Your video,
"Samsung Galaxy S8's major makeover
" will start after this message from our sponsors.
Loading video...
CNET First Look
Samsung Galaxy S8's major makeover
This year's flagship phone gets a sexy new design and Bixby, a house-made digital assistant.
2:14 /
Transcript
[MUSIC]
My, my, Samsung Galaxy, you have changed.
A year ago you had a flat screen and a physical home button with a fingerprint reader.
Now as the Galaxy S8 you have a screen that curves on both sides, no physical home button And it fingerprint reader on the back.
You're also taller, narrower and manage to have a larger screen than even that ill fated Galaxy Note 7.
And your super size sibling known as the S8 Plus provides a whopping 6.2 inches of screen.
On top of that your light and easy to use Even with one hand, you are looking good.
I don't mind the fact that you traded your home button for an onscreen control, it maximizes the screen real estate and I can still launch Google Assistant and my recent apps.
I also like this refreshed look you've got going on, and that current version of Android 7.1, but can we talk about that fingerprint scanner for a minute?
It is far too close to the camera lens, which means smudged City.
I've also got a little bone to pick with Bixby, your new digital assistant.
It's cool that it can work with the phone settings, surface cards, a lot like Google Now, and even identify text in objects through the camera.
But, it's going to be limited at first, and not every demo worked when I tried it.
Of course, you are running pre-final software, and [UNKNOWN] updating all the time but it sure did leave a bad taste.
Now, about your camera?
Pressing the power button twice to launch it worked really well, and there's some new ways to interact with camera tools.
Like, zooming in and out, snapping a pic, and decorating my friend.
I also did the selfie cam's ability to auto-focus It will be useful for a large group shot, but I did notice that you're sticking with your 112 megapixel lens when some fans were hoping for more.
Luckily you're also keeping that water resistant body and wireless charging capability plus [UNKNOWN] faster face unlocking.
A way to control smart home appliances and the ability to turn it into a work station through the new Samsung dex stock.
Plus a few other tidbits here and there.
I've got to say [UNKNOWN] your new design looks really elegant.
The competition is furious and [UNKNOWN] feels incomplete.
We'll just have to see how you perform once you launch for real.
Coming up next
Moto drops four budget phones on your spring
These rock-bottom phones promise to beat Apple's face unlock
A first hands-on with the red iPhones
Huawei P20 Pro is the first phone with 3 rear cameras
Xiaomi's gorgeous Mi Mix 2S now packs dual AI-powered cameras
Galaxy S9: 7 disappointments
Sony's new HDR phones sport new Qualcomm chips, extra rumble,...
Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus: Our first look
LG V30S ThinQ brings improved specs and a focus on AI
ZTE's low-priced midrange Blade V9 phone could hint at carrier...
Latest Phones videos
LG to include dedicated Google Assistant button on G7 ThinQ
1:20
With the touch of a button, you'll be able to bring up Google on the newest phone from LG.
Play video
Moto drops four budget phones on your spring
2:17
The Moto G6, G6 Play, E5 Plus and E5 Play: What's the difference? We took a look at all of them.
Play video
The Huawei P20 Pro is a low-light photography champ
2:16
Those three cameras aren't a gimmick. They help this colourful phone take awesome night-time shots.
Play video
Which phone has the best speakers: Galaxy S9 or Razer Phone?
6:28
Twin stereo speakers. Dolby Atmos. Which phone has the best audio?
Play video
These rock-bottom phones promise to beat Apple's face unlock
1:18
The Honor 7A and 7C cost less than a fifth of the price of the iPhone X but promise faster face unlocking.
Play video
A first hands-on with the red iPhones
1:22
The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus Product Red special edition, up close.
Play video
How to use Google Lens to find what you're looking for
2:36
Google's AR-powered photo-recognition tool can help you find info about books and restaurants, plus keep your calendar and contacts...
Play video
Change your DNS to speed up the internet
2:37
Stuck with slow browsing speeds? A simple fix could be changing the DNS server.