Mobile Technology

Nokia 8 vs. Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+

Nokia 8 vs. Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
New Atlas compares the specs of the Nokia 8 and Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+
New Atlas compares the specs of the Nokia 8 and Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+
View 26 Images
New Atlas compares the specs of the Nokia 8 and Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+
1/26
New Atlas compares the specs of the Nokia 8 and Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+
Both the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ have fast charging
2/26
Both the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ have fast charging
The Nokia 8 has a physical Home button, while the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ has a capacitive one on the screen
3/26
The Nokia 8 has a physical Home button, while the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ has a capacitive one on the screen
The colors of the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
4/26
The colors of the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
The battery capacity for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+
5/26
The battery capacity for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+
Full retail price for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+
6/26
Full retail price for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+
The physical sizes of the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+
7/26
The physical sizes of the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+
The screen resolution of the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+
8/26
The screen resolution of the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+
The storage capacity of the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ can both be expanded through MicroSD
9/26
The storage capacity of the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ can both be expanded through MicroSD
The Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ both have 4 GB RAM
10/26
The Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ both have 4 GB RAM
Camera specs for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
11/26
Camera specs for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
Rear camera aperture for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
12/26
Rear camera aperture for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
Fingerprint scanner location for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
13/26
Fingerprint scanner location for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
The comparative weight of the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+
14/26
The comparative weight of the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+
Screen sizes of the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+
15/26
Screen sizes of the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+
Wireless charging capabilities for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
16/26
Wireless charging capabilities for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
Facial recognition capabilities for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
17/26
Facial recognition capabilities for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
Operating system for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
18/26
Operating system for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
Processors for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
19/26
Processors for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
Storage space for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
20/26
Storage space for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
The Nokia 8 has a flat screen, while that on the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ curves over the edges
21/26
The Nokia 8 has a flat screen, while that on the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ curves over the edges
Display types for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
22/26
Display types for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
Water resistance ratings for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
23/26
Water resistance ratings for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
Build materials for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
24/26
Build materials for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
Both the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ have Optical Image Stabilization
25/26
Both the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ have Optical Image Stabilization
The release dates for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
26/26
The release dates for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
View gallery - 26 images

The first fully-fledged Nokia phone in a few years is about to land, and the fact that the company has skipped numero 7 to call the new model the Nokia 8 implies the company doesn't want to sound like it's a generation behind its competitors. So just how well does it stack up against the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+?

Size

The physical sizes of the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+
The physical sizes of the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

The Nokia 8 is slightly taller and wider than the Galaxy S8, while the S8+ is a lanky beast, standing a full 10 mm taller than the others while still being the narrowest.

Weight

The comparative weight of the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+
The comparative weight of the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

Likewise, the Nokia 8 is slightly heavier than the Galaxy S8. That said, neither of them hold a candle to the heft of the S8+.

Colors

The colors of the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
The colors of the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+

The Nokia 8 is available in blue, copper and steel colors, while the Galaxy series comes in shades of black, silver, gray, gold or blue.

Materials

Build materials for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
Build materials for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+

Nokia has built the body of the 8 out of sturdy aluminum, while Samsung has gone with its usual mix of aluminum and glass in the S8 and S8+.

Water resistance

Water resistance ratings for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
Water resistance ratings for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+

The Galaxy S8 series is completely dust- and waterproof, but Nokia owners will want to be a bit more careful with their phones: the Nokia 8 can at best withstand the odd splash of liquid.

Screen size

Screen sizes of the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+
Screen sizes of the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

Screen size is one of the biggest differences between the three models. At 5.8 in, the Galaxy S8's screen is half an inch bigger than that of the Nokia 8, while the Galaxy S8+ measures 6.2 in – almost putting it on par with its bigger sibling, the Galaxy Note 8.

Display resolution

The screen resolution of the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+
The screen resolution of the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

All of these phones have displays of roughly 2K resolution, but with its stretched-out length, the S8+ suffers a reduction in pixel density. The basic S8 hits the sweet spot, with 570 pixels per inch.

Display type

Display types for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
Display types for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+

The new Nokia is built with an IPS LCD screen, while the Galaxy S8 and S8+ sport what Samsung calls Super AMOLED. The differences are mostly in how the screens are made and lit up, but visual quality comes down to a range of other factors.

Curved display

The Nokia 8 has a flat screen, while that on the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ curves over the edges
The Nokia 8 has a flat screen, while that on the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ curves over the edges

A screen that curves over the sides of the phone was the defining, name-giving feature of the Galaxy S7 Edge, but that has now made its way into both models of the S8. Nokia, meanwhile, sticks with the tried-and-true flat screen.

Home button

The Nokia 8 has a physical Home button, while the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ has a capacitive one on the screen
The Nokia 8 has a physical Home button, while the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ has a capacitive one on the screen

The Galaxy's bigger screen has crowded the physical Home button from the face of the phone. Instead, it's been replaced with a capacitive on-screen button that functions the same way.

Fingerprint sensor

Fingerprint scanner location for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
Fingerprint scanner location for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+

Both phones can be unlocked via fingerprint scans. On the Nokia 8 the sensor is built into the Home button as per usual, but in the absence of a physical Home button Samsung has shifted its fingerprint sensor to the rear of the Galaxy.

Face recognition

Wireless charging capabilities for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
Wireless charging capabilities for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+

Samsung's flagship phones are the only ones so far to be unlockable by scanning and recognizing the user's face.

Processor

Processors for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
Processors for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+

Both the Nokia 8 and Galaxy S8 series run on Snapdragon 835 processors, with Samsung's phones boasting faster clock speeds of 2.35 GHz.

RAM

The Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ both have 4 GB RAM
The Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ both have 4 GB RAM

Both phones pack 4 GB of RAM.

Storage

Storage space for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
Storage space for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+

A fairly generous 64 GB of storage space comes standard on both phones.

MicroSD

The storage capacity of the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ can both be expanded through MicroSD
The storage capacity of the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ can both be expanded through MicroSD

That internal storage can be expanded in both phones, too, thanks to MicroSD card slots.

Battery

The battery capacity for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+
The battery capacity for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

While the battery in the Nokia 8 boasts slightly more capacity than the Galaxy S8, the difference there is so small that you probably wouldn't notice. Where you will likely see a difference is in the S8+, which is powered by a boosted 3,500-mAh battery.

Fast charging

Both the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ have fast charging
Both the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ have fast charging

Both phones have the option of fast charging, for when you need a quick boost to your battery life.

Wireless charging

Facial recognition capabilities for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
Facial recognition capabilities for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+

With the right accessories, the Galaxy S8 and S8+ can also be charged wirelessly out of the box.

Cameras

Camera specs for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
Camera specs for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+

While there's more to a great photo than just the megapixel count, Nokia leads the pack on that front, boasting 13-MP cameras front and back.

Rear camera aperture

Rear camera aperture for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
Rear camera aperture for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+

The camera on the Galaxy S8 has a wider aperture than the Nokia, which should improve the quality of low-light snaps.

Image stabilization

Both the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ have Optical Image Stabilization
Both the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ have Optical Image Stabilization

Both phones pack Optical Image Stabilization, to reduce blur in photos and smooth the jitters out of video.

Operating system

Operating system for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
Operating system for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+

Both phones are running Android 7.1.1 Nougat, with Samsung's offerings also featuring a proprietary user interface called Samsung Touchwiz.

Release date

The release dates for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+
The release dates for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+

Samsung released its new flagships back in April, while the Nokia 8 will roll out in September.

Price

Full retail price for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+
Full retail price for the Nokia 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

While no official US price has been announced for the Nokia 8, it's going for €599 in Europe, which translates to about US$700 – that's a tad cheaper than the Galaxy S8 and well under the $840 price tag of the S8+.

View gallery - 26 images
1 comment
1 comment
Aussie_2017
Nice devices, but what I see today with any Android device is the same as those Windows PCs in late 90's early 00's, just a hardware compare. All hardware looks very similar and also has the similar performance. It's nice to know that Nokia is back in business, just hope that they come up with a better OS than Android some day.