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OnePlus 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S8: This Could Be INTERESTING…
Michael Grothaus
22/06/2017 – 12:53pm
The two Android flagships go head to head – we compare the Samsung Galaxy S8 to the newly launched OnePlus 5
Without a doubt, the biggest flagship smartphone of 2017 has so far been the Samsung Galaxy S8.
Its display has been widely praised for its virtually borderless design. It’s a win the company needed after the disastrous Note 7 fiasco last year. However, it’s still too early to tell if the S8 will be the financial hit the company needs. As the Financial Times reports:
“Samsung must be glad that the new phone has not caused any big trouble like the Note 7 battery problem. There seems to be no worry about its quality,” said Kim Young-woo, analyst at SK Securities. However, the phones are not selling as well abroad as in the domestic market, Mr Kim added. “Its domestic performance is very good while its overseas sales have been similar to those of its predecessors. There seem to be many consumers overseas waiting for the new iPhone launch,” he said. The S8 is on sale in the US, South Korea and parts of Europe, and analysts said this month that Samsung had sold 5m units globally in the three weeks after its launch. The company did not deny the industry estimate but declined to comment.”
And things won’t get easier for S8 sales as the year goes on. The second half of 2017 will see a number of major flagships from competitors launching. The most recent of which is OnePlus’s new OnePlus 5. But just which phone is better? The OnePlus 5 or the Samsung Galaxy S8? We took a look to find out.
OnePlus 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S8: Specs
Here are the specs for the Samsung Galaxy S8:
- Display: 5.8in 2960×1440 Super AMOLED at 572 ppi
- Dimensions: 148.9 mm × 68.1 mm × 8.0 mm
- Weight: 155 grams
- Storage: 64 GB + microSD card slot
- Memory: 4 GB of 6 GB RAM
- Processors: Exynos 8895 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (Octa-core, 10 nm, up to 2.45GHz)
- Front camera: 8 MP
- Rear camera: 12 MP
- Battery: 3000 mAh
And here’s the specs for the OnePlus 5:
- Display: 5.5in display with a 1920×1080 resolution at 401ppi
- Dimensions: 152.7mm x 74.7 mm x 7.25mm
- Weight: 153 grams
- Storage: 64 or 128GB
- Memory: 6 GB of 8GB RAM
- Processors: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (Octa-core, 10 nm, up to 2.45GHz)
- Front camera: 16 MP
- Rear camera: Dual camera 16 MP wide-angle lens and 20 MP telephoto lens.
- Battery: 3300 mAh
Let’s dig down into the specs. First of all the OnePus 5 has some clear advantages here. It offers more RAM with 6GB of 8GB of DDR4 RAM (depending on which model you get). The Galaxy S8 only offers 4GB of 6GB of DDR4 RAM (depending on which model you get). As for storage, the OnePlus 5 also beats the Galaxy S8 here with 64GB or 128GB options. The Galaxy S8 only comes in a 64GB model. However, the S8 does feature a microSD card slot, meaning you could add more storage than the OnePlus 5 is capable of.
As far as CPU goes, both models feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, so there’s no way either phone could one-up the other in this department. However, in some regions the S8 ships with an Exynos 8895 instead. Still, both chips are relatively similar in processing power.
OnePlus 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S8: Design & Build
The OnePlus 5 features an anodized aluminum body with rounded corners that comes in at 7.25mm thin. The Samsung Galaxy S8 features a metal and glass design that comes in at a thicker 8.0mm thinness. Though we’re fans of the OnePlus 5’s awesome black body, nothing beats the metal and glass design of the S8; it’s just too beautiful. Both phones also feature USB-C ports and a 3.5mm audio jack port. The S8 comes in five color options while the OnePlus 5 only comes in Midnight Black / Slate Gray.
OnePlus 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S8: Display and Battery
No question about it, the Galaxy S8’s display DESTROYS the display one the OnePlus 5. While both are AMOLED panels, the S8’s display is both larger at 5.8in and has a much higher resolution at 2960×1440 at 572 ppi. Oh, and the display is virtually edge-to-edge and also features Mobile HDR support. That compares to the OnePlus 5’s 5.5in 1920×1080 at 401ppi. There’s just no way the 5 can match the S8 here.
As for battery, the OnePlus 5 wins, with its 3300 mAh pack. That’s compared to the Samsung Galaxy S8’s 3000 mAh battery. But how long a phone’s battery lasts has as much to do with the size of the pack as it does with how well the software works to conserve power.
OnePlus 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S8: Cameras
While the S8 may have the better display, the OnePlus 5 has the much better camera system. Starting with the front cameras, the S8 has an 8MP lens with iris recognition. How well that iris recognition works is up to some debate. The OnePlus 5 doubles the MP with its front camera—coming in a 16MP, handily beating the S8. Moving to the rear cameras, the OnePlus 5 wins again with a dual lens 16MP wide-angle lens and 20 MP telephoto lens setup. The rear camera in the S8 is a 12MP single lens setup.
OnePlus 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S8: Verdict
It’s a tough choice here—there isn’t a clear winner. But if you prize the display and storage expandability above all else in a smartphone, grab the Galaxy S8—it clearly wins in those departments. However, if you use your smartphone’s camera a lot, go with the OnePlus 5 as its camera systems but the Galaxy S8 to shame.
Interested in the Samsung Galaxy S8? Check out Carphone Warehouse’s exclusive offers and deals right now for the best prices in the UK
Alternatively, you can buy the Samsung Galaxy S8 outright – or on 0% finance – direct from Samsung. Personally, this is the way I would do it, as you avoid paying almost double the RRP for the phone over 24 months.
You also get to shop around for a truly competitive rolling contract that will save you hundreds over the course of 12 months and, best of all, if something else comes out you quite fancy, you can simply sell your phone and use the money to buy a new one.
The cost upfront is big, granted, but this is the very reason credit cards and 0% finance offers were created. Given the choice, I’d almost always buy something over leasing it – whether you’re talking about cars or phones.