Samsung Galaxy S8 vs Samsung Galaxy S9
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Samsung Galaxy S9, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Samsung Galaxy S8 | Samsung Galaxy S9 |
|---|
| Price | $90 | $159 |
| Our rating | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Battery | 3,000 mAh | 3,000 mAh |
| Wired charging | 15W | 15W |
| RAM (max) | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| Storage (max) | 64 GB | 400 GB |
| Screen size | 5.8 in | 5.8 in |
| Main camera | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 155 g | 163 g |
| Released | Apr 2017 | Mar 2018 |
Summary: Samsung Galaxy S8 is ahead on weight (lower is lighter). Samsung Galaxy S9 is ahead on storage (max).
★ Which should you buy? Specs are close to an even split here, so Samsung Galaxy S8 is the better buy — the extra cost of the other one isn't matched by a clear spec advantage.
Reviewed by the infozme.com Editorial Team — see how we research & rate phones.
Display
| Samsung Galaxy S8 | Samsung Galaxy S9 |
|---|
| Type | Super AMOLED, HDR10 | Super AMOLED, HDR10 |
| Size | 5.8 inches, 84.8 cm2 (~83.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 5.8 inches, 84.2 cm² (~83.6% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 1440 x 2960 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio (~570 ppi density) | 1440 x 2960 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio (~570 ppi density) |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Features | 3D Touch (home button only), Always-on display | — |
Platform
| Samsung Galaxy S8 | Samsung Galaxy S9 |
|---|
| OS | Android 7.0 (Nougat), upgradable to Android 9.0 (Pie) | Android 8.0 (Oreo), upgradable to Android 10, One UI 2.5 |
| Chipset (USA) | Qualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 835 (10 nm) | — |
| Chipset (Global) | Exynos 8895 (10 nm) | — |
| CPU (USA) | Octa-core (4x2.35 GHz Kryo & 4x1.9 GHz Kryo) | — |
| CPU (Global) | Octa-core (4x2.3 GHz Mongoose M2 & 4x1.7 GHz Cortex-A53) | — |
| GPU (USA) | Adreno 540 | — |
| GPU (Global) | Mali-G71 MP20 | — |
| Chipset | — | Exynos 9810 (10 nm) - EMEA or Qualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 845 (10 nm) - USA/LATAM, China |
| CPU | — | Octa-core (4x2.7 GHz Mongoose M3 & 4x1.7 GHz Cortex-A55) - EMEA or Octa-core (4x2.8 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver) - USA/LATAM, China |
| GPU | — | Mali-G72 MP18 - EMEA or Adreno 630 - USA/LATAM, China |
Memory
| Samsung Galaxy S8 | Samsung Galaxy S9 |
|---|
| Internal | 64GB 4GB RAM | 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM |
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model only or dedicated slot - single SIM model, up to 400 GB |
Main Camera
| Samsung Galaxy S8 | Samsung Galaxy S9 |
|---|
| Single | 12 MP, f/1.7, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS | 12 MP, f/1.5-2.4, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS |
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@240fps, HDR, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS, OIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS, OIS |
Selfie Camera
| Samsung Galaxy S8 | Samsung Galaxy S9 |
|---|
| Dual | 8 MP, f/1.7, 25mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.22µm, AF; 2 MP (dedicated iris scanner camera) | 8 MP, f/1.7, 25mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.22µm, AF; 2 MP (dedicated iris scanner camera) |
| Features | Dual video call, Auto-HDR | Dual video call, Auto-HDR |
| Video | 1440p@30fps | 1440p@30fps |
Battery
| Samsung Galaxy S8 | Samsung Galaxy S9 |
|---|
| Type | Li-Ion 3000 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 3000 mAh, non-removable |
| Charging | 15W wired (Quick Charge 2.0), Qi/PMA wireless charging | 15W wired, QC2.0; Qi/PMA wireless charging |
Body
| Samsung Galaxy S8 | Samsung Galaxy S9 |
|---|
| Dimensions | 148.9 x 68.1 x 8 mm (5.86 x 2.68 x 0.31 in) | 147.7 x 68.7 x 8.5 mm (5.81 x 2.70 x 0.33 in) |
| Weight | 155 g (5.47 oz) | 163 g (5.75 oz) |
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame |
| SIM | Single SIM (Nano-SIM) or Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | Single SIM (Nano-SIM) or Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) |
| Protection | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | — |
| Water & Dust Resistance | — | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) |
Comms
| Samsung Galaxy S8 | Samsung Galaxy S9 |
|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1 | USB Type-C 3.1 |
Launch
| Samsung Galaxy S8 | Samsung Galaxy S9 |
|---|
| Announced | March 2017 | February 25, 2018 |
| Status | Released April 2017 | Available. Released March 16, 2018. |
Frequently asked questions
Which is lighter, Samsung Galaxy S8 or Samsung Galaxy S9?
Samsung Galaxy S8 — 155 g for the Samsung Galaxy S8 versus 163 g for the Samsung Galaxy S9.
Which is newer, Samsung Galaxy S8 or Samsung Galaxy S9?
Samsung Galaxy S9 — Apr 2017 for the Samsung Galaxy S8 versus Mar 2018 for the Samsung Galaxy S9.
Is the Samsung Galaxy S8 or the Samsung Galaxy S9 rated higher?
We rate the Samsung Galaxy S8 7/10 and the Samsung Galaxy S9 7/10.
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