Best Galaxy S8 Alternatives
Looking Beyond the S8
The Galaxy S8 is one impressive Android phone. Between the sleek design and Infinity Display, strong performance and battery life, and very cool DeX dock, the competition has its work cut out for it.
But the S8 is not the only exciting phone you should pay attention to. Several other handsets offer compelling features and designs, including Apple's and Google's latest handsets, as well as serious values for bargain hunters. Here are the best Galaxy S8 alternatives you can buy now.
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OnePlus 5T: Amazing Value
The OnePlus 5T offers Galaxy S8-caliber specs and performance for hundreds less. For just $499, you get a Snapdragon 835 processor, a 6-inch OLED screen with minimal bezels and a robust 6GB of RAM. Other highlights include more than 13 hours of battery life and very capable dual rear cameras. The OnePlus 5T is also the fastest charging phone we've tested. You don't get wireless charging or water resistance, but overall this is a great value.
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iPhone X: Better Screen and Speed
The iPhone X is pricier than the Galaxy S8 at $999, but for the money you get an OLED screen that's brighter and delivers better-looking colors and wider viewing angles. Plus, the iPhone X offers more reliable facial recognition with Face ID, as well as a much faster processor in the A11 Bionic. Based on our tests, it blows every Android phone away. And while the S8's cameras are good, the iPhone X's dual shooters offer 2x optical zoom, as well as a TrueDepth camera up front that can take portraits.
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Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL: Superior Cameras
The Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL deliver a great pure Android experience with Android Oreo and some serious smarts. The clever designs let you summon Google Assistant with a squeeze of the handsets, and the very cool Google Lens feature can identify objects as you point the cameras at everything from landmarks to restaurants.
But the best feature of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL is their superior cameras. They take stunning photos, especially in challenging lighting conditions, and they create good-looking portraits without dual lenses. Add in strong battery life and these phones are well worth considering. The Pixel 2 XL is more expensive, but we prefer its larger 6-inch display (and smaller bezels).
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Galaxy Note 8: Bigger Screen, Dual Cameras
If you're willing to pay a premium, the Galaxy Note 8 gives you a bigger screen than the Galaxy S8 at 6.3 inches, plus dual cameras on the back that can do some cool tricks. In addition to 2x optical zoom, the Note 8 takes portrait mode photos with a bokeh effect you can adjust on the fly, and you can shoot wide-angle and close-up images with a single shot. The Note 8's S Pen also comes in handy for taking notes and for sending fun Live Messages to friends and family.
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Moto G5 Plus: Budget Friendly
Don't have a small fortune to spend on your next phone? The Moto G5 Plus packs impressive specs for just $229. It offers a sleek aluminum design, fingerprint sensor, speedy octa-core CPU and a 12-MP camera that focuses 60 percent faster than its predecessor. The 5.2-inch screen isn't exactly huge, but the 3,000 mAh battery lasted nearly 12 hours on a charge.
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LG V30: Better Video
The LG V30 is a great phone for media producers, as it captures crisp 4K video that you can tweak with all sorts of fun filters. It's like Instragram, but for moving images. And thanks to the quad digital-to-audio converter built in, your videos will sound as good as they look. The 6-inch OLED screen provides an immersive viewing experience, and around back is a fingerprint sensor that's in a lot more natural location than the reader on the S8.
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Huawei Mate 10 Pro: Longer Battery Life, Smarter AI
Talk about endurance. The Huawei Mate 10 Pro lasted more than 14 hours on our web surfing battery tests, which beats the Galaxy S8 by 4 hours. The Mate 10 Pro is also smarter with its AI features, as the rear cameras are smart enough to detect objects on the fly (such as flowers or food) and adjust the settings accordingly. The Hisilicon Kirin 970 processor is an absolute beast on this phone, though the 6-inch OLED display isn't quite as colorful as the S8's. The only thing missing is a headphone jack — and a price tag in the U.S.
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BlackBerry KeyOne: Killer Keyboard
BlackBerry lives! With the global rights now owned by TCL, the iconic brand is back in a new premium Android phone that combines a very smart keyboard with top-notch security. While the screen is a bit small at 4.5 inches, the BlackBerry KeyOne's keyboard does some pretty awesome things. You can long press to launch your favorite apps, flick up on the keyboard to accept suggestions to speed up typing and even use it as a touchpad for scrolling through emails or websites. Bonus: the space bar doubles as the fingerprint reader. On the downside, $549 is a lot to ask for a phone with a modest Snapdragon 625 CPU inside.
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Mark Spoonauer is the global editor in chief of Tom's Guide and has covered technology for over 20 years. In addition to overseeing the direction of Tom's Guide, Mark specializes in covering all things mobile, having reviewed dozens of smartphones and other gadgets. He has spoken at key industry events and appears regularly on TV to discuss the latest trends, including Cheddar, Fox Business and other outlets. Mark was previously editor in chief of Laptop Mag, and his work has appeared in Wired, Popular Science and Inc. Follow him on Twitter at @mspoonauer.