Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus vs. Google Pixel XL: Two plus-sized phones battle it out
Samsung has finally taken the wraps off the Galaxy S8 Plus, which could be the phone that sets the bar for the coming year. But how does it compare with the lauded Google Pixel XL?
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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
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Google Pixel XL
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Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus
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| 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 | $850 on T-Mobile, other carriers TBA |
| 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
