Samsung just unveiled the Galaxy A8s, its first smartphone with a punch hole inside the display. Thanks to this solution, Samsung managed to realize a full borderless design without a notch. The company decided to include an in-display hole in an upper midrange phone, a perfect competitor of devices such as Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro and Oppo R17 Pro (or RX17 Pro for the European market). Given that these wonderful handsets share a similar price tag, here is a comparison between them.
Samsung Galaxy A8s vs Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro vs Oppo R17 Pro
| Samsung Galaxy A8s | Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro | Oppo R17 Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 158.4 x 74.9 x 7.4 mm, 173 grams | 154.9 x 74.8 x 7.6 mm, 177 grams | 157.6 x 74.6 x 7.9 mm, 183 grams |
| DISPLAY | 6.4 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 403 ppi, IPS LCD | 6.21 inches, 1080 x 2248p (Full HD+), 402 ppi, Super AMOLED | 6.4 inches, 1080 x 2340 pixels, 402 ppi, AMOLED |
| PROCESSOR | Qualcomm Snapdragon 710, octa-core 2.2 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, octa-core 2.8 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 710, octa-core 2.2 GHz |
| MEMORY | 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD slot | 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB | 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD slot |
| SOFTWARE | Android 9 Pie, Samsung UI | Android 8.1 Oreo, MIUI | Android 8.1 Oreo, Color OS |
| CONNECTIVITY | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS |
| CAMERA | Triple 24 + 10 + 5 MP f/1.7 + f/2.2 24 MP f/2.0 front camera |
Dual 12 + 12 MP f/1.8 + f/2.4 20 MP f/2.0 front camera |
Triple 12 + 20 + TOF 3D camera f/1.5-2.4 and f/2.6 25 MP f/2.0 front camera |
| BATTERY | 3400 mAh, Fast charging | 3000 mAh, Fast charging with Quick Charge 4.0 | 3700 mAh, Fast Charging with Super VOOC Flash Charge |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | Hybrid Dual SIM slot | Dual SIM slot | Hybrid Dual SIM slot |
Design
Given its cutout in the display, Samsung Galaxy A8s has the most futuristic design as it does not need a notch in order to achieve one of the highest screen-to-body ratios (almost 85 percent). But note that it does not integrate an in-display fingerprint reader and it is rear-mounted, so the rear side of the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro looks cleaner and more beautiful, also thanks to its gradient colors. But it has a too big notch (unlike Oppo R17 Pro) because it integrates a 3D facial recognition system based on an infrared sensor. On the other hand, Samsung Galaxy A8s is the thinnest and most lightweight device.
Display
Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro has the most awesome display because it boasts a better color reproduction. Not only it comes with the Super AMOLED technology, but also with DCI-P3 coverage, and it is HDR10 compliant. At the second place, there is Oppo R17 Pro with its AMOLED screen that is also protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 6. Samsung Galaxy A8s is the only phone from the Galaxy A-series to feature an IPS display manufactured by BOE instead of a Samsung’s AMOLED panel, and it is a classic midrange display which offers nothing impressive.
Specs & Software
Talking about hardware and performance, there is no challenge, Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro is the winner. It boasts the most impressive hardware side thanks to the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 which is paired with up to 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. The rest of the trio is powered by the Snapdragon 710, a very nice chipset, the best Qualcomm’s SoC if we exclude the whole 800 series. But it remains a midrange-class SoC. Between Samsung Galaxy A8s and Oppo R17 Pro, when it comes to hardware and software, I would pick Samsung Galaxy A8s because it comes with Android 9 Pie out of the box.
Camera
Even though they are not among the most expensive phones, all of these devices feature impressive cameras. Oppo R17 Pro is even very innovative because it has a triple camera with a variable aperture in order to adapt better to every light condition. In order to establish which is the best camera phone, we have to test Galaxy A8s personally but this is still not possible because it has just been announced. On the paper, Oppo R17 Pro seems the most satisfying one.
Battery
Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro has a much smaller and just sufficient battery with its 3000 mAh capacity, so it is excluded from this comparison. Oppo R17 Pro has the biggest one and, even if we still did not test Samsung Galaxy A8s, we believe this may be the most satisfying devices when it comes to battery, not only for the time it lasts (a working day even with intensive uses), but also because it is the world’s fastest charging last-gen smartphone.
Price
We still do not know the listing price of Samsung Galaxy A8s, but we will know it soon because it will be launched soon (more info at the link below). Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro and Oppo R17 Pro are available with starting price tags of about €500 and €600. Oppo R17 Pro looks the most convincing device and I would personally pick it because of its good display, big and fast-charging battery, and its excellent cameras. I would not choose Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro because of its smaller battery.
Samsung Galaxy A8s vs Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro vs Oppo R17 Pro: PROs and CONS
Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro
PROs
- High performance
- Great display quality
- In-display fingerprint scanner
- Good camera
CONS
- Smaller battery
Samsung Galaxy A8s
PROs
- Most innovative design
- Excellent cameras
- Android Pie
- FM radio
CONS
- Rear-mounted fingerprint reader
Oppo R17 Pro
PROs
- Amazing cameras
- Bigger battery
- Very fast charging
- Gorilla Glass 6
CONS
- High price
