Gadgetory

pocket now's galaxy si coverage is brought to you by B brand two big phones with different philosophies the pixel XL is Google's first foray into a more consumer oriented device while Samsung is pushing the boundaries on display boundaries so what we have here is a showdown bleeding-edge hardware vs up-to-date software galaxy s 8 plus versus the Google pixel XL let's roll starting off with design beauty is in the eye of the beholder but right off the bat we're going to give the design win to Samsung easily delivering one of the most striking phones of the year it's a gorgeous aesthetic which easily bests the abrupt metal and glass borders on the pixel this blue is pretty and the satiny finish on the metal is a little less slick in my paws but come on something really come on as for the tech onboard it shouldn't be a surprise that a newer phone has a more powerful processor than an older phone benching these gadgets the Galaxy will produce the bigger numbers and driving a more graphics intensive game like future fight will see a more fluid framerate yet for this brute-force Hardware advantage the pixel often feels snappier while navigating the UI a fewer of those little hitches or frame-to-frame stutters when doing things like sliding the app drawer that and we don't see much if any difference in multitasking so we're inclined to give the pixel a slight win here for doing more with less display technology flips us back to the Samsung though the pixel screen the body ratio isn't the best and the SI plus is easier to use one-handed while Samsung still hasn't completely shown us what benefits this taller display should provide it does pack quite a bit more overall area for us to use once apps start taking advantage of it aside from that potential the s8 plus screen also boosts brighter when you need it Samsung Gossow makes the more complete argument for locking your phone down the pixels fingerprint sensor is better situated and in my opinion has been a more consistent performer but the addition of an iris scanner on the si+ is a well-considered tool for folks to decide for themselves how they want to secure their phones and before leaving hardware the s8 is a water resistance amp the pixel is lightly splash-resistant but the galaxy is rated to survive being completely submerged our anecdotal concerns about this edge display being less drop resistant notwithstanding we have to give Samsung the win here for the better IP rating looking at software this is an area where Samsung strays far from the stock Android experience every aspect of the phone is tweaked for example both phones can split screen apps but Samsung still saw room for improvement in how you can allocate space the Galaxy also provides more options for user customization more than just wallpapers you get themes and the edge display some Samsung changes are a little silly the pixels vertical app drawer makes more sense when you pull it up by a gesture but overall Samsung wins for folks who like to tinker the flipside to that of course is operating system and security updates where no manufacturer will really be able to compete against getting your software directly from Google at the time this comparison was shot your brand spanking new s8 plus will arrive with Android 7.0 while my pixel XL was just bumped up to 7.1.2 that's your software choice folks more fun stuff out of the box or more timely updates and support taking a listen to both phones HTC was the company behind manufacturing the pixel but this phone doesn't seem to benefit from any of their boomsound expertise samsung took a long awaited but appreciated step up and improving speaker and headphone playback the s8 will do a better job of driving nicer headphones even including some solid earbuds in some markets and features some handy software for tuning playback to your ears Samsung Audio FTW here now the camera battle is a lot more difficult to sum up and we highly recommend checking out each phones real camera reviews linked below this video if you really want to dig deep into imaging performance but on the whole the pixel is the undisputed champ of auto processing it features buttery smooth video in good light and class-leading fun features like slow-motion and HDR the si+ is a baller all-rounder though it might lose the battle for folks who only ever want to hit a shutter button making no other adjustments but you will get a much more complete collection of option settings and old we're going to cop out here and offer a split decision as these cameras are built to appeal the different consumers and both deliver top-tier performance for their intended audiences we've got the same amount around but storage options definitely favor the galaxy we're base model the base model the s8 will double your storage and still give you the option to add a memory card if you really want to take advantage of that killer camera tech you'll have plenty of elbow room on the galaxy these two phones have nearly identical battery capacities and unsurprisingly perform similarly in our battery tests where the pixel ekes out a win is in recharge time a short stint on a charger the pixel will give you a bit more room to run the galaxy has support for wireless charging but ultimately the pixel is the more practical power performer and try saying that three times fast so let's wrap this up where does that leave us between the galaxy s 8 plus and the pixel XL like I said before it shouldn't be a surprise when a newer phone outperforms an older handset and considering price you'll get more stuff for your cash with the galaxy and ultimately Samsung takes the win still we know there are folks in our audience who would gladly trade more hardware for more up-to-date software and of course we want to hear from you the next pixel isn't that far off the horizon so which philosophy wins your cash Samsung's hardware or software direct from Google now that the s8 plus is here what would you want to see most in a pixel - to win you over voting our viewer poll and then drop us a comment down below this video hey folks if you're looking to protect the glass on your Galaxy s8 give it a little bit more grip or prevent all of those gnarly fingerprint smudges you should just wash your hands head on over to d-brane or they've got a whole collection of really awesome skins for you to customize the look and feel of your Galaxy smartphone there's a link for their wares down below this video and we thank D brand for supporting production on this channel as always thanks so much for watching be sure to subscribe to this channel for our full Galaxy S 8 coverage including our real camera and real audio reviews and help us out with some sharing on your favorite social networks for PocketNow i'm juan carlos bag now so i'm gadget guy on twitter and instagram and i will catch you all on the next comparison perform a practical power performer practical power performer