Is the Galaxy Note 8 Really Better than the Galaxy S8+?

The Galaxy Note 8 was launched yesterday as expected and it's also available for pre-order from various carriers and the Samsung web store. However, is there any advantage that the Note 8 offers to its customers that the S8+ doesn't? I mean, should you choose the more expensive and newer stylus wielding Note or the less expensive S8+ with a bigger battery?

There are four main differences in between the two behemoths from Samsung and they are as follows.

Rear Camera

The rear camera will still need to be tested and seen in comparison before a conclusion can be drawn, but there is no doubt that the Note 8's dual module will beat the S8+'s single but impressive camera in the end; at least in certain aspects like optical zoom, wider angles, true bokeh effect, etc.

S-Pen

The stylus is an impressive add-on which will be useful for people who actually use it, especially the digital artists among us. However, for the majority of the people, it's just something that you will use less and less of within just a few weeks or less.

Display

The 0.1 inch increase in size is nigh-insignificant according to me and everything else about the two displays are identical.

Battery

The Galaxy S8+ sports a 3,500mAh battery, while the Galaxy Note 8 sports a smaller 3,300mAh battery, in spite of sporting a bigger display than the S8+. It doesn't make sense to me, but for brevity's sake let's just say that the S8+ is a clear winner here.

Finally, you should know that the newly announced Gear VR headset is the only one which will work with the new Note 8, while all previous gen, VR-compatible smartphones from Samsung will work fine with the new headset. This means that the S8+ will work with both, but if you have plans to use VR with the Note 8, your older Gear VR headset will become junk! All things considered, I would say, stick with the Galaxy S8+ for now, unless you REALLY need the better camera and the stylus.

Saikat Kar (tech-enthusiast)