Samsung Galaxy S8 review: A mobile masterpiece

With many phones looking like clones, or brands nonchalantly pushing out the same old design year-on-year, Samsung is in that favourable position of offering something exciting in the Galaxy S8. It’s a phone that defines flagship design with its visually arresting dual curved edges. Its innards epitomise flagship specification. And its 18.5:9 ratio screen aims its sights at delivering best-in-class entertainment.

But the S8 is quite a departure for Samsung: it moves the fingerprint scanner from the once staple physical home key position on the front – which has been removed to make way for that unconventional screen – to the rear of the device, launches with a quick-access Bixby button but minus the voice-controlled assistant being properly functional, and costs a small fortune too. Do these points get in the way of what otherwise looks like the perfect flagship Android phone?

Samsung Galaxy S8 review: Design

• Dual curved edges
• Rear-positioned fingerprint scanner
• IP68 water/dust resistance
• 68.1 x 148.9 x 8mm; 155g

Samsung has opted for “Unbox your phone” as the slogan for S8 promo and, well, it’s hardly a catchy line. However, upon unboxing the S8 it’s immediately eye-catching – even before switching it on – given its shape, shine and meticulous finish. This is as good-looking as phones get. A key reason for that are those curved edges, which appear high-end and give the phone a greater sense of depth, plus added comfort when holding. This is a show-off phone, that’s for sure.

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The S8 might have a similar screen ratio to the LG G6, but Samsung delivers an altogether more integrated design in our view, as if you are holding the screen and almost nothing besides. As we touched upon, the S8’s screen-centric design means there’s no longer a physical home button, as there has been in Galaxy S devices for years.

That’s a big change for long-term Samsung users: unlocking the device now means reaching around to the rear to locate a slither of fingerprint scanner… a slither that’s been placed too high up the phone’s rear and foolishly to the side of the camera, so you’ll all too often smear that with some fingertip marks. Even after a week of use, we’ve rarely used the fingerprint scanner to unlock the device, as its response is weak – maybe 70 per cent success rate, compared to 99 per cent of the older Galaxy devices – instead opting only for finance and banking apps as its method of use. Muscle memory might help, but it needs a positional rethink for the S9.

But moving that fingerprint scanner away from front and centre is a big part of how Samsung has made a phone that’s dominated by the screen itself, not surrounding bezels and buttons. A trio of Android soft keys – current apps, home and back (in that order, left-to-right, not “backwards” as per previous Samsung devices) – sit on the screen, ready to be hidden away when content demands it, for an all-encompassing view. And it looks brilliant.

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The S8 isn’t bereft of buttons, though, with a lone power key to the right-hand side, with volume up/down and a dedicated Bixby button featuring on the opposite edge. Given the placement of this Bixby button – which, at the time of writing, is a pointless addition, as it doesn’t do anything and isn’t programmable – we’ve often picked the phone up back-to-front, that’s how reversible those dual curved edges and black-out AMOLED screen make the phone seem when handling it blindly.

Samsung Galaxy S8 review: Display

• 5.8-inch 2960 x 1440 Super AMOLED
• 18.5:9 aspect ratio Infinity Display
• Mobile HDR (high dynamic range) capable

Display wise there’s one point to clear out of the way: the Galaxy S8 has a bigger brother, the S8+, which is a larger-screen version (with a slightly more capacious battery to match). As that all-important plus symbol in the name suggests, its purpose in life is to go large, expanding upon the S8’s 5.8-inch screen with a massive-sounding (but surprisingly manageable) 6.2-inch panel. Otherwise the experience between both S8 devices in one and the same: the same spec, same resolution, same software, same hardware features. It’s merely a choice in size, without really complicating things further.

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In the S8 that actually means you get the more pixel-packed display than the Plus, as the same number of organic LEDs are spread over a slightly smaller surface area. There’s a whole heap of them, too, with the WQHD+ resolution equating to 4.2-million of the blighters (for perspective, that’s about half of a 4K TV panel in the palm of your hand). Interestingly, these pixels aren’t always used without activating a Performance Mode to save on battery. But when they are, and with the right content, the S8’s display looks simply fantastic.

It’s not quite perfect, though. That dual edge design is definitely eye-catching, but it also brings a slight issue to colour towards the edges. Where the glass curves, so too does the presentation of colour, with an aberration of purple-green mildly visible if you’re really looking for it. Such edges can sometimes make handling far-edge icons on screen a little trickier to interact with, too.

The other big point is the 18.5:9 aspect ratio, which is roughly 1:2. That’s far more elongated than many current smartphones, which makes the S8 fit neatly in the hand while offering nigh-on perfect space for watching, say, Netflix Originals series, like Stranger Things, which are shot in the same format. No black edges to worry about in such scenarios. Conversely, of course, non-2:1 content will add black bars top and bottom, which is what many apps need to do, negating some of the elongated screen’s necessity. Still, if you’re a boxset buff, this is the way to go.

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The last point of note is that the S8 – just like the Galaxy Tab S3 – is capable of HDR (high dynamic range) to not only display brighter whites, but a wider colour palette. Great in theory, but, again, there’s no compatible material at the time of writing. We know that Netflix is imminent, but until then the S8 is actually ahead of the curve – in the same way as the LG G6 (which is penned as the first to get Netflix HDR).

In summary: detail, brightness, deep blacks, a richness to colours, Mobile HDR Premium certification – there’s little you can do to hide from the magnificence of the Galaxy S8’s display.

Samsung Galaxy S8 review: Performance and battery

• Iris recognition, face recognition
• Samsung Exynos 8895, 4GB RAM
• 64GB storage + microSD
• 3,000mAh battery, USB Type-C, wireless charging

Before we get into the nitty gritty spec detail, some further points about the S8’s unlock processes, as it affects performance to some degree given it’s the barrier between unlocking and using your phone. Having all but given up with the rear fingerprint scanner due to its placement, the phone also offers iris recognition and face recognition. The latter has been criticised for its ability to be fooled with a photo, but if that security issue concerns you then simply don’t use the feature (we find it hit-and-miss anyway). Iris recognition is far more secure. Problem is, it struggles in low light and struggles in direct sunlight – but get it lined up and it’ll unlock in a near instant, just as good as it was on the (now dead) Galaxy Note 7.

Once you’re into the device, you’re free to do your worst with the S8’s heavyweight spec load-out. In the UK that means an Exynos chip rather than Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 as you’ll find in some other regions, but both are the latest 10nm chipsets and as muscular as things get right now. Pair that with 4GB RAM and the S8 is a smooth operator.

The only issues we’ve found in operation arise from connectivity: when Wi-Fi hunting, for example, smooth-flowing animations can become temporarily stuttery, which is an inherent Android issue for some devices that we’ve seen, but something that shouldn’t happen for a device of this ilk. That aside, however, and expect top-end games and apps to run at high settings without issue or over-heating. We’ve been chopping and changing between apps without issue at speed.

Just because there’s lots of power doesn’t mean you have to use it all of the time either. To ensure the battery lasts as best as possible Samsung has implemented the aforementioned Performance Mode within the menu – accessed by swiping down the shade. It can be switched on for Game, Entertainment and High Performance optimisation if you need that extra boost for certain tasks. It’s a savvy move, because everything runs well without the mode on, ensuring all-day battery life is a norm (we’ve often been going to bed with 35 per cent remaining after 15-hours of use).

If you do opt for all the performance then the battery will drain faster, of course, but with a quick-charge USB Type-C port or wireless charging – neither we can test, as there’s no wireless charging or appropriate UK plug in the box – ensure rapid top-ups are never far away.

Samsung Galaxy S8 review: Software

• Android Nougat with TouchWiz
• Bixby isn’t complete, adds duplication
• Google Assistant

Software is something Samsung used to deliver a little heavy-handed, but in the S8 there’s a far more deft touch with the company’s TouchWiz skin over the top of Android 7.1. That means a largely familiar Android experience, including full Google Assistant voice-control, heaps of customisation and good-looking near-circular icons.

It’s a good job that Google Assistant is on board – something that lacks from plenty of other phones outside of Google’s own circle – as one of Samsung’s premier features, Bixby, is hindered from the launch of the S8 in the UK. Bixby is the would-be Samsung voice-controlled assistant, but right now there’s no voice, only Bixby Home which is a sort-of mixture of Upday/Flipboard highlights, serving news and personal reminders – but not really being all that necessary.

So, by and large, we’ve ignored Bixby for the time being. But the S8’s user experience hasn’t left us disappointed, as the software is otherwise clean and the edge-swipe quick-access apps are really handy too. The only real downside is the menu layouts are a little odd, which has left us going around in circular navigation loops to find some settings. Data roaming is hidden behind a host of clicks, for example.

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The other interesting thing about Samsung’s updated software is that it quietly introduces various optimisation features. Almost taking a leaf out of Huawei’s EMUI book, the S8 will prompt you about apps which have been idle but are draining battery life and give you the option to force them shut. It’s not as invasive or frequent as Huawei’s implementation, however, so feels more user friendly.

The second notable one is Video Enhancer, which will auto-prompt when you open a compatible app – including Netflix, YouTube, BBC iPlayer and more – and offer a software-based visual enhancement designed to give a better balanced image (it’s off by default avoid unnecessary battery drain). This isn’t HDR in full effect, simply a software solution to make the most of that screen.

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In addition to there’s a heap of customisation options. From headphone tuning, to always-on display customisation, edge screen functions and the ability to push apps to run in full-screen, the software experience runs deep. There’s even the option to not install Samsung bloat upon initial startup, which is a confident and user-focused approach indeed.

Samsung Galaxy S8 review: Camera

• Rear 12-megapixel, f/1.7 aperture with optical stabilisation
• Front 8-megapixel, f/1.7 aperture
• 4K video at 30fps

The last major piece of the S8 puzzle is its cameras. The earlier S7 set the bar high in this regard, so while the S8 has a lot of pressure to get things right, it certainly doesn’t fail to impress.

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Interestingly there’s no dual camera gimmickry here – a la iPhone 7 Plus or Huawei P10 Plus – it’s a simple rear camera and front camera operation instead. And it works perfectly well.

Well, better than well: switch the camera to Pro mode via a quick swipe to raise the quick menu and it’s got a super-fast autofocus system that’s always looking for the most apparent subjects within the frame; tap on screen to focus and the camera can track a subject even if you recompose the shot. It’s a nifty setup, plus offers controls for ISO sensitivity, shutter speed, white balance, manual focus, exposure compensation and filters. Pro camera always exists when closing the camera, however, which is a shame.

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Quality-wise the S8 is up there with the best of best. In bright conditions there’s heaps of colour and detail, while low-light will increase the ISO sensitivity and diminish the detail – but not excessively, thanks to the f/1.7 aperture allowing lots of light in, along with optical stabilisation helping keep thing sharp. It’s possible to shoot raw files if you want even fuller control in post-production, angling this camera as one for the discerning snapper.

There’s also been a bump in hardware around the front with a higher-resolution 8-megapixel camera. Looking to capture your best angle, the front camera now uses autofocus too, meaning selfies are generally sharper. It also means you can have more control over the focus in selfies, with the ubiquitous blurring options that come with that.

The only real complaint is the addition of AI stickers – “dog face” might be fun, but that’s already in Snapchat, so why repeat? – and Bixby Vision, which all add some unnecessary clutter to the app. And there’s no way to remove these. Otherwise the single rear camera approach is a solid one.

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy S8 is the flagship to rule all flagships. From a design perspective it’s an unbridled head-turner, delivering design that’s a step above any of the competition out there. The 18.5:1 screen ratio is central to a focus on entertainment and will only get better with HDR-compatible apps.

But as much as the S8 is the amalgamation of Samsung’s good ideas, it has necessitated some poor choices too: the rear-positioned fingerprint scanner is the weakest in any flagship, by position and by responsiveness; while Bixby doesn’t really warrant being a selling point just yet, as it’s roughly non-existent and the dedicated button ought to be programmable.

But those points become somewhat moot when considering the iris-scan unlock and the presence of Google Assistant. Add to that the excellent camera experience (which is delivered without too many gimmicks), Samsung’s most battery-conscious and customisable software rework to date, and what we have here is the best Android phone of 2017.

In short: the Samsung Galaxy S8 is a masterpiece; one with a few brush-strokes out of place, but a masterpiece nonetheless.

Alternatives to consider…

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Samsung Galaxy S8+

Want to go super-sized? Well, the Plus model ought to be right up your street. With a 6.2-inch screen, the S8+ doesn’t feel too large thanks to that near-2:1 aspect ratio screen. The larger scale means a larger battery capacity too. Oh, and a larger price point too.

Read the full article: Samsung S8+ review

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LG G6

First out of the gate with this new 2:1 aspect ratio display with HDR was the LG G6. It might have pipped Samsung to the post in announcing its phone, but the Samsung betters the design in our view.

Read the full article: LG G6 review

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Google Pixel XL

If you want a big-screen phone without the 2:1 aspect ratio, the Pixel XL is the mac-daddy of Android phones. It’s pure, enhanced Android with all of Google’s latest tricks packed in to a fast, powerful device with a brilliant camera and exemplary battery life. The design isn’t as exciting or eye-catching, though.

Read the full article: Google Pixel XL review

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iPhone 7 Plus

If you want it all but without the Android part, the 7 Plus is your current best bet. It feels much fatter in the hand, but iPhones have long offered a consistently good experience. It’s excellently built, has a great camera system, lasts more than a day per charge and offers the best apps available anywhere. The design does look dated, though.

Read the full article: Apple iPhone 7 Plus review

Samsung Galaxy S8 pre-order deals

– You can get the Samsung Galaxy S8 64GB in orchid grey or black: £79.99 up front, £45.99 per month on EE for 24 months, 5GB data, unlimited minutes and texts – get it here

– Those looking to go with Vodafone, can get the Samsung Galaxy S8 64GB in orchid grey or black: £100 up front, £42 per month on Vodafone for 24 months, 24GB data, unlimited minutes and texts – get it here

– If you prefer O2, the Samsung Galaxy S8 64GB is available in orchid grey or black. You pay £100 up front, and then £44 per month on O2 for 24 months, 5GB data, unlimited minutes and texts – get it here

Samsung Galaxy S8+ pre-order deals

– If you want to get the bigger of the two new Samsung flagship devices EE has the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus 64GB in orchid grey or black. You’ll pay £149.99 up front and then £45.99 per month on EE for 24 months, 5GB data, unlimited minutes and texts – get it here

– The Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus 64GB is available on Vodafone in orchid grey or black for £169.99 up front, and then £42 per month on Vodafone for 24 months, 24GB data, unlimited minutes and texts – get it here

– The Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus 64GB is available from O2 in orchid grey or black for £150 up front, and then £44 per month on O2 for 24 months, 5GB data, unlimited minutes and texts – get it here

Harley-Davidson to keep making electric motorbikes after LiveWire

World renowned motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson is still to deliver a consumer edition of its LiveWire electric bike – which we first rode two years ago – yet it is confident enough in the concept that it will develop further all-electric vehicles down the line.

Harley-Davidson has revealed that it will release 100 new motorcycles in the next 10 years and an entire range of electric bikes will be included.

Speaking to Drive, Bill Davidson, vice president of the Harley-Davidson Museum also said that plans for a full release for the LiveWire are progressing nicely: “We’re excited about our future. We actually showed a prototype of the electric LiveWire and that project is alive and well,” he explained.

“We don’t know yet when we’re going to introduce it but it is progressing well and we will eventually introduce it.”

The VP is the great grandson of company founder William A Davidson.

The Harley-Davidson LiveWire is, in almost every sense, every bit the growling bike the company is synonymous with. Apart from the sound.

To counteract the fact that electric vehicles make little noise when running – a no-no for most motorbikers let alone Harley-Davidson fans – the company has added a housing that creates a resonance when in operation. That, we discovered in our ride test in 2015, makes the bike sound like a jet engine. Lovely.

Price and exact release date for the LiveWire are still to be determined.

Could a Nintendo Switch Mini be in the works?

The Nintendo Switch has received universal acclaim since its release in March, and even sold more consoles in its first month than it did Wii Us in a year. But even with its success, and the fact it combines portable and home gaming into one machine, Citigroup analysts reckon Nintendo will release a smaller version of the console in 2019.

• Nintendo Switch: Price, specs and everything you need to know
• Nintendo Switch review: Return of the king?

The analysts say that the biggest reason for developing a smaller handheld version of the Switch would be to accommodate to smaller children, who might currently struggle with the size and weight of the regular Switch console.

Writing in an official report, the Citigroup analysts said: “Although the Nintendo Switch can be used as a handheld device, we think smaller children could struggle to use it comfortably in that format due to its size and weight”.

“Accordingly, we think Nintendo will launch a lighter, dedicated handheld version of the Switch, possibly to be called the Switch Mini”.

Nintendo already offers several handheld consoles, including the 2DS, 3DS, 3DS XL and recently released 2DS XL, so you may be wondering why the Japanese gaming giant would need another. It’s possible that the DS series of handheld consoles may eventually come to an end.

• Nintendo 2DS XL vs 2DS vs 3DS vs 3DS XL: What’s the difference?
• Nintendo 2DS XL preview: Lighter, no 3D but still at the top of its game
• Nintendo Switch games: Switch launch titles and games list for 2017 revealed

If the only way of Nintendo releasing a new model is to launch a bigger version of an existing console, then ideas are clearly coming to a standstill. A handheld version of the Switch may reignite sales and offer Nintendo a new avenue to go down.

Citigroup analysts haven’t said how much they think a Switch Mini would sell for, but they think if such a console did exist, it would sell 6.7 million units in its first 12 months through March 2019. They also predict the regular Switch would have sold 25.7 million units by the same time.

Five reasons to download PlayMobo on Android

PlayMobo is one of your best ways to discover new games to play on Google Play. It allows you get recommendations on what to play next, earn daily points for playing games, and even gives you the chance to win numerous giveaways on a regular basis.

Here are five reasons you should download it today.

1. Discover cool games

The PlayMobo app, available from the Google Play store, lets you discover cool new games every day.

The games, which are 100 per cent hand-picked by the apps dedicated editorial team, are reviewed by a human to ensure only the best five games are suggested to you every day.

If you don’t like the daily suggestions, don’t worry. You can search the thousands of great games knowing you are always going to find a winner.

2. Free gift cards and rewards 

The more game you play, the more points you earn, and playing games from PlayMobo lets you earn points to redeem what are called featurepoints for awesome rewards and Amazon free gift cards.

Besides Amazon free gift cards, more redeem options such as PayPal cash, steam points, and mgift are all due to be added in the future. Yes, you can actually earn money for playing great games. Cool huh?

3. Gift cards, giveaways and gems 

Besides earning points to play games, PlayMobo users also get the chance to win some great prizes with monthly game giveaways and bounty events for the apps users every month.

There is also the chance to win in-game items such as heroes, gems, and diamonds to enhance your gameplay even further.

4. Latest gaming news

The PlayMobo app features the latest gaming news and full coverage on the trending new games hitting the app all the time so you can stay up to date with all the latest news ensuring you don’t miss any hot new titles being released.

5. Game lists

The app also lets you customise your own “game list” just by tapping the follow button for a specific game.

It means you get all the latest gaming news, how-to, gameplay, walkthrough, mgift giveaways, offers, and all the essential information for those games that you mark to follow. Yep, you’ll never miss out again. 

How to shoot great video and photos on iPhone, Apple reveals all

Apple has released a series of videos showing how iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus users can take better photos and films on their smartphones. And because many of the tips feature the software, they can help owners of older iPhones too – as long as they have iOS 10.

The company has created its own website with how to guides, all in video form. You can also see a few of them below as they are also on YouTube.

There are guides on how to shoot portraits, close-ups, timed selfies and even without a flash.

Some of the features detailed are only available on the iPhone 7 Plus as that has a second lens for better bokeh – the blurred background while the foreground remains sharp. However, all the videos contain interesting tips and tricks.

How to shoot a great portrait on iPhone 7 Plus

How to shoot a close-up on iPhone 7

How to shoot without flash on iPhone 7

How to shoot action on iPhone 7

One thing we would say though is that many of them show how to take videos and photos in portrait, vertical mode. We strongly advise that, if you ever plan to show a home video on a TV that you shoot it horizontally. Otherwise it’ll look poor with massive black bars either side.

It’s something to keep in mind for later down the line. How many times have you seen a vertical video on the news? Too many, we suspect.

Best smartphones 2017: The best phones available to buy today

So, you want to buy a new phone? If you’re looking for the best smartphones, you’ve come to the right place. We will guide you through the hottest mobile phones of the year to save you time when you go to your local phone shop.

We continually update this best smartphones guide to reflect recent launches, recognise price changes, and ensure 2017’s latest devices appear alongside the best of 2016 (and before, if applicable). All the listed devices have been fully reviewed by us.

At the moment we’re in a period of flux with a full refresh of phones about to launch, so this list will be changing a lot over the next weeks and months.

Of course, the most important factor in buying a new device is making sure you have the best smartphone for you. The best for your budget, the features you need, the size that feels right and platform that suits you best.

Our top recommendation…

Here’s our recommendation for the best all round smartphone on the market, right now.

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1. Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+

Buy the Samsung Galaxy S8 on Amazon UK or Amazon US

Buy the Samsung Galaxy S8+ on Amazon UK or Amazon US

Samsung has redefined its flagship handset in the Galaxy S8, offer two sizes of handset with an 18.5:9 display, losing the bezel and offering that premium dual-edge curved design. There’s a long list of things that Samsung gets right in the S8: there’s a pair of great camera, the battery life is good, there’s waterproofing, the latest hardware and the slickest Android skin, fully-featured and pack full of useful functions.

The contentious point falls on the fingerprint scanner, as the location isn’t optimal, but it’s not a deal breaker. The real decision might just come down to how big you want your phone to be, with that tall display meaning your phone doesn’t feel huge, despite the large display. It is expensive, however.

If the price is too much to bear, the then Samsung Galaxy S7 edge comes highly recommended: it offers much of the same – great curved edge display, waterproofing, good battery life and a similar feature set and software experience – but you can buy the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge on Amazon for £200 less than the S8+.

Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy S8 review, Samsung Galaxy S8+ review

Best of the rest…

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ aren’t for everyone though, and there are plenty of other great smartphones on the market to consider whatever budget you are on. Here are the ones that you should also look at:

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2. Google Pixel and Pixel XL

Buy the Google Pixel on Amazon UK or Amazon US

Buy the Google Pixel XL on Amazon UK or Amazon US

Google comes out all guns blazing with its Pixel and the larger Pixel XL. Both devices offer the same specs, performance and experience with one difference: screen size. The regular Pixel has a 5-inch Full HD display, while the Pixel XL has a larger 5.5-inch Quad HD display.

Launching with a number of exclusive features, but otherwise a clean version of Android, the Pixel phones have a solid build and a fast and smooth experience. The cameras are superb and the battery life is good, leading to a premium Android experience.

The price is a little high, however, and they lack microSD or waterproofing. They even have a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Read the full review: Google Pixel review, Google Pixel XL review

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3. Apple iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus

Buy the Apple iPhone 7 on Amazon UK or Amazon US

Buy the Apple iPhone 7 Plus on Amazon UK or Amazon US

The Apple iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus don’t offer the overhaul in design that we are used to getting every 2 years, though the larger model offers more new features than its smaller sibling in the form of a zoomed camera and the option for digital bokeh effects. The new flagship iPhones are more refined, offering the removal of the headphone jack in favour of stereo speakers, along with better hidden antennas and waterproofing.

They offer subtle changes to the iPhone 6S, such as a new Home button and glossy or matte black finish options, along with faster and slicker performance, as you would expect. Ultimately, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are the best phones that Apple have produced, the premium Apple smartphone experience. If the price is too high, the iPhone 6S offers a similar design and experience for a little less cash.

Read the full review: Apple iPhone 7 review, Apple iPhone 7 Plus review

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4. LG G6

Buy the LG G6 on Amazon UK or Amazon US

LG knocked it out of the park with its latest flagship smartphone, the G6. The new device offers a build, performance and display that are all up there with the best smartphones available, as well as lightweight software that is easy to customise and a dual camera system that has a lot of versatility.

It’s more expensive than LG devices have been in the past and although its camera and build quality is comparable in quality to the Pixel devices and Galaxy S7 devices, along with its performance, we prefer the software experience and general overall feel of Samsung’s and Google’s options. The LG G6 is a fantastic device though, that is every bit the flagship, even if the new 18:9 display is now outshone by Samsung’s Galaxy S8.

Read the full review: LG G6 review

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5. OnePlus 3T

Buy the OnePlus 3T on Amazon UK or Amazon US

The OnePlus 3T is one of the best smartphones on the market, especially at its price point. As with its predecessors, the OnePlus 3T offers incredible value for money. It has many of the same features and specifications as smartphones twice its price and when it launched, it was one of the most powerful handsets available.

The all-metal finish is sleek and sturdy, making it feel like a genuinely premium device and the display is fantastic too, even if it isn’t Quad HD resolution. The company may have shied away from the “flagship killer” branding this year, but the OnePlus 3T lays down the marker for what you can get for just over £400.

Read the full review: OnePlus 3T review

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6. Blackberry KeyOne

Pre-order the BlackBerry KeyOne on Amazon UK or Amazon US

The BlackBerry KeyOne might be something of a surprise entry, with the company struggling to find form with its recent handsets. But just as we rated the BlackBerry Priv, the KeyOne brings something unique to the Android smartphone space with that physical keyboard.

The unique offering is a natural choice for those who loved the BlackBerry if the past, with programmable keyboard shortcuts and plenty of innovation on the top of Android to make this phone stand-out. It’s not the most powerful handset out there, but at the same time, you’re not being asked to pay flagship prices for it either.

Read the full review: BlackBerry KeyOne review

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7. Motorola Moto G5 Plus

Buy the Motorola Moto G5 Plus on Amazon UK or Amazon US

The Moto G shocked the smartphone world when it launched: so much phone for so little money. The Moto G still dominates this end of the market, bringing features and experiences with a level of quality that many at this level lack. The Moto G5 Plus gives you a lot of phone for your money, with great build, finish and features.

The price is creeping up however, seeing this Plus model now sell for over £200. We’d still say that this is the best in this class of device, however, and if you can’t spend too much on a phone, the Moto G5 Plus does it without feeling budget.

Read the full review: Moto G5 Plus review

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8. Honor 8 Pro

Buy the Honor 8 Pro on Amazon UK

The Honor 8 Pro isn’t as exciting or as future-facing as some of the 2017 flagship smartphones, including the LG G6 and Samsung Galaxy S8, but it is still a great affordable device. It’s the same size as the Apple iPhone 7 Plus, so it will be a little wide for some, but that size packs in a 5.7-inch Quad HD display and a great battery performance in its sub-7mm build.

The navy blue finish is great and the dual camera setup is good fun too. The EMUI software can be a little heavy-handed and it certainly isn’t as clean as the pure Android experience of Pixel, but at £475, the Honor 8 Pro is a worthy consideration for those that want a big-screen, powerful and long-lasting phone that won’t destroy your bank account.

Read the full review: Honor 8 Pro review

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9. HTC 10

Buy the HTC 10 on Amazon UK or Amazon US

The HTC 10 addresses many of the criticisms of the HTC One M9, focusing on the things that matter in a smartphone, and ditching many of the distractions. The HTC 10 is built to the high quality standard you expect from HTC, and it’s a handset that solid and serious.

The 5.2-inch display packs a Quad HD resolution, power comes from the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset and 4GB of RAM, while there is OIS on both the front and back cameras. The result is power, performance, great design and camera performance, held together with fuss-free software that’s slick, fast and free from bloat.

Read the full review: HTC 10 review

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10. Apple iPhone SE

Buy the Apple iPhone SE on Amazon UK or Amazon US

Fulfilling the requirements of those looking for a smaller iPhone, the iPhone SE is about as budget as Apple gets. Starting at just over £300, the iPhone SE punches into the mid-range, but the only thing mid-range about this phone is the display size.

The iPhone SE has all the power of the iPhone 6S, giving you speed and power that smaller phones often fail to give you. It’s a full-bore iPhone experience that’s pared with an excellent camera, offering the consistency you expect from Apple. For those after the Apple experience without the hole in their pocket, the iPhone SE is an excellent choice. It’s also one of the best selling iPhones out there.

Read the full review: Apple iPhone SE review 

Pocket-lint

11. Huawei P10 and P10 Plus

Buy the Huawei P10 on Amazon UK or Amazon US

Buy the Huawei P10 Plus on Amazon UK or Amazon US

The Huawei P10 and P10 Plus are the latest flagship smartphones to appear from the Chinese manufacturer, with the P10 Plus being our favourite of the two. The larger device is one of the best looking smartphones to come from Huawei to date, while also offering a great battery life, capable dual cameras, plenty of power and storage and mature EMUI software.

The P10 will be the better option for those that want a smaller device, but the P10 Plus is certainly right up there in terms of Android devices. It isn’t perfect, with the screen’s finish picking up fingerprints and the camera software not always excellent, but the P10 Plus is a solid example of a 5.5-inch smartphone.

Read the full review: Huawei P10 review, Huawei P10 Plus review

12. Samsung Galaxy A5

Buy the Samsung Galaxy A5 on Amazon UK or Amazon US

The Samsung Galaxy A5 is an impressive device for a sub-£400 smartphone. It has a solid design and build, coupled with a display and performance that punches well beyond its price point. The A5 is a cheaper version of the S7 but without feeling like a cheaper alternative.

It doesn’t offer the most powerful processor, the most pixel-dense screen or the best camera out there, but it’s a compelling device that is well worthy of consideration if you’re on a budget, or not too fussed about the latest and greatest software.

Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy A5 review

Pocket-lint

13. Honor 8

Buy the Honor 8 on Amazon UK or Amazon US

For a mid-level device, the Honor 8 lays down some solid specification benchmarks for its £370 price. As a day-to-day phone, the design and ability of this mid-ranger are considerable. It’s an upgrade over the previous model that will give plenty of competitors a run for their money.

The battery life could be better, the processor performance lags a little at times and it doesn’t offer the perfect graphics for gaming. That said, there is plenty of merit in the Honor 8, and its biggest problem isn’t actually itself, but the competition it is up against, such as the OnePlus 3T that is only £40 more.

Read the full review: Honor 8 review

Pocket-lint

14. Lenovo P2

Buy the Lenovo P2 on Amazon UK

The biggest complaint in smartphones is battery life. The solution is to have a huge battery. The Lenovo P2 finds itself in a class of its own, a budget handset with a huge battery, so it will last longer than most people will need it to. While the battery is definitely king, the compromise is that the rest of the phone is only ok.

That means you get enough power, a camera that’s ok and an experience that’s ok rather than great. That said, you’ll still be using it at the end of a long weekend, while most flagship phones will have flaked out.

Read the full review: Lenovo P2 review

“Alexa, how many times has the UK won nil points?”: Alexa knows everything about Eurovision

All eyes will be on be on Kyiv, Ukraine this weekend as the annual Eurovision song contest takes places on Saturday 13 May. Amazon Alexa is getting in on the singing action with a special Eurovision skill.

• Amazon Echo: What can Alexa do and what services are compatible?

With the skill installed on an Amazon Echo or Echo Dot, Alexa will be able to impress you with its knowledge of the singing contest. The skill has been developed by the European Broadcasting Union’s Technology and Innovation and Media departments. Only users in the UK, Germany, Austria and America can take advantage of the skill

You will be able to ask Alexa who won Eurovision in any year dating back to 1956 when the competition started, or when the UK last won it – cast your minds back to 1997 and Katrina and the Waves. Alexa will also be able to play you any winning song from 2016 back to 1956 if you’re an Amazon Music Unlimited member, as well as a live stream of the contest on Saturday via the BBC.

Simon Fell, Director of Technology and Innovation, said: “The EBU is always at the forefront of innovation and with the growth of voice-controlled devices such as Amazon Echo we wanted to create a tool that provides added value to our flagship co-production. In time we hope to develop the “skill” to allow users to delve even deeper into the Eurovision Song Contest’s rich history.”

Who will win Eurovision 2017? Spotify could know the answer and it’s a surprise

The final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 is being held in Kyiv, Ukraine tomorrow evening – from 8pm BST Saturday 13 May – and, after two thrilling semi-finals shown on the BBC and around Europe in the past week, we now know the 26 finalists who will compete for the ultimate prize.

But who will win?

Bookies are giving Italy the shortest odds on winning, which is surprising perhaps considering the entry includes a dancing gorilla. Eccentric jazz singer Salvador Sobral from Portugal is second favourite to take the crown.

However, Spotify has other ideas. It has created a list of the top 10 songs in this year’s final based on the number of times they have been streamed outside of their originating countries and Italy doesn’t even rate.

Portugal is only ninth on the list.

• “Alexa, how many times has the UK won nil points?”: Alexa knows everything about Eurovision

Instead, Spotify predicts that Austria will win, with young star Nathan Trent singing in similar style to Justin Timberlake, with his performance of Running on Air.

Considering the bookmakers have him at around 250/1, it might well be worth a punt.

Our favourite is actually Croatia’s Jacques Houdek, who sings My Friend partly as a diva, partly as a soprano like Pavarotti. It has to be seen to be believed.

Here though are Spotify’s top 10 songs:

Austria: Nathan Trent – Running on Air
Denmark: Anja Nissen – Where Am I?
Belgium: Blanche – City Lights
Sweden: Robin Bengtsson – I Can’t Go On
Australia: Isaiah – Don’t Come Easy
Poland: Kasia Moś – Flashlight
Norway: JOWST – Grab The Moment
Bulgaria: Kristian Kristov – Beautiful Mess
Portugal: Salvador Sobral – Amar Pelos Dois
Azerbaijan: Dihaj – Skeletons

If you have Spotify account, you can listen to the Eurovision 2017 playlist here.

Why you should consider an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ smartphones have been available through the major network providers for a couple of weeks but you can now buy either unlocked and SIM-free.

That means you can pair a shiny, new flagship Samsung phone with any carrier you fancy – even with a Pay As You Go SIM. So here are some great reasons why you should consider an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S8 or Samsung Galaxy S8+.

Freedom to choose your own price plan

When you buy a handset outright and SIM-free it means it is yours to keep whatever, and you are not restricted to a specific time period on a mobile phone contract.

Many networks offer great monthly SIM-only plans, that are able to be cancelled at any time. The next month you can sign up to another.

This is a great way of finding the best plan for you, whether it be more or less data depending on your usage or if a certain network gives you a great connection in your area.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ smartphones are also fantastic 4G LTE handsets, so you can try different 4G plans to suit the data speeds you want to achieve.

You can even pair them with a Pay As You Go SIM deal, spending only the amount you want to or can afford each month.

Get the latest version of Android when available

Unlocked phones often get the latest version of Android as soon as it is available. Sometimes, carrier variations mean that a new over-the-air operating system upgrade requires network approval and tweaks, which can delay the process a little. An unlocked smartphone doesn’t have such constraints and will get the super Samsung software as soon as the manufacturer can make it available.

Clean and friendly user interface

Along with the latest version of Android, unlocked Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ handsets come as the manufacturer intended. There are no extra software add-ons networks sometimes require.

What is the Samsung Trade-In Program?

The Samsung Trade-In Program allows customers purchasing a Samsung Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+ to trade in an eligible device and receive an instant trade-in credit toward the purchase of their new Galaxy Smartphone. Currently, Samsung is only accepting trade-in of the following Samsung Galaxy phones: The Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, the Galaxy S6 Edge+, the S7 and S7 Edge+, and the Galaxy Note 5.

Pay using PayPal or PayPal Credit

You can buy either the Samsung Galaxy S8 for a one-off fee of $749.99 on Samsung.com using a credit card – all major types are accepted – or you can pay through PayPal. Alternatively, if you have a PayPal Credit account, you can spread the cost of the new phone.

The same applies to the Samsung Galaxy S8+, which is available from $824.99, also at Samsung.com.

You get an incredible phone

Whether you opt for a Samsung Galaxy S8 or Samsung Galaxy S8+ you are getting one of the very best phones around.

Both feature Samsung’s proprietary Infinity Screen, which offers an expansive display that ranges from edge to edge. The Galaxy S8 has a 5.8-inch display, while the Galaxy S8+ has a 6.2-inch equivalent.

The home button on both phones is invisible, with a dedicated sensor hidden under the bottom of the screen.

The Galaxy S8 and S8+ support Mobile HDR Premium picture technology to give amazing colours and contrast to compatible video. And Samsung’s new voice assistant, Bixby, is available on each handset.

HTC U 11 ‘Ocean’: Release date, specs and rumours

HTC started 2017 with the launch of the HTC U Ultra and the HTC U Play. Although the U Ultra has flagship specs, it’s not actually HTC’s flagship device for 2017, with a higher-spec device due to be launched very soon.

So what can we expect from HTC’s next flagship handset? We’re sifting through the rumours to build a picture of HTC’s next superphone.

HTC Ocean: The name

The HTC Ocean first appeared when a video surfaced showing an HTC handset with no physical controls, instead relying solely on gestures, touch and voice. No sooner had Evan Blass shared the HTC Ocean concept video, but another familiar name in HTC leaks joined the party. In isolation, a single leak could be dismissed, but with @LlabTooFeR adding three codenames to the mix, it made things more real.

The Ocean Note launched as the HTC U Ultra and the HTC U Play was codenamed Alpine – perhaps one of the other devices on this list, but HTC Ocean still exists.

Just eliminate some questionsHTC U Ultra (Ocean Note) – not 2017 flagshipHTC Ocean Master – cancelledHTC Ocean – presumably 2017 flagship

— LlabTooFeR (@LlabTooFeR) January 14, 2017

Chialin Chang, HTC’s president of smartphone and connected devices business, confirmed in an interview with Engadget that it wouldn’t be called HTC 11. More recently however, VentureBeat claimed sources had said the new device will be called HTC U 11, tying the two names together. 

HTC U 11 sort of makes sense, and ties into HTC’s own promotion of the forthcoming launch.

HTC

• HTC U Ultra review: Premium phablet packed with power
• HTC U Play preview: Mid-range specs, but plenty bling

HTC U 11: Touch navigation and a new UI

• Touch sensitive frame
• Sense Edge feature
• AI supported interaction

The original leaked video purports to demonstrate the “Sense Touch” user interface and was discovered on Danelle Vermeulen’s website. Vermeulen is a visual and motion designer, although it is declared that the phone is a concept, raising some doubts as to how much can be drawn from this video in terms of design.

The video suggests that there will be touch-sensitive zones around the phone and demonstrates a heavier use of voice than we might typically go for. Although this looks like a concept, regular leaker Evan Blass took to Twitter again to say that HTC Ocean exists in late 2016.

No. Source: “Ocean is real and alive.” https://t.co/aBUrpNYR5R

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) October 18, 2016

More recently, this Sense Touch UI has seen a second appearance in another video. This appears to be much more professionally produced and is obviously an HTC handset, from the on-screen icons and the 10:08 time on the display, HTC’s signature.

Remember the HTC Ocean? (https://t.co/q5ghm3vQ8Z) pic.twitter.com/GtpqowETjM

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) January 8, 2017

The interesting thing about this second video is that it shows people doing something with the handset, swiping down the edges to scroll through apps. This is said to be thanks to a touch-sensitive frame, according to detail leaks from Venture Beat.

What perhaps pulls the video leak down is that the rear of the phone, seen out of focus in several shots, looks a lot like the HTC One A9, so it’s probably a dummy being used and not too useful from a design point of view.

However, this “edge” feature has appeared again, shared by @evleaks.

Well will you look at that… [via https://t.co/TYCFYN7Jgf%5D pic.twitter.com/LHcljPVcBV

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) February 27, 2017

This leak appears to show a menu option for Edge Sense, suggesting that this is how you’ll control that edge feature. It’s starting to look and feel a lot like the Edge Screen feature offered by Samsung, but here triggered though the touch-sensitive frame.

The invite released by HTC itself also hints at the touch-sensitive frame, with the words “squeeze for the brilliant” at the top and the “u” we mentioned previously with slightly caved in sides. It’s a huge hint at the new technology reported to be coming, as is a tweet with a video also released by HTC at the time of the invite.

@evleaks

HTC U 11: Design

• IP57 rating expected
• Touch-sensitive frame
• Glossy finish reflected

As this is an HTC flagship, we’d fully expect a full metal unibody and the recent launch of the HTC Bolt (Sprint) or HTC 10 Evo (everywhere else) introduces another missing feature and that’s waterproofing. We’d expect HTC flagship to carry an IP57 rating, but we’d also expect it to lose the 3.5mm headphone socket in the process – with the U Ultra and U Play launching without a 3.5mm headphone jack, that’s pretty much guaranteed.

Photo leaks have been few and far between, though Evan Blass did recently tweet a couple of pictures showing what is claimed to be the HTC U 11. It appears to show a glossy finish, a capacitive button on the front and a circular camera lens on the rear with a flash on the left. Blass has also suggested the device will come in five colours.

That first leak of the design also looks a lot like the more recent video mock-up shared by 91 Mobiles which shares the same layout of buttons. Interestingly, 91 Mobiles talks about metal unibody as we’d expect, yet the detail of the video shows a different texture between the sides of the phone and the rear. Like the Blass image, it’s very reflective, looking quite different to HTC’s previous unibody phones.

That might mean that the design is closer to the HTC U Ultra and HTC U Play than it is to the HTC 10.

HTC U 11: Hardware and specs

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 predicted
• 64GB storage + microSD expected
• USB Type-C and no 3.5mm headphone socket

There’s an interview with Chialin Chang, HTC’s head of devices, in which the exec says: “When the next flagship CPU comes, HTC will be one of the very first tier doing that.” That CPU is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835.

The SD835 has been suggested by Venture Beat and the timing fits with Qualcomm’s release schedules. We’ve also seen the leak of what looks like an official spec sheet. This appears to confirm a lot of what we’ve already seen leaked, but it’s worth noting that this is a dual SIM 128GB phone and that might be limited in its release. 

This suggests 6GB RAM and 128GB storage with microSD support, but we’re sure there will be a lower-tier device than this too.

Mysmartprice.com

We’ve mentioned USB Type-C already and that’s a certainty. Having developed its excellent USonic Hi-Res USB Type-C headphones and the funky auto-tuning feature, we’d expect this and BoomSound HiFi edition on board. 3D audio recording will be on board thanks to four microphones placed around the device.

So far HTC’s 2017 handsets have placed a fingerprint sensor on the front, as per 2016, and we’d expect the HTC U 11 to be the same.

Pocket-lint

HTC U 11: Display

• 5.5-inch 2560 x 1440 pixels
• Gorilla Glass 5

HTC opted for a 5.2-inch 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution on the HTC 10. There’s a question over whether HTC will opt for LCD; AMOLED was used for the Pixel, and HTC used AMOLED in the One A9 too.

A rumour suggesting details of the display says it will be 5.5-inches, with a 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution. So far, so Pixel XL. With HTC putting that display into Google’s phone, it’s no surprise to see it mentioned again. This is confirmed by the leaked spec sheet above.

The leaked photos suggest that this is going to be a regular aspect, i.e., 16:9 and that it isn’t going to be curved at the edges like the latest Samsung phones, but keep the 2.5D glass that HTC had on the HTC 10.

HTC U 11: Software

• Android Nougat and HTC Sense 9
• Google Assistant
• HTC Sense Companion
• Edge Sense

One thing that’s certain is that HTC’s next flagship will launch with Android Nougat. For the HTC 10 the company took a lighter approach, stripping away a lot of the additional bloat for a cleaner Android experience, turning to stock Android apps rather than duplicating with its own and that’s the software build on the HTC U Ultra and U Play.

We’d expect that to include the full Google Assistant. The talk from that concept video revolves around some of the things that Google Assistant already offers and with HTC Sense Companion, a new app designed to make your phone more personal using AI, all these things fit together nicely.

As menu support for the new Edge Sense feature has already leaked and there’s more established discussion about the touch-sensitive frame, this looks like HTC’s major push on this handset.

• What is Google Assistant, how does it work, and when can you use it?

HTC U 11: Cameras

• 12-megapixel rear camera, 1.55µm pixels, f/1.7
• 16-megapixel front camera with UltraPixel mode expected

With HTC fitting the Google Pixel with a pair of excellent cameras, however, it would be no surprise for HTC to use the same hardware again. That’s suggested in a rumour appearing on Weibo, saying that “HTC 11” will have a 12-megapixel rear camera and 8-megapixel front camera, the same as the Google Pixel, although the U devices opted for a 16-megapixel front camera with a pixel combining UltraPixel mode.

It’s this latter arrangement – 12MP rear and 16MP front – that’s supported by Venture Beat, who also adds that it will have a newer Sony sensor than the HTC U Ultra. The U Ultra camera is good, so the HTC U should be a good performer too.

The leaked spec sheets sees HTC calling it UltraPixel 3, saying it’s a 12-megapixel rear camera with f/1.7 aperture and optical image stabilisation. The front camera appears as 16-megapixels.

HTC U 11: Release date

The HTC U 11 “Ocean” will be announced officially on 16 May 2017 at 7AM London time and 2AM New York time. We’re expecting it to be live streamed, so hopefully you’ll be able to tune in and watch the unveiling of HTC’s newest handset.