It’s been a month since the big Mobile World Congress trade show and two days since Samsung Unpacked. That means we’ve already seen a lot of major new flagship smartphone announcements in 2017.
Here’s how the premium end of the spectrum looks now that the Samsung Galaxy S8 has been announced:
Samsung Galaxy S8 Spec Comparison
| 5.8-inch | 6.2-inch | 4.7-inch | 5.5-inch | 5-inch | 5.5-inch | 5.7-inch | 5.7-inch |
| 2960 x 1440 | 2960 x 1440 | 1334 x 750 | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1440 | 2880 x 1440 | 2560 x 1440 |
| Snapdragon 835 (2.35GHz and 1.9GHz, octa-core) | Snapdragon 835 (2.35GHz and 1.9GHz, octa-core) | A10 Fusion | A10 Fusion | Snapdragon 821 (quad-core) | Snapdragon 821 (quad-core) | Snapdragon 821 (2.35 GHz and 1.6GHz, quad-core) | Snapdragon 821 (quad-core) |
| 4GB | 4GB | 2GB | 3GB | 4GB | 4GB | 4GB | 4GB |
| 64GB | 64GB | 32GB, 128GB, 256GB | 32GB, 128GB, 256GB | 32GB, 128GB | 32GB, 128GB | 32GB, 64GB | 64GB, 128GB |
| 12 megapixel | 12 megapixel | 12 megapixel | 12 megapixel, 12 megapixel (wide) | 12.3-megapixel | 12.3 megapixel | 13 megapixel, 13 megapixel (wide) | 12 megapixel |
| 8 megapixel | 8 megapixel | 7 megapixel | 7 megapixel | 8 megapixel | 8 megapixel | 5 megapixel | 16 megapixel |
| 3,000mAh | 3,500mAh | 1,960mAh | 2,900mAh | 2,770mAH | 3,450mAh | 3,300mAh | 3,000mAh |
| 0.34 pounds | 0.38 pounds | 0.30 pounds | 0.41 pounds | 0.31 pounds | 0.37 pounds | 0.36 pounds | 0.37 pounds |
| 5.86 x 2.68 x 0.31 | 6.28 x 2.88 x 0.31 | 5.44 x 2.64 x 0.28 | 6.23 x 3.07 x 0.29 | 5.66 x 2.74 x 0.29 | 6.09 x 2.98 x 0.29 | 5.86 x 2.83 x 0.31 | 6.39 x 3.14 x 0.31 |
| $750 | $850 | $649.00 | $769.00 | $649.00 | $769.00 | $649.00 | $749.00 |
| Iris scanner, IP68 water resistance, USB-C | Iris scanner, IP68 water resistance, USB-C | IP67 water resistance, “Force Touch” home button, no headphone jack | 2 camera system, IP67 water resistance, “Force Touch” home button, no headphone jack | Google Assistant, fast charging | Google Assistant, fast charging | IP68 water resistance, USB-C | Secondary display, optional sapphire glass model, USB-C |
Then there’s those upcoming iPhones. While we don’t know for sure, the rumor mill is already coalescing around three new iPhones launching in the fall, with at least one premium “all-glass” model that’s said to feature a function area instead of a home button, and a large curved edge-to-edge OLED similar to what Samsung’s been doing for years. Oh, and Apple may or may not be ditching Lightning for USB-C (probably not). I personally haven’t upgraded my three-year old iPhone 6 Plus on account of the so-called “tenth anniversary” iPhone rumors.
So, dear reader, what’s it going to be? Will you be buying now or holding out for that rumored iPhone? Or maybe you’re swayed by the prospect of a new Note 8 from Samsung, or LG’s next V-series flagship, or Andy Rubin’s next big thing, or that premium Nokia we’ve been promised, or Google’s followup to the awesome Pixel? Or is it something else entirely that’ll keep you waiting? Do tell.