi |
Camera | 12.3MP Rear / 8MP Front | 12MP Rear with OIS / 8MP Front |
Video | 4K | 4K |
Bluetooth | 4.2 | 5.0 |
Fingerprint sensor | Yes | Yes |
Other sensors | Barometer, gyroscope, accelerometer, proximity sensor, compass | Barometer, gyroscope, accelerometer, proximity sensor |
Water Resistant | No | IP68 |
Wireless charging | No | Yes, PMA and Qi-compliant |
Battery | 3,450mAh | 3,500mAh |
Ports | USB Type-C, Headphone | USB Type-C, Headphone |
Marketplace | Google Play Store | Google Play Store |
Color options | Quite Black, Very Silver, Really Blue | Silver, Black, Orchid Grey, Blue (International), Gold (International) |
Price | $649 | Starts at $840 |
Availability | Unlocked, Verizon | Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Unlocked |
DT Review | 4 out of 5 stars | 4 out of 5 stars |
When it comes to specs, it’s truly a case of newer is better. For starters, the Samsung
So just how powerful is the Snapdragon 835? Well, we don’t know exactly just yet, but early benchmark results suggest the device is at least 15 percent more powerful than its predecessor.
Of course, the processor isn’t the only thing to note in the specs department. It’s expected that we’ll start seeing more phones with 6GB of RAM over the next year or so, but for now Samsung has stuck safely with 4GB, putting it on par with the Google Pixel XL when it comes to
Next up is storage. The Google Pixel XL offers either 32GB or 128GB of storage, while the
The
Winner: Samsung
Design
Both the Google Pixel XL and the Samsung
The S8 Plus on the front, though, looks very much like a Samsung device that has evolved. Ultra-slim bezels coupled with the familiar Edge display make for a gorgeous smartphone that has an 83 percent screen-to-body ratio. The Pixel XL, on the other hand, is quite the opposite with glaringly large bezels that only seem to take up a lot of room for no reason.
On the right of the Google Pixel XL, you’ll find the power button and volume rocker, while the bottom sports the USB-C port and the top the 3.5mm headphone jack. On the Samsung
The dimensions of the phone are interesting. While the display on the 6.2-inch S8 Plus is much bigger than that the 5.5-inch Google Pixel XL, the phone is only a tad taller — that’s thanks to the much smaller bezels on the
Design is largely subjective, but this one’s a no-brainer — the S8 Plus takes the cake.
Winner: Samsung
Display
The two phones aren’t too different in the display department as they both feature AMOLED screens. While the Google Pixel XL has a pretty decent 5.5-inch display with a resolution of 1,440 × 2,560, Samsung’s
The Google Pixel XL features a pretty standard display, but the
Because of the higher resolution, classy curves, and HDR-ready display, the
Winner: Samsung
Battery life and charging
The battery is obviously an area that Samsung will want to be careful about — especially considering the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco. The
That doesn’t mean that the
Thankfully, Samsung’s S8 Plus supports wireless charging, offering users more options in how they want to charge their phone. That helps it win this contest.
Winner: Samsung
Camera, software, durability, and more
Camera
The Google Pixel and Pixel XL were highly praised for their camera, and rightly so — the camera is an increasingly important part of the
When it comes to raw specs, the Google Pixel XL offers a 12.3-megapixel rear-facing camera with a f/2.0 aperture and electronic image stabilization. The Samsung
The front-facing camera on both devices are packed with 8-megapixels, and they’ll likely offer similar quality shots. The specs on the two phones are ultimately pretty similar, but in our camera tests the Google Pixel outperformed the Galaxy S7, so we’ll have to crown it the winner here.
Winner: Google Pixel XL
Software
While both of the two phones feature the latest and greatest Android Nougat version, software is a pretty big point of difference for the Google Pixel XL. The Pixel series replaces the Nexus program as offering
The
On top of that, the
Still, while Samsung may offer a few more features in its software over Google, we think the importance of getting timely
Winner: Google Pixel XL
Durability
Smartphones should last for at least a few years these days, and a part of that means being able to withstand a least a drop or two. Unfortunately, the heavy use of glass on both of these phones limits that. For starters, the Google Pixel features a half glass back, so it would be easy to crack it if you dropped it. That’s magnified on the Samsung
The Google Pixel XL isn’t waterproof, and that’s where Samsung gains the upper hand. Like the Galaxy S7, the
We’d recommend a case for both these phones, but the
Winner: Samsung
Extra features
Both the devices have plenty on offer, but the S8 Plus has a few features that don’t seem to fall into any other category. For starters, the Samsung
There’s also iris scanning and facial recognition technology, which you can use to unlock your phone.
Winner: Samsung
Price and availability
The Google Pixel XL started shipping towards the end of 2016, and you can buy it through Verizon or through the Google Play Store. The device starts at $770, which isn’t cheap — and if you want to get the higher storage option you’ll be looking at a total cost of $869. Sadly, Google has been having inventory problems and it’s extremely difficult to find the
Samsung hardly has inventory issues as it’s better equipped to make smartphones in huge quantities. The
Google Pixel XL | Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus | |
AT&T | N/A | $850 or $28.34 per month for 30 months |
Sprint | N/A | $850 or $35.42 per month for 24 months |
T-Mobile | N/A | $850 or $30 per month for 24 months with a $130 down payment |
Verizon | $770 or $32.08 per month for 24 months | $840 or $35 per month for 24 months |
That’s a lot more expensive, but you are getting double the storage of the base Google Pixel XL, and a much-improved processor. We have to hand it to Samsung due to Google’s poor stock issues.
Winner: Samsung
Overall winner: Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus
There’s really no question here — the Samsung
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