Samsung Galaxy S9 vs Galaxy S8
Here we compared two flagship smartphones: the 5.8-inch Samsung Galaxy S9 (with Exynos 9 Octa 9810) that was released on February 25, 2018, against the Samsung Galaxy S8, which is powered by Exynos 9 Octa 8895 and came out 11 months before. On this page, you will find tests, full specs, strengths, and weaknesses of each of the devices.
Select the amount of RAM to evaluate performance and value for money more precisely
Key differences
Reasons to consider the Samsung Galaxy S9
- 42% better performance in AnTuTu Benchmark (611K versus 430K)
- Better camera quality (According to DxOMark rating)
- Slow-motion recording at 960FPS
- Stereo speakers
- More recent OS version: Android 10 versus 9
- The phone is 11 months newer
- 2.1x faster in single-core GeekBench 6 test: 769 and 361 points
Reasons to consider the Samsung Galaxy S8
- Shows 12% longer battery life (16:58 vs 15:09 hours)
Review
Display
Screen quality, color accuracy, brightness
Camera
Photo and video recording quality
Performance
CPU and memory performance (apps, system)
Gaming
Capabilities for playing modern games
Battery
Battery life, charging type and speed
Connectivity
Networks, ports, data transmission
Select your primary usage scenario to get a more accurate NanoReview Score
Value for money (Beta)
Tests and specifications
Comparison table of technical specifications and testsDisplay
| Type | Super AMOLED | Super AMOLED |
| Size | 5.8 inches | 5.8 inches |
| Resolution | 1440 x 2960 pixels | 1440 x 2960 pixels |
| Aspect ratio | 18.5:9 | 18.5:9 |
| PPI | 568 ppi | 570 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Adaptive refresh rate | No | No |
| Max rated brightness | 658 nits | 540 nits |
| HDR support | Yes, HDR10 | Yes, HDR10 |
| Screen protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Screen-to-body ratio | 84.1% | 84.2% |
| Display features | - Always-On Display | - Always-On Display |
| RGB color space | - | 99.8% |
| PWM | 240 Hz | 250 Hz |
| Response time | 7 ms | 4.4 ms |
| Contrast | β Infinity | β Infinity |
Peak brightness test (auto)
Design and build
| Height | 147.7 mm (5.81 inches) | 148.9 mm (5.86 inches) |
| Width | 68.7 mm (2.7 inches) | 68.1 mm (2.68 inches) |
| Thickness | 8.5 mm (0.33 inches) | 8 mm (0.31 inches) |
| Weight | 163 g (5.75 oz) | 155 g (5.47 oz) |
| Waterproof | IP68 | IP68 |
| Rear material | Glass | Glass |
| Frame material | Metal | Metal |
| Colors | Black, Gold, Gray, Blue, Purple | Black, Silver, Gold, Gray, Blue, Red, Pink |
| Fingerprint scanner | Yes, rear | Yes, rear |
Screen-to-body ratio
Performance
| Chipset | Samsung Exynos 9 Octa 9810 | Samsung Exynos 9 Octa 8895 |
| Max clock | 2900 MHz | 2300 MHz |
| CPU cores | 8 (4 + 4) | 8 (4 + 4) |
| Architecture | - 4 cores at 1.9 GHz: Cortex-A55 - 4 cores at 2.9 GHz: Exynos M3 |
- 4 cores at 1.69 GHz: Cortex-A53 - 4 cores at 2.314 GHz: Exynos M2 |
| Manufacturing | Samsung | Samsung |
| Lithography process | 10 nanometers | 10 nanometers |
| Neural processor (NPU) | Yes | No |
| Graphics | Mali-G72MP18 | Mali-G71 MP20 |
| GPU shading units | 216 | 240 |
| GPU clock | 572 MHz | 546 MHz |
| FLOPS | ~247.1 GFLOPS | ~262.1 GFLOPS |
Benchmarks
Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)
Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)
Compute Score (GPU)
| Compute Score (GPU) | 4798 | - |
| Single-core score | 769 | 361 |
| Multi-core score | 2000 | 1240 |
AnTuTu Benchmark 11
| CPU | 242718 | 184651 |
| GPU | 92154 | 78838 |
| Memory | 121349 | 99514 |
| UX | 155709 | 67379 |
| Total score | 611930 | 430382 |
| Samples | [16 tests] | [7 tests] |
PCMark 3.0
| Web score | 5601 | - |
| Video editing | 5488 | - |
| Photo editing | 9525 | - |
| Data manipulation | 5650 | - |
| Writing score | 6250 | - |
Recent User Tests
Samsung Galaxy S9
| Date | Benchmark | Result |
|---|---|---|
| π 2026-07-06 -> legusk | AnTuTu | 653076 |
| π 2026-07-04 -> Otchem1488 | AnTuTu | 617656 |
| π 2026-06-15 (Dib) | AnTuTu | 539997 |
| π 2026-06-03 (Zolw) | AnTuTu | 670558 |
| π 2026-04-20 (Seldo) | AnTuTu | 616860 |
Samsung Galaxy S8
| Date | Benchmark | Result |
|---|---|---|
| π 2026-06-03 (leo) | AnTuTu | 421047 |
| π 2026-02-23 (Ok) | AnTuTu | 430382 |
| π 2025-12-31 (Barmaley) | AnTuTu | 447464 |
| π 2025-12-26 (Barmaley) | AnTuTu | 447464 |
| π 2025-10-23 (Loki) | AnTuTu | 383236 |
Memory
| RAM size | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| Memory type | LPDDR4X | LPDDR4X |
| Memory clock | 1794 MHz | 1794 MHz |
| Channels | 2 | 2 |
| Storage size | 64 GB | 64 GB |
| Storage type | UFS 2.1 | UFS 2.1 |
| Memory card | MicroSD | MicroSD |
| Memory card max size | Up to 400 GB | Up to 256 GB |
Software
| Operating system | Android 8.0 (Can be upgraded to Android 10) | Android 7.0 (Can be upgraded to Android 9.0) |
| ROM | One UI 2.5 | One UI |
| OS size | 14 GB | 11.7 GB |
Battery
| Capacity | 3000 mAh | 3000 mAh |
| Max charge power | 15 W | 15 W |
| Battery type | Li-Po | Li-Ion |
| Replaceable | No | No |
| Wireless charging | Yes, Qi/PMA (10 W) | Yes, Qi/PMA |
| Reverse charging | No | No |
| Fast charging | Yes (40% in 30 min) | Yes, Samsung Adaptive Fast Charge (40% in 30 min) |
| Full charging time | 1:35 hr | 1:45 hr |
| Web browsing | 05:32 hr | 06:26 hr |
| Watching video | 09:42 hr | 10:09 hr |
| Gaming | 03:45 hr | 04:05 hr |
| Standby | 75 hr | 85 hr |
General battery life
Main camera
| Matrix | 12 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
| Image resolution | 4000 x 3000 | 4000 x 3000 |
| Zoom | Digital | Digital |
| Flash | Dual LED | Dual LED |
| Stabilization | Optical | Optical |
| 8K video recording | No | No |
| 4K video recording | Up to 60FPS | Up to 30FPS |
| 1080p video recording | Up to 240FPS | Up to 60FPS |
| Slow motion | 960 FPS (720p) | 240 FPS (720p) |
| Lenses | 1) Standard: 12 MP |
1) Standard: 12 MP |
| Camera features | - Bokeh mode - Pro mode |
- Pro mode |
| Image resolution | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Aperture | f/1.5 - 2.4 | f/1.7 |
| Focal length | 26 mm | 26 mm |
| Sensor | Samsung SAK2L3 | Sony IMX333 |
| Sensor size | 1/2.55" (β 0.39 inch) | 1/2.55" (β 0.39 inch) |
| Pixel size | 1.4 micron | 1.4 micron |
| Autofocus | Phase autofocus | Phase autofocus |
| Stabilization | Optical | Optical |
DxOMark main camera tests
Photo quality
Video quality
Generic main camera score
| Samples | - | Photo samples of Samsung Galaxy S8 from DxOMark |
Selfie camera
| Megapixels | 8 megapixels | 8 megapixels |
| Image resolution | 3264 x 2448 | 3264 x 2448 |
| Aperture | f/1.7 | f/1.7 |
| Focal length | 25 mm | 25 mm |
| Sensor | Samsung S5K3H1 | Samsung S5K3H7 |
| Sensor size | 1/3.6" (β 0.28 inch) | 1/3.6" (β 0.28 inch) |
| Pixel size | 1.22 micron | 1.22 micron |
| Autofocus | Phase autofocus (Dual Pixel) | Phase autofocus |
| Stabilization | Digital | Digital |
| Video resolution | 1440p at 30 FPS | 1440p at 30 FPS |
| Depth sensor (TOF 3D) | No | No |
DxOMark front camera
| Photo | - | 86 |
| Video | - | 107 |
Connectivity
| Wi-Fi standard | Wi-Fi 5 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac) | Wi-Fi 5 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac) |
| Wi-Fi features | - Dual Band - Wi-Fi Direct - Wi-Fi Hotspot |
- Dual Band - Wi-Fi Direct - Wi-Fi Hotspot |
| Bluetooth version | 5 | 5 |
| Bluetooth features | PBAP/PAB, PAN, OPP, MAP, LE, HSP, HID, HFP, DIP, AVRCP, A2DP | PBAP/PAB, PAN, OPP, MAP, LE, HSP, HID, HFP, DIP, AVRCP, A2DP |
| USB type | USB Type-C | USB Type-C |
| USB version | 3.1 | 3.1 |
| USB features | - Charging - USB-Storage mode - OTG |
- Charging - USB-Storage mode - OTG |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo | GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo |
| NFC* | Yes | Yes |
| Infrared port | No | No |
| Number of SIM* | 2 | 2 |
| Type of SIM card | Nano | Nano |
| Multi SIM mode | Standby | Standby |
| eSIM support* | No | No |
| Hybrid slot | Yes | Yes |
| LTE Cat* | 18 | 16 |
| 5G support | No | No |
Sound
| Speakers | Stereo | Mono |
| Headphone audio jack | Yes | Yes |
| FM radio | No | No |
| Dolby Atmos | Yes | Yes |
Speakers test
Max loudness
Other
| Category | Flagship | Flagship |
| Announced | February 2018 | March 2017 |
| Release date | March 2018 | April 2017 |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $720 | $720 |
| Successor | - Samsung Galaxy S25 FE | - Samsung Galaxy S25 FE |
| SAR (head) | 0.362 W/kg | 0.315 W/kg |
| SAR (body) | 1.18 W/kg | 1.27 W/kg |
| Sensors | - Barometer - Proximity sensor - Gyroscope - Accelerometer - Ambient light sensor - Compass - Fingerprint |
- Barometer - Proximity sensor - Gyroscope - Accelerometer - Ambient light sensor - Compass - Fingerprint |
*Disclaimer! NFC, GSM network support, and some other specs can be different depending on the country.
Conclusion
After analyzing all the data, we think that the Samsung Galaxy S9 is definitely a better buy.
Cast your vote
Total votes: 739