I got to try one today and surprisingly, I did not get that twinge of joy that I always get with a major release like this. Granted, it was running demo software, so I couldn't delve into the settings or feel what real-life use is like. The S8+ felt absolutely enormous - as much too long as the Nexus 6 felt too wide (sorry).
Impressions (S8)
in hand feel is nice - it is slightly more narrow than my regular s7, so reaching across is a breeze. I put them side by side, so I can confirm the footprint is less wide. I gotta say though, it does feel like holding a small surfboard and I honestly cannot reach the top of the screen without a serious shimmy of the hand. I'm not sure I could get used to the tall screen - it's really weird.
It does feel like a futuristic piece of tech, VERY polished from hardware to the software & menus. It does feel more fragile, though, probably because of the extra length.
The feeling of daintiness is increased by the freaking small touch targets such as the navigation keys, notification shorcuts, and especially the buttons in the camera app. Many of them are quite stylized - it's difficult to tell what some buttons are for, though anyone could learn them quickly. Also, and hopefully this was just demo software, but the camera opened directly into selfie mode each time. I hope this is not the default in consumer versions.
the s8 did not feel much faster than my s7. I suppose this could be because of the demo software, but my s7 is almost a year old and has many apps on it, so we'll have to see. Regular UI navigation does not feel blazing fast like the Pixel phones.
Fingerprint sensor location is a problem - since it's so high up on the tall phone, I can barely reach and will likely hit the camera on my way there since I'm a righty. I would definitely be using Iris scanner or facial recognition over that fingerprint sensor.
The buttons felt a bit mushy compared to my s7. Not as much like cold, clicky metal that I love in the s7
Bummer that the camera shortcut is now a double tap of the power button - way better than nothing, but not as fast when pulling out of a pocket.
Personally, I'll be waiting until at least a couple months after release before I consider this so I can see some longer term reviews. It's a pretty major design change and with this price, it had better be worth it.
Anyway, go try 'em out at BB!
Impressions (S8)
in hand feel is nice - it is slightly more narrow than my regular s7, so reaching across is a breeze. I put them side by side, so I can confirm the footprint is less wide. I gotta say though, it does feel like holding a small surfboard and I honestly cannot reach the top of the screen without a serious shimmy of the hand. I'm not sure I could get used to the tall screen - it's really weird.
It does feel like a futuristic piece of tech, VERY polished from hardware to the software & menus. It does feel more fragile, though, probably because of the extra length.
The feeling of daintiness is increased by the freaking small touch targets such as the navigation keys, notification shorcuts, and especially the buttons in the camera app. Many of them are quite stylized - it's difficult to tell what some buttons are for, though anyone could learn them quickly. Also, and hopefully this was just demo software, but the camera opened directly into selfie mode each time. I hope this is not the default in consumer versions.
the s8 did not feel much faster than my s7. I suppose this could be because of the demo software, but my s7 is almost a year old and has many apps on it, so we'll have to see. Regular UI navigation does not feel blazing fast like the Pixel phones.
Fingerprint sensor location is a problem - since it's so high up on the tall phone, I can barely reach and will likely hit the camera on my way there since I'm a righty. I would definitely be using Iris scanner or facial recognition over that fingerprint sensor.
The buttons felt a bit mushy compared to my s7. Not as much like cold, clicky metal that I love in the s7
Bummer that the camera shortcut is now a double tap of the power button - way better than nothing, but not as fast when pulling out of a pocket.
Personally, I'll be waiting until at least a couple months after release before I consider this so I can see some longer term reviews. It's a pretty major design change and with this price, it had better be worth it.
Anyway, go try 'em out at BB!
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