Samsung’s new Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ have landed, and they’re by far the South Korean company’s most exciting smartphones to date. They boast stunning curved glass designs, jaw-dropping Infinity Displays, and impressive features.
Here are five that we think Apple must steal for this year’s iPhone 8.
As I mentioned in an earlier post about the Galaxy S8, Apple had a pretty easy run last year with the Galaxy Note 7 out of the picture. iPhone 7 beat expectations despite being a somewhat boring upgrade, and it certainly helped that its main contender was recalled. Twice.
But it’s a different story in 2017.
The Galaxy S8 series defines what a flagship smartphone should be. It’s beautiful, insanely powerful, and packing features that iPhone users can only dream of. If Apple wants any chance of competing this year, it’s going to have to steal some of Samsung ideas.
Design
This year’s iPhone can’t be another iPhone 6 lookalike. Apple needs to deliver a new design, and it needs to be spectacular.
It could start by stealing some things from the Galaxy S8, such as its curved glass display. It provides a premium look unmatched by rival devices, and Samsung’s sales figures in recent years have proven curved glass isn’t just a gimmick. There’s real demand for it.
Recent rumors have suggested Apple could use curved glass this year, but only for a premium “iPhone Edition” with an OLED display. But it should be standard on all models of the iPhone 8. We pay enough for it, and it’s a change that adds wow-factor at a time when the iPhone needs it.
Curved glass doesn’t have to be purely superficial, either. Samsung has made use of the edges by implementing “edge panels,” which slide out from the side of the screen and contain handy shortcuts to apps and contacts, and useful widgets for things like news and weather.
Photo: Samsung
Infinity Display
While Apple is switching to curved glass, it should do away with its giant bezels to make room for a bigger screen — like the Galaxy S8’s edge-to-edge Infinity Display.
It takes up over 80 percent of the space on the front of the phone, leaving just enough room for a front-facing camera, speaker, and iris scanner. It means users get a lot more screen space inside a form factor that is similar in size to that of the Galaxy S7.
In fact, the Galaxy S8 with its 5.8-inch display is only 1mm wider and 0.9mm thicker than the iPhone 7 with its 4.7-inch display. The Galaxy S8+ with its 6.2-inch display is actually 4.5mm narrower and only 0.7mm thicker than the iPhone 7 Plus with its 5.5-inch screen.
Samsung’s displays are also significantly sharper, and it’s about time Apple caught up. The iPhone 7’s resolution of 1334×750, which offers just 326 pixels-per-inch, is disappointing in 2017. The Galaxy S8’s 2960×1440 results in a whopping 568 ppi.
Iris scanning
Yes, iPhone has Touch ID, but it should have an iris scanner like the Galaxy S8, too.
Not only is it insanely cool, but improves accessibility (not everyone can use their hands to unlock their phone), and allows you to quickly unlock your iPhone when your hands are wet. This is more important than ever now that iPhone is water-resistant.
Wireless charging
This is another feature Apple could bring to iPhone 8, according to recent rumors, and it’s something I, and countless other iPhone users, have been requesting for years.
Wireless charging doesn’t mean you can do away with cables completely, but it makes topping up your smartphone much more convenient. It also means you’re not constantly plugging cables into your device itself.
And with fewer cables to pull on, you have fewer cables to replace when they inevitably break.
Photo: Samsung
DeX
DeX is one of the most exciting new features of the Galaxy S8. It’s a docking station that allows you to connect your handset to an external display, keyboard, and mouse and turn it into an Android-powered desktop computer.
For some, this would eliminate the need for another laptop or PC entirely. All Android apps are supported, and some — like those from Adobe and Microsoft — will offer dedicated desktop interfaces for DeX.
DeX means you can finally get real work done on a smartphone. With a larger display and physical keyboard, you can write up that report or edit that spreadsheet without having to find a more suitable device. You have all the power you need in your pocket.
This is something Apple is unlikely to adopt for a future iPhone, but we can dream.
Killian Bell is a freelance writer based in the U.K. He has an interest in all things tech and also covers Android over at CultofAndroid.com. You can follow him on Twitter via @killianbell.
12 responses to “5 features iPhone 8 must steal from the Galaxy S8”
agree with all that except so called wireless charging! really don’t want that toothbrush charging tech!
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Why would Apple need to steal anything to compete with Samsung new phone if iphone 8 is probably going to enter production soon and it’s already designed. Don’t get this. Focus!
I want none of that shit. Wireless charging, is a God damn joke. Curved displays, are even stupider. Also, who wants god damn oleds? IPhone screens are fine as they are. Seriously. The infinity display, is about all the iPhone Pro needs.
Keep drinking the Kook-aid if you that that wireless charging and OLED screens are a joke. Unlike your closed mind, I own both iPHone 7 and Galaxy S7 Edge. iPhone may be better on the software, but Samsung owns it in the Hardware department.
So basically, copy samsung
This article is a joke…. It’s funny, nothing but the most trivial features such as curved screens can be attributed to Samsung as their ideas.
Design – Yes, Apple needs to do something different because different form factors sell. We all know Apple is doing something different with the next iPhone. BTW, curved screens??? Are you serious? No thanks…
Infinity display – A rather silly name for reduced bezel. Yes, we all know Apple’s next design will have reduced bezels. All the rumors from supply chain already tells us this. As for resolution, how many times are ill-informed tech media pundits going to try to push higher specs which serve no practical purpose. Outside of VR, additional resolution adds no value. It’s actually worse as gaming performance drops and the GPU has to do more work which ultimately impacts battery life…. and for what? Specs?
Iris Scanning – who cares.. we have fingerprint scanners and I unlike my phone long before it’s brought up to my eye level to read it. No advantage here.. just different.
Wireless Charging – It’s actually inductive charging and again… this has got to be one of the most over rated features ever. As if it’s more difficult to put a phone in a dock…
Dex – Interesting in concept… but not original either. Microsoft’s Continuum is built around this concept.
Sorry for the rant, but the tech media can be rather stupid at times.
This always sounds like an awesome idea. Plug your phone in to the big screen, add a keyboard and mouse, and it’s a PC!
The problem is, where are you going to get this keyboard, mouse, and screen? The last office I visited had plenty of screens, but no mice and keyboards just lying around. Now, granted, you could bring your own keyboard and mouse and docking station with you, but that’s a bit to drag around.
Stupid heading asking a Computer expert’s company to copy an Appliances company on software which also require from another company.
Actually, curved screen distorts the top and bottom parts of a movie I watch on the phone.
I can live without it.
All these people shouting that Wireless charging is the new black…
How about charge time? Will 7-hours wireless be enough to fully charge a Plus-phone?
I doubt it.
Had a lot of Windows-Phone-phones, and charge time was mediocre and always required
exact positioning of the phone (Check that last SMS before going to sleep, then wake up with a NOT so charged phone, because I put it down half a inch wrong…)
So, wireless, well, If Apple succeeds in “making it work” (charge time, positioning etc) then, ok…
“stealing some things from the Galaxy S8, such as its curved glass display. It provides a premium look unmatched by rival devices”
There’s an issue with that sentence… I can’t quite point out what but I think something in regards to stealing used with unmatched :P