Horror MMO ‘The Secret World’ returns and this time it’s free

While horror MMO The Secret World never quite became the next World of Warcraft, its unique supernatural vibe made it a cult hit among MMO fans. The game’s publisher, Funcom, plans to relaunch the game as a free-to-play “shared-world action RPG,” no doubt hoping to cash in on the original title’s recognition while updating the title for a modern audience.

Secret World Legends will launch with the same original eight levels of creepy, supernatural content as the original MMO, with the rest of the environments, dungeons and stories from The Secret World following soon. Funcom also plans to create original content for the new game in the near future. All content will be free, though things like extra character slots and more weapon storage will cost you.

If you’re still invested in The Secret World MMO, you can continue to play, as the new title will exist on its own server. If you want to start over in the new game but keep any customizations you earned in the first title, there will be a transfer system in place.

Secret World Legends will be available on Steam, and all players will start at the beginning. This is a new start, story-wise, for everyone. If you’re interested in checking it out now, the closed beta is taking applications today.

Source: Funcom

Samsung’s ‘unbox your phone’ event gave us a phone that’s still a box

Before Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S8 to the world, it teased the audience with a device that would break the conventions of the traditional smartphone. The event’s pre-roll animation showed an enormous 1980s brick phone morphing into a 1990s-era flip-phone, which in turn evolved into a modern smartphone. That device then exploded beyond its frame and summoned the event’s tagline: “Unbox your phone.” When the event started, however, Samsung didn’t reveal a revolution in smartphone design — it showed the world another glass slab with a gorgeously large touchscreen. Except this one has smaller bezels.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 certainly has a larger screen than most smartphones: Its display stretches almost the entire length of the chassis, framed only by thin bezels on the top and bottom. The screen is so wide, it spills over the sides of the phone, curving to the contours of the handset. The device that Samsung mobile chief DJ Koh unveiled on stage is certainly beautiful, and it’s sure to be a trend-setter, but it’s not quite “a new era of smartphone design.” The Samsung Galaxy S8 is still very much a box of a smartphone, albeit a slightly fancier (and rounder) one.

Throughout the presentation, Samsung oversold the Galaxy S8’s design by a wide margin. Senior VP Justin Denison came on stage to call it a “completely new form factor,” telling the audience again that the phone’s slightly larger screen made it as big of a revolution in phone design as the jump from flip-phone to smartphone. At best, the S8 is a revision that borrows from the best of previous devices. The Huawei Mate 9 Pro, Xiaomi Mi Note 2 and even Samsung’s own Galaxy S7 Edge all curved the screen around their phone’s sides to some degree, and Xiaomi’s Mix has already shown us a smartphone with almost no bezel to speak of. Even the Galaxy S8’s so-called “invisible home button” is old hat. Nexus devices have been shipping without physical buttons for years. Yes, the pressure sensitive element behind the screen is good evolution on the idea, but not a completely new one. Remember when Apple introduced 3D Touch?

The Galaxy S8 does have more than a few novel features, but even these are iterative improvements on old ideas. By adding encryption to face detection, Samsung owners can not only unlock their phone by simply looking at it, but also use their face to securely log into websites and services. The phone’s Dex desktop dock’s ability to stretch the smartphone’s mobile OS into a traditional computing environment has potential, but it’s also something we’ve seen Microsoft, Canonical, HP, Motorola and others try before. For all of Samsung’s pomp and circumstance on stage, there’s very little about the Galaxy S8 we haven’t seen in some form.

Don’t get me wrong, the Samsung Galaxy S8 looks like a nice device. Really nice. But it’s not the revolution the company claims it to be. It’s an amalgam of the best features from previous devices with a screen that takes curved display technology to the next logical iteration. That’s something to be proud of, but it’s nowhere near the same leap forward in design and technology as the flip-phone was to the smartphone.

Click here to catch all the latest news from Samsung’s Galaxy S8 launch event!

Watch Samsung’s Galaxy S8 event in under nine minutes

After a 15-minute “you can still trust us” intro, endless inspired-by-your-dreams cliches and enough specs to benumb the most caffeinated tech blogger, Samsung actually unveiled two damn good phones, the Galaxy S8 and S8+. We wouldn’t be so cruel as to put you through the hour-plus ordeal, though, dear reader. We’ve condensed the whole thing down to nine minutes, so you can catch all the highlights — Bixby! Infinite displays! Super selfies! Flame-free! — and none of the tedium. Enjoy.

Click here to catch all the latest news from Samsung’s Galaxy S8 launch event!

Blizzard puts a smidge of ‘Overwatch’ in ‘Heroes of the Storm’

Blizzard is working hard to overhaul its free-to-play multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) Heroes of the Storm. The studio has announced some big changes are coming in the game’s 2.0 update, including a new reward system similar to Blizzard’s hugely popular online shooter, Overwatch.

“This is the next stage in the game’s growth,” Heroes of the Storm Game Director Alan Dabiri said in a developer update posted on YouTube today. “Heroes 2.0 reflects everything we’ve been building towards since launch, as well as our current design philosophy and a bunch of extensive plans for future content.”

Previously, players earned in-game gold or cosmetic character skins by reaching certain milestone levels. Now, they’ll receive a Loot Chest every time they level up. As in Overwatch, the chests will be separated into three categories — Common, Rare and Epic — and each type is guaranteed to award at least one item of that rarity or higher. Additionally, players will get hero-specific chests for every 10 levels they gain with a particular character. Impatient players who don’t want to wait for level-ups can always buy chests through the game menu.

Of course, if you’re going to have Loot Chests, they need to have loot in them. Blizzard is also adding more cosmetic items to the game, including sprays, emojis, portraits and voice lines. Shards, also gained through chests and duplicate items, allow you to craft specific cosmetics to add to your collection.

The 2.0 update’s other big change is to Heroes of the Storm’s progression system. Before, it was too easy to gain early levels, and later levels felt like a slog. The patch changes all of that by slightly increasing the experience needed during the first few levels, then reducing the amount needed to progress later by approximately 75 to 80 percent. Blizzard is also removing the Player and Hero Level caps. Your Player Level will now be the sum of all Hero levels, so whenever you gain a new Hero level, your overall Player Level will increase too.

“Uncapping progression helps us accomplish our goals to make progression more frequent and more meaningful,” Blizzard said in a Battle.net post.

Blizzard is holding a month-long beta to test the changes. They will go live on April 25th.

Via: Polygon

Source: Blizzard Entertainment

Review: D-Link’s Omna 180 Cam HD Offers HomeKit, But Could Use Improvement

Connected home security cameras have been on the market for quite some time, but D-Link recently began selling the first HomeKit-compatible security camera.

Priced competitively at $199, the D-Link Omna 180 Cam HD camera has several perks over competing cameras that don’t offer HomeKit integration — it’s guaranteed to have Apple’s required level of encryption, it works with Siri, and it can be viewed right in the Apple-created Home app.

Design

The Omna is made from brushed aluminum and is palm-sized, so it can be placed just about anywhere, but it needs to go on a flat surface and can’t be wall mounted like some other options. Size wise, it’s a bit taller than a standard soda can, but skinnier.

The camera portion is mounted on the front, a microSD card slot is at the bottom along with a reset button, and there’s a small grated area at the bottom, presumably for heat dissipation, since the Omna does get somewhat warm. A green LED on the front lights up when it’s powered on, and a power cord is attached to the back.

There is no included battery, so the Omna can’t be used without a power source, but it connects to a home Wi-Fi network so only a single power cord is needed for operation.

Along with the camera, it includes a microphone for two-way communication purposes. All in all, it’s a compact, simple camera that fits in well wherever it’s placed, but it’s not going to go in as many places as the cameras that can also be wall mounted.

Camera Quality

One of the Omna’s best features is its 180 degree wide-angle lens, which offers a wider view than many of the other home cameras on the market. The super wide angle captures almost the entirety of my office, and if I had it back further in the corner, it would be able to see the entire room from wall to wall.

The camera is 1080p for a clear picture in both bright and low light situations. Quality wise, it is on par with my Logi Circle and the Flir FX that I’ve tested in the past, and I was impressed with the resolution. Everything was clear with little blurring, but there is distortion due to the angle of the lens.

The Logi Circle has a zoom function that I use often, something that’s missing here in the Omna. There’s no zoom capability to get a closer look at what’s going on in the room.

When the lights are out or in low light situations, the Omna has an infrared night vision setting for capturing clear video even when it’s dark.

Because the lens is so wide, the Omna needs to be positioned carefully. If it’s next to anything, the object may block a portion of the field of view, which somewhat limits where it can be placed. In my office, I needed to put it at the very corner edge of a side table for a decent view.

App

The Omna app is bare bones and offers surprisingly few options in comparison to other similar camera apps. It opens to a home screen with buttons to view the camera, change Home/Room settings, add accessories, and choose between a live view and SD playback for video saved to an SD card.

There are also options to turn on motion detection and set a motion detection area, which allows you to single out areas where motion detection should be focused, such as a door or window, while ignoring other areas. A re-trigger delay can also be set, as can a sensitivity feature.

Motion detection can be used with HomeKit and it can also be used to send you alerts whenever motion is detected. Unfortunately, there’s no way to use a timer with motion detection to turn it on automatically when you leave the house — it’s on or it’s off and it needs to be toggled on or off in the app. You can create a motion detection automation in the Home app, but it’s limited to always on or on after sunset, and it can’t be used in scenes. There are no deeper levels of customization.

There is no cloud storage option in the Omna app, so there’s no way to store footage remotely. For some people who don’t want their camera streams uploaded to the cloud, this is a plus, but for others concerned about home security, it’s a negative.

If someone broke into a home and was captured on the Omna camera, the footage could be erased and made inaccessible simply by taking the camera or the SD card. It’s not exactly inconspicuous with a green LED that doesn’t turn off, and, at night, an additional two red LEDs for the night vision.

The SD card option seems to only save 20 seconds of footage at a time, with no option to extend it, which seems way too short. Recordings happen whenever motion is detected. Based on the motion delay you’ve set in the app, you’ll get 20 second snippets every 30 seconds to 5 minutes. Mine’s set at five minutes, so my camera is essentially recording 20 seconds of footage at five minute intervals whenever it sees movement (by the way, it’s activated by movement only – not sound).

I would rather be able to have continuous recording that captured a longer length of time but overwrote footage as the SD card fills up because I don’t think these 20 second snippets would be useful in a situation where I need camera footage. It’s also not possible to set the SD card to record only at specific times — it’s all or nothing.

The 20 second limit is designed to allow users to check in and watch a short snippet whenever a motion detection notification is sent, which is useful, but I would have liked to have additional recording options. The Omna app’s organization for SD recordings is also abysmal, with each snippet denoted by just a date and time, and there’s no way to save footage to the camera roll.

HomeKit Integration

The Omna Camera can be used with either the dedicated D-Link Omna app or with the built-in Home app that’s available on iOS devices. In the Home app, if added as a favorite accessory, the camera feed will be viewable directly on the home screen, which is useful for getting an overview of all HomeKit-enabled products at a glance.

That it’s viewable in the Home app also means there’s no need to download the Omna app on each device – you can just use the Home app when you need to access the camera. You will need to use the dedicated Omna app for viewing footage recorded on the SD card, though. Home can only show a live view.

Because it uses HomeKit, the Omna was simple to set up. I downloaded the Omna app, chose “Add Accessory” and then scanned the HomeKit code on the device. It took just a few seconds to get it up and running from there, and I also could have set it up directly in the Home app to save even more time. I already have a HomeKit setup so I didn’t need to go through that process, but if this is your first HomeKit product, there are a few other steps, such as creating a room.

In HomeKit, the Omna camera and its motion sensing capabilities are treated as two different accessories, which allows for motion sensing options when creating an Automation in the Home app. When motion is detected, HomeKit can do things like turn on your lights, but I’m not sure how useful this is because, as mentioned before, no real timers can be set.

As I mentioned before, motion sensing can also be used for sending an alert to an iPhone whenever motion is detected, a great option when away from home, but again, this will need to be toggled on manually in the app unless you want constant alerts. When you get a motion detected alert, it comes with a quick snapshot of what’s going on in the room.

As for Siri integration, you can ask about the camera to bring up the live view in the Home app, or you can ask whether or not the camera is detecting any motion, and that’s about it. Siri isn’t super useful with camera accessories.

The other HomeKit aspect worth mentioning is encryption. Apple has high encryption standards and requires all of its HomeKit-certified products to implement strong encryption, which brings peace of mind, especially with a product like a camera.

Bottom Line

If you have an extensive HomeKit setup or are interested in HomeKit products, the Omna is worth checking out. If you don’t have a HomeKit setup, there’s no real reason to get the Omna — it’s clearly been designed to work with HomeKit and the app is a little barebones compared to the apps of other camera products like the Logi Circle or the Flir FX.

HomeKit has some undeniable benefits like encryption, an ability to see the camera view in the Home app and motion detection triggers, but beyond that, this is just a standard camera that has some shortcomings compared to other home security cameras on the market. It’s a solid camera, but if you don’t need HomeKit compatibility, there are better options.

If you’re looking for a security solution, the Omna is probably also not the greatest choice. It doesn’t offer a lot of options when it comes to recording video, and without offsite storage, a thief can just walk away with your camera. If you just need something for checking in on pets and kids every now and then and aren’t concerned with the drawbacks, the Omna is worth considering.

Pros:

• Simple setup
• HomeKit-level encryption
• 180 degree field of view
• Infrared for recording at night
• No subscription fees

Cons:

• No cloud storage
• Motion detection isn’t customizable enough
• Need to buy separate microSD card
• No sound activation, movement only
• Can’t easily save footage to iPhone
• Can’t view recorded footage in Home app
• No zoom
• Can’t turn off LEDs

How to Buy

The Omna 180 Cam HD Camera is available from Apple.com for $199.95.

Tags: HomeKit, review, D-Link
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Kubo: A Samurai Quest is a immersive Match 3 puzzle game with a lovely soundtrack (review)

I don’t know about you, but I really enjoyed Coraline – the beautiful animation movie with a touching story. Well the team that created this film, LAIKA is also behind a game I recently ended up playing. It’s called Kubo: A Samurai Quest and it’s a Match 3 puzzle game. The game is inspired by another LAIKA movie called Kubo and the Two Strings – which I am yet to see.

I’m a tile-matching puzzle enthusiast for a very simple reason – this sort of game tends to utterly relax me, so naturally I was very keen to try this little game out.

Setup

The game is free for download from the Google Play Store. Just install it on your phone and you’ll be ready to roll. However, the installation process does take a while, so be prepared to wait a few minutes. I should also warn you that, in-app purchases are also going to pop up once in a while, allowing you to unlock certain features to enhance game play – which might prove a little annoying. Thankfully if you don’t want that, you can disable the in-app purchase feature from your phone’s settings.

Impressions

The game is not just a simple Match 3 game, as it follows a story line that seems to be based on the movie’s plot. As in the film, Kubo is a boy with an eye patch who has some powers including storytelling and origami, which he combines to keep the locals of a small Japanese village entertained.

There are 3 chapters available for play, but only the first one is accessible at first – the next two you will have to unlock. Most of the levels you’ll end up going through, are pretty genre-standard, with time-limits and match goals.

Depending on the level you are at, you’ll be asked to match certain jewels in order to complete the quests assigned. But from time to time, you’ll get to play a level where origami creatures battle one another. Match 3 or more swords to attack the enemy or 3 or more hearts to replenish health levels. As you advance into the game play, you can select up to three creatures to have in your party, which can also be leveled up.

The battle system is element based and there are five elements to be taken into consideration including Fire, Water, Nature, Light and Dark. So Water beats Fire and Light beats Dark and so on. Tiles are different based on the level you play. The graphics are really beautiful and colorful and the soundtrack is equally so. Throughout the chapters players will encounter mini-bosses and there’s one big boss fight waiting for the final fight.

The score-based levels are the most challenging the game throws at you. On these levels, players need to make sure to use the special charms as much as possible in order to get access to the big combos. The storytelling levels are the easiest to deal with and the combat levels are perhaps the most interesting to play.

As I mentioned above, throughout the pack, gamers will be tempted to purchase “Starter Packs” which include gems and bonuses, but you are free to ignore these offers by tapping on the X icon. However, without these power-ups the game play will get quite hard around level 20 or so.

While the game is engaging and fun to play, there are some issues the developers need to address to appease their fans. The game seems to have persistent loading problems. It especially has a tendency of stalling at the main loading screen. One time I waited so long that I got annoyed and started doing something else instead. I even tried re-installing it once, only to lose my progress. Luckily I haven’t experienced any crushes while playing, but a game that takes forever to load is certainly not fun. Especially if for example, you’re on a lunch break and you want to play a few quick levels, before going back to the office.

Conclusions

I can honestly say that Kubo: A Samurai Quest is one of the best Match 3 puzzle games I’ve played (and I’ve played a lot). It has beautiful graphics, a nice story line and inspiring music. However, some of you might be bothered by all the persistent monetization attempts. Also the loading issues need to be fixed. But apart from that, I really do recommend you try it out, especially if you love origami and Japanese culture.

Garmin’s new Forerunner 935 will get you in shape — and help you stay that way

Why it matters to you

Getting in shape isn’t easy, but the new Garmin Forerunner 935 packs loads of features that simplify the process.

There’s a new fitness watch in town, and it’s a Garmin. On Wednesday, the company known best for its Fenix line of multisport accessories revealed its newest wearable creation: The Forerunner 935. And unlike Garmin’s Fenix watches, it places fitness first.

Three key features round out the Forerunner 935’s training software. The first, Training Status, analyzes your previous workout sessions and fitness level to determine how well you’re performing. The second, Training Load, takes a longer view, tabulating a week’s worth of workouts and adjusting the next week’s sessions accordingly. The third, Training Effect, susses out the aerobic efficacy of a single activity — if you’re falling short of the app’s benchmarks, it will let you know.

More: Garmin Vivofit 3 review

The Forerunner tracks a bevy of specific activities, too. When you’re cycling, it records dynamics like your “power zones,” the time you spend seated and standing, and more. In the water, it tracks your distance, stroke, pace, and personal records. And when your hiking, trail running, skiing, participating in paddle sports, or golfing, it will automatically recognize and track metrics.

Sensors out the wazoo enable all that tracking. The Forerunner 935 incorporates GPS/GLONASS location tracking, and a built-in altimeter provides real-time elevation information. A barometer and compass, meanwhile, predict weather changes by showing short-term trends in air pressure. And a VO2 Max sensor estimates blood oxygen content.

Like the Garmin’s Fenix watches, the Forerunner is compatible with Garmin’s Connect IQ store, which packs apps like virtual trainer TrainingPeaks. And it can connect to the Strava app to calculate a “Suffer Score” — a real-time measure of exertion based on your heart rate.

More: Garmin Forerunner 35 GPS running watch review

The Forerunner 935’s shipping with a new accessory: The Running Dynamics Pod, a clip-on pod that tracks activity. It clips onto a pant waistband or bag strap, recording cadence, ground contact time, stride length, and more on the Forerunner 935.

Additionally, the 935 is compatible with Garmin’s Varia cycling-awareness sensors, the Vector pedal-based power system, the Index smart scale, and the Elevate wrist-based heart rate.

“As a top-of-the-line GPS smartwatch, the Forerunner 935 not only provides users with insight into how their body is responding to fitness, but also offers data for every activity”

The Forerunner 935 comes with swappable watch straps and a battery that lasts up to 24 hours when GPS is active (or two weeks when it isn’t).  It starts at $500, and a package bundle with additional heart rate trackers for triathletes and swimmers will go for $650 later this year.

Buy now from:

Amazon Garmin

Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus vs. Google Pixel XL: Two plus-sized phones battle it out

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.

More: Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus: Our first take

Specs

Google Pixel XL

Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus

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
DT Review
4 out of 5 stars
First Take

When it comes to specs, it’s truly a case of newer is better. For starters, the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus has the latest and greatest Qualcomm chipset, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, while the Google Pixel XL has the Snapdragon 821. The Snapdragon 821 was certainly a good chip for its time, and still is relatively powerful, but not against the newer Snapdragon 835.

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 RAM.

Next up is storage. The Google Pixel XL offers either 32GB or 128GB of storage, while the Galaxy S8 Plus only comes in 64GB — so while the base model of the Galaxy S8 Plus has more than the base model of the Pixel XL, the Pixel XL has more options. Of course, then there’s the microSD card slot in the Galaxy S8 Plus, which lets you expand your storage by up to 256GB.

The Galaxy S8 has a better processor and the ability to expand on storage, so it’s the winner in the performance department.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus

Samsung Galaxy S8 vs. LG G6: Battle of the ultra-slim bezels

The hotly anticipated Galaxy S8 has finally arrived, and it’s just as impressive as expected. Samsung’s newest flagship features a curved screen, cutting-edge processor, a brand-new digital assistant, and more.

But the Galaxy S8 isn’t the only heavyweight on the mobile playing field. LG’s brand-new G6 is one of the best phones we’ve tested, and updates promise to make it better. To put an end to the debate, we pitted the two phones against each other in a specifications battle to the finish.

More: Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus vs. Google Pixel XL: Two plus-sized phones battle it out

Specs

Samsung Galaxy S8

LG G6

Size
148.9 x 68.1 x 8.0 millimeters (5.86 x 2.71 x 0.31 inches)
148.9 x 71.9 x 7.9 millimeters (5.86 x 2.83 x 0.31 inches)
Weight
5.47 ounces (155 grams)
5.75 ounces (163 grams)
Screen
5.8-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED
5.7-inch IPS LCD touchscreen
Resolution
2,960 x 1,440
2,880 × 1,440 pixels
OS
Android 7.0 Nougat
Android 7.0 Nougat
Storage
64GB
32 (64GB in select markets)
MicroSD Card Slot
Yes
Yes
NFC support
Yes
Yes
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
Samsung Exynos 9 Series 8895 (International)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 821
RAM
4GB
4GB
Connectivity
4G LTE, GSM, CDMA, HSPA+, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi
4G LTE, HSPA+, 802.11ac/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi
Camera
12MP rear with OIS, 8MP front
13MP rear dual with OIS and wide-angle lens, 5MP front
Video
4K
4K
Bluetooth
Yes, version 5
Yes, version 4.2
Fingerprint sensor
Yes
Yes
Other sensors
Barometer, gyroscope, accelerometer, proximity sensor
Barometer, gyroscope, accelerometer, proximity sensor
Water Resistant
Yes, IP68
Yes, IP68
Battery
3,000mAh
3,300mAh
Charger
USB Type-C
USB Type-C
Quick Charging
Yes
Yes
Wireless Charging
Yes, Qi and PMA
Yes, Qi and PMA (U.S. only)
Marketplace
Google Play Store
Google Play Store
Color offerings
Black, silver, orchid gray, coral blue (international) gold (international)
White, black, platinum
Availability
AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile

AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile

Price
Starting at $720
Starting at $650
DT Review
First Take
4.5 out of 5 stars

On the inside, the LG G6 isn’t all that different from the Galaxy S8. Both pack Qualcomm-made processors paired with an identical amount of memory (4GB of RAM). But generational improvements give the Galaxy S8 the edge, here.

The Galaxy S8 sports Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor, the newest in the company’s chip arsenal. It’s built on a 10-nanometer process, which crams 30 percent more parts into the same space than the previous generation of Snapdragon processors. Qualcomm gave Anandtech a preview at its San Diego headquarters, and a reference device packing the new processor outperformed older chips by close to 40 percent in multi-threaded tasks. That doesn’t account for Samsung’s tweaks, of course, but it seems that in terms of raw numbers, the Snapdragon 835 is the one to beat.

LG’s G6, on the other hand, boasts the slightly older Snapdragon 821 processor — the same powering the OnePlus 3T and Google Pixel.

In most apps, benchmarks, and real-world situations, the Snapdragon 835 appears to beat the Snapdragon 821 handily. Anandtech’s testing shows it achieving a score of 3,844 in 3D Mark’s Slingshot Extreme test compared to the Snapdragon 821’s 2,106.

There’s no question when it comes to processing power: The Galaxy S8 is far and away the winner. We expect it to handle games, apps, and day-to-day tasks much more efficiently than the G6.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S8

Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus vs. iPhone 7 Plus: Which adds more value?

Last year was an eventful year for Samsung, and that’s putting it mildly. August saw the release of the much-anticipated Galaxy Note 7, which blew the competition out of the water — quite literally as the phone was soon blacklisted from entire countries and banned from major airlines after it revealed a nasty habit of catching fire in owners’ pockets.

Not to worry, though; Samsung is a ginormous company, and it has a second chance to regain consumer trust with the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus. So how does Samsung’s latest flagship stack up against Apple’s highly-acclaimed iPhone 7 Plus? We break the specs down to find a winner.

More: Behind the scenes: How Samsung designed and built the Galaxy S8 and S8+

Specs

Galaxy S8 Plus

iPhone 7 Plus

Size
159.5 x 73.4 x 8.1 mm (6.28 x 2.89 x 0.32 in)
158.2 x 77.9 x 7.3 mm (6.23 x 3.07 x 0.29 in)
Weight
6.1 ounces (173 grams)
6.63 ounces (188 grams)
Screen
6.2-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED touchscreen
5.5-inch Retina HD LED-backlit touchscreen
Resolution
1,440 x 2,960 pixels (529 ppi)
1,080 x 1,920 pixels (401 ppi)
OS
Android 7.0 Nougat
iOS 10
Storage
64GB
32, 128, 256GB
MicroSD card slot
Yes
No
NFC support
Yes
Yes
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
Samsung Exynos 9 Series 8895 (International)
A10 Fusion with 64-bit architecture, M10 motion coprocessor
RAM
4GB
3GB
Connectivity
4G LTE, GSM, CDMA, HSPA+, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi
4G LTE, GSM, CDMA, HSPA+, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi
Camera
12MP rear with OIS, 8MP front
Dual 12MP rear, 7MP front
Video
4K
4K
Bluetooth
Yes, version 5
Yes, version 4.2
Fingerprint sensor
Yes
Touch ID
Other sensors
Barometer, gyroscope, accelerometer, proximity sensor
Barometer, 3-axis gyro, accelerometer, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor
Water resistant
Yes, IP68 rated
Yes, IP67 rated
Battery
3,500 mAh
2,900 mAh
Charger
USB Type-C
Lightning
Marketplace
Google Play Store
Apple App Store
Color offerings
Black, silver, orchid gray, coral blue (international), gold (international)
Gold, rose gold, silver, black, jet black
Availability
AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile

AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, Unlocked
Price
Starting at $840
Starting at $770
DT review
First Take
4/5 Stars

Based on early benchmarks, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 in Samsung’s Galaxy S8 Plus may have a comparable processor, that’s in some ways better and worse, to Apple’s A10 Fusion chip in the iPhone 7 Plus. We’ll have to test the S8 Plus’ real-world performance. Keep in mind that Apple has the best optimization of its hardware and software, allowing for extremely powerful performance.

The S8 Plus does have 4GB of RAM, which is more than the iPhone’s 3GB, but Apple’s smartphones are more memory efficient so more RAM doesn’t necessarily mean the S8 will offer better performance. The S8 Plus is limited to 64GB of storage, while the iPhone has more storage options. But you can add up to 256GB of space or higher via a MicroSD card slot on the S8 Plus, if you so desire.

The Galaxy S8 Plus boasts a superior battery than the iPhone (3,500 mAh vs. 2,900 mAh) so you can expect it to last longer, though it should be noted that iPhones have stellar standby battery life. In terms of connectivity, the S8 Plus is equipped with Bluetooth 5.0, which should offer improved range and transfer speed over version 4.2 on the iPhone 7 Plus.

We’ll have to test real-world performance of the S8 Plus to see how it compares to the iPhone 7 Plus before we crown a winner.

Winner: Tie