Apple has a new smartphone foe in Samsung's Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus and the devices are surely designed to give the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus a good fight. From the revealed specs and features so far, it appears that the GS8 stands a good chance of dislodging the 2016 iPhones from the top.
Stacked up against the iOS flagships, the GS8 and GS8+ have at least six feature advantages:
3.5mm audio port
With the entry of iPhone 7 in 2016, Apple thought it wise to retire the 3.5mm audio port to the disappointment of millions who own wired ear and head phone. The move was to encourage the migration to wireless audio listening with the tech giant's introduction of the AirPods.
But in contrast, Samsung decided to stick with the sound connectivity standard so the two GS8 models retained the audio port that can take in 3.5mm audio jacks.
Fast and wireless charging
Prior to the iPhone 7 unboxing, rumors persisted that the device will boast not only fast charging capabilities but also the ability to charge up wirelessly. But Apple decided against the convenient features, which were already existent in Samsung's previous handset models and were carried over with the Galaxy S8.
Native VR support
Apple CEO Tim Cook has indicated that virtual reality will find its way to the iOS and MacOS platforms but as it turned out, the feature failed to make the cut in time for the iPhone 7 release last year. Good thing for both Android and Samsung fans, both the GS8 and GS8+ come with built-in VR support, highlighting the devices' forward-looking design.
Desktop function
Samsung partnered with Microsoft for a version of GS8 that will be called Galaxy S8 Microsoft Edition. The device will not run on Windows 10 but on Samsung's brand of Android that is optimized for desktop functionalities.
The same GS8 menu is said to deliver a more enhanced mobile computing setting with the optional Samsung Desktop Experience or DeX Dock. Needless to say, there is nothing in the iPhone 7 that will permit the use of the handset as a Mac replacement.
Iris scanner
Touch ID that debuted with the iPhone 5S redefined device security on flagship models, which Samsung would want to disrupt anew with the GS8's Iris Scanner. The Asian tech giant claims the eye reader technology is more secure than its fingerprint counterpart. And the same can secure specific or private folders.
Larger screen, smaller phone
The Galaxy S8 packs a display that stretches 5.8-inch diagonally while the GS8 Plus measures 6.2-inch. Early reviews confirmed the Samsung handsets really are big on the screen but not necessarily on the footprint. In fact, the GS8 nearly is with the same size as that of the iPhone 7 Plus in the same way that the GS8 Plus is the smallest phone in its class.
With the new 2017 flagships, Samsung is breaking the ground to pave the way for smartphones that sport large display but in smaller packages. And it remains to be seen if the iPhone 8 release later this year is headed to the same direction.