2017 is the year of smartphones. As various smartphones flood the market from companies big and small, it can be a difficult task to find a perfect smartphone that fits one’s specific interests and needs. This guide will serve as a reference that highlights some of the newest, coolest phones that you can get your hands on now or in the near future and the experiences and reviews from owners of these phones.
iPhone X and iPhone 8
The new iPhone line-up was announced on September 12 with iPhone X (10) as the flagship and iPhone 8 and 8+. The iPhone 8 and 8+ are upgraded models of the 7 and 7+ with dramatically improved cameras and processing power. The iPhone X is the 10-year anniversary phone from Apple. After a decade of trials and tweaks, the iPhone X combines the technologies and innovations from the iPhones of the last 10 years and is packed with futuristic technologies. The new iPhones all offer better battery life. Along with iPhone 8, the iPhone X will be the first to implement wireless charging.
Along with wireless charging, the iPhone X also has many brand new features. The ones that stand out is the new (almost) bezel-less display and biometric security feature: Face ID. Just like Touch ID, which scans the users’ fingerprint, Face ID scans the user’s’ 3D facial features to unlock the phone and make payment through Apple Pay. The cameras on the iPhone X are the first that can take 4K videos in 60FPS.
One day after the release, the performance of the new iPhone X has shocked the tech community. With a GeekBench score, a well-respected testing software for smartphones and computers’ performance, of 9959, the iPhone X with its A11 bionic processor is officially the fastest smartphone on the market. To put this in perspective, this GB score almost doubles the one for Samsung S8 (6279). It also beats that of all iPads (iPad Pro 10.5’’ @ 9210) and entry-level MacBook Pros (MBP mid-2017 13’’ @8869).
Samsung Galaxy Note 8
The Galaxy Note 8 is the latest display from Samsung. It was announced earlier this fall and the first batch of phones has just been delivered. This giant phone has a 6.3’’ inch display. Just like the previous phones, the screen of the Note 8 curves around the edges, eliminating bezels on the vertical sides of the device. It has an incredible screen to body ratio, even bigger than iPhone X’s. With a very sharp QHD display, it has one of the greatest screens for media consumption on the market right now. The iPhone X will be its direct competitor with similar technologies and price.
One highlight of the Note 8 is its stylus, the S Pen. The stylus shows its value especially with this giant phone with its precise pointing and adaptability with different apps for multitasking. The cameras on the device are also worth mentioning. It has a dual lens camera system that is, not invented, popularized by Apple’s implementation on the previous iPhone 7+. However, those camera beats the ones from iPhone X, with better apertures that can take better photos in dark environments. It can take 4K videos at 30FPS. The Note 8 has iris scanners and fingerprint scanners for biometric authentications.
The part where the Note 8 blows iPhone X away is its customizability. The iPhone X does not have a headphone jack and most likely will remain so in the future models. However, the Note 8 does. The Note 8 also allows users to expand the device’s storage with SD cards. Right now, the capacity of the Note 8 can be as high as 656GB with Sandisk’s brand new 400GB micro SD.
Reviews and Experiences
Alex Stein is one of the first to preorder and receive the Note 8. He really likes his new phone, specifically the cameras, sharp display and the S Pen. “The best experience of any smartphone ever.” Stein said, “With its curved screen, smart functionality such as live focus mode, and containing a smaller price tag than the iPhone X while still covering more features, It is the best phone at the premium price right now.”
On the other hand, Aman Manazir has used an iPhone 5C since 7th grade. “It was my first phone.” Manazir said, “It’s become a part of me,” He liked the iPhones because he could do nearly everything he needed in the past few years and it comes with a lot of features for the price. However, he is planning on pre-ordering the new iPhone X in October. “I got a lot out of it, but now it’s time for an upgrade.” Other current users have also liked the cameras and storage of previous iPhones.
