“iPhone X or S8? Strong Competitors. Similar Price Range. Which one should you buy? Let’s see.”
iPhone recently launched its flagship anniversary edition to be called iPhone X (or call it 10 to mark the 10th Anniversary of Apple) and this smartphone is nothing like the past iPhone models. Featuring an edge-to edge OLED display, Face ID (use your face to unlock the phone) and Animojis, it seems like an evolution of iPhone altogether.
However, it is not the sole smartphone in the market with Samsung Galaxy Note 8/S8 plus in tow. Hailed as the only competitor of iPhone X in the smartphone market, it will be interesting to see which one emerges as a winner in our direct comparison here.
Let’s begin…
iPhone X vs Samsung Galaxy S8/S8 Plus
First Things First, the screen & display
With Apple pushing out on edge-to-edge display, the first look of both smartphones is quite similar, to begin with. However, there are few major differences between these two.
Talking about screen size, where Apple’s flagship boasts 5.8 inches, Samsung comes out as a winner with a 6.3-inch display screen. Now where Apple has adopted OLED screen for the first time, Samsung holds the market for its Smart OLED screen phones.
Coming to a bezel-less screen, Apple has done it beautifully with barely a small space occupying front camera and sensors. When it comes to Samsung the screen is a little curved and there are slight edges around as well.
With a distinctive new look, iPhone X looks better and bigger than its preceding model. But coming to Samsung S8, it just falls short with just 625 nits. That’s just half to what Samsung is already offering over 1200 nits. This purely means better visibility in sunlight.
Now, we know when it comes to Apple there’s nothing they do small.
So with the iPhone X featuring the “toughest display ever”, S8 uses Gorilla Glass 5 which is an industry standard of its own.
Other iPhone X features include true tone display, 3-D touch HDR, and Dolby Vision. Samsung S8 stands out with a better water resistance and of course better display quality at 521 pixels per inch.
Which one is more convenient to use? iPhone X or Samsung S8/S8 Plus
Apple had earlier removed the headphone jack followed by fingerprint touch ID completely on the latest model. But this can be quite an inconvenience for people who are just habitual with using a fingerprint to unlock their phones.
Yes, the 3D Sensors and facial mapping are great. Especially when you think about the fun it’ll be with Animojis.
All that is just in one word – Awesome and unbelievable.
But that’s just how Apple rolls. But case in point here is convenience. With Samsung, you have the option of just plugging in your headphones in the traditional jack and enjoy. Not so with Apple. With iPhone X, you’ll either have to adapt to wired headphones with a lightning connector or always carry an adapter with you.
Expandable Memory Support
As expected iPhone X doesn’t have an additional SD card slot and comes in two variants: 64 GB and 256 GB.
In case of Samsung S8, we get to pick from three models: 64 GB, 128 GB, and 256 GB.
Want more? No worries. S8 and S8 plus come with an expandable memory support. So, just grab an additional SD card and you have all the storage you require in the humble S8.
USB Type C-Support for S8, Lightning Port for iPhone X
While it was highly rumored that the latest special edition model will carry a USB type C port like most high-end smartphones of 2017, Apple is still relying on its lightning port for data transfer and charging.
Samsung S8/S8 Plus, however, comes with a USB type C port for faster data transfer between gadgets.
Which Phone Boosts More Power?
iPhone X has a new A11 Bionic processor and comes packed with four low-power core and two high-power cores.
Meanwhile, S8 has a Samsung Exynos 8895 which is considered one of the best and fastest processors in 2017. It is also packed with 4 GB RAM while iPhone X carries 3 GB RAM.
Still, Apple has claimed to have the fastest processor you can get your hands on today. While the speed-test will reveal true facts, it is rumored that the low-power cores in Apple work faster than the high-power cores in Samsung.
Only time will tell which one holds true for their claims. With a case in Point, Huawei is also coming up with its AI chip called Huawei Kiran 970.
It’ll be interesting to see how it competes with A11 processor on iPhone X.
Camera & Video Quality: Which is better?
Continuing the trends of iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone X has a 12 MP dual camera with the top having f 1.8 and the lower one being a telephoto with f 2.4. Both of these come with Optical Image Stabilization. So even if you zoom or move around a lot, your picture quality won’t be affected.
Also, worth a mention is the portrait mode feature that lets you adjust the lighting of pics giving them a true-to-life effect.
Samsung Galaxy S8/S8 Plus have a single 12 MP camera (f 1.7 & f 2.4) and dual LED flash that promises better picture quality in low lighting scenario.
While it is tough to come to a decision right now, iPhone specs suggest an edge over Samsung where image quality is concerned.
Honorable Mention: True tone flash and improved Camera quality aside, now you can capture 4K quality videos at an impressive 60 frames per second (fps) in iPhone X.
iPhone X vs S8/S8 Plus: Other Differences that Matter
Let’s talk battery life first. iPhone X claims to have an extension of 2 hours than its precedent iPhone 7s Plus. Here, Samsung can go all day long with its 3000 mAH battery.
Other features in iPhone X include stereo speakers which are unlike you’ll get anything in other smartphones. Improved Taptic Engine 3 will impressively make processing and functionality of complex tasks faster. Well, talking improvements LTE Speed has also enhanced for both iPhone X and Samsung S8/S8 Plus models.
In Samsung, you have an added perk of Gear VR support which is damn cool and entertaining as well.
Which Smartphone Holds More Value For Money?
The Apple iPhone X and Samsung Galaxy S8/S8 Plus both are refined flagship phones that shine in their own right. With Samsung S8 valued at $689 and iPhone X at $999, there is a close difference of $300 in the price range.
However, the specifications for both these gems reveal they are one of a kind. Now which one you should buy will depend entirely on your preference and budget. While true hardcore Apple fans will settle on nothing less than iPhone X, other users can give the brilliant smartphone Samsung S8 a green signal.
After all, it is the finest Android Smartphone in 2017.
Our Say: For now, it’s a draw!
For more updates, just drop in your email and subscribe to Freaksense.
