The Samsung Galaxy S8 is finally here, and the reviews are in!With the release of the Galaxy S8 and the S8 Plus on Friday, April 21, Samsung's well chronicled path to mobile phone redemption has come full circle. With expectations at an all time high for the mobile phone and tech industry giant, the question everyone has been asking since the announcement of the S8 and S8 Plus remains the same:“Will demand be impacted by the saga of the exploding Note 7??”While it is still too early to turn our attention to the official sales numbers, a recent survey published by the experts at Creative Strategies reveals that any potential impact stemming from 2016’s Note 7 recall is likely be minimal, if it exists at all. Over 53.7% of those surveyed indicated that the recall will have no impact on their interest, and among current Samsung users, 65.2% indicated they were in fact unbothered by the Note 7 recall. According to Ben Bajarin, Principal Analyst at Creative Strategies, this survey data suggests that “the Note 7 fires were never a big roadblock for consumers to begin with,” and that the survey numbers should “alleviate any concern over the Note 7 fallout impacting the sales of any Samsung smartphones released this year.” With both high demand and high sales expected for the S8 and S8 Plus, let’s take a quick look at what some of the industry’s top tech critics have to say about this year's “can’t miss” device.1) TechCrunchLeading off with TechCrunch, we find one of the most trusted and well respected online publishers that the tech industry has to offer. Specializing in the breaking coverage of all things tech and business with its cadre of A-list journalists, the AOL owned publisher also produces its fair share of gadget reviews. Taking viewers through a detailed (albeit short) video overview of the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus is Hardware Editor and writer Brian Heater. While Heater does not specifically assign the S8 an official rating, he does call it a “premium product” that he expects to keep the company “toward the front end of the Android handset race.” Heater also expresses his satisfaction with the impact of Bixby, Samsung’s new and highly anticipated voice/digital assistant. Heater in fact refers to Bixby’s image recognition and text recognition capabilities as “far and away” his “favorite part” of the new S8. While he admits that the cost of owning the device is a bit “pricey,” he finishes the review by reaffirming that the S8 is “one of the nicest pieces of hardware you are going to get.”2) TechRadarAs the UK’s largest consumer technology news and review site, TechRadar knows a thing or two about technology. Known for being “unashamedly geeky” for tech, TechRadar prides itself on fair and unbiased reviews of the latest and most advanced devices. Receiving a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 by phones, tablets, and wearables editor Gareth Beavis, the power of the Samsung Galaxy S8 was summed up in one simple word:“Stunning”Critics of Bixby and the S8’s biometrics capabilities aside, the review praised the S8’s screen as “brilliant,” as well as “the clearest” and “sharpest” screen available on the mobile phone market. With a 5.8-inch curved display, one that is larger than that of its Iphone 7 and 7 Plus rivals, TechRadar is adamant that the S8 “has the most stunning display around.”3) CNETTurning our attention to another tech industry insider, we find CNET, the American media website that specializes in providing its millions of readers with breaking tech news and product reviews. In what appears to be a case of deja vu, CNET reviewer Jessica Dolcourt assigned the Samsung Galaxy S8 a rating of 8.8 out of 10, calling it “without a doubt the most beautiful, polished phone I’ve ever held.” Dolcourt, who much like TechRadar’s Beavis provides a firm criticism of the S8’s biometrics capabilities, believes that when it comes to performance, battery life, and charging, the S8 is second to none on the smartphone market. As the first standard Galaxy S phone to have curved sides and the Edge display, Dolcourt doesn’t hold back praise for the S8’s screen functionality and its pixel resolution (a very high 2,960x1,440).4) ZDNETRounding out the “who's who” of tech industry device reviewers is ZDNet, the business technology and news website that prides itself on supporting all roles of the IT buying cycle. Mobile device reviewer Matthew Miller assigns the Samsung Galaxy S8 a “spectacular” 9.6 out of 10 due to its “stunning display,” “fast wireless charging,” and “high level water and dust resistance,” among other notable highlights. A particular favorite of Millier is the Gorilla Glass 5 that the S8 uses on both the front and back of the phone to help provide users with better drop protection. While Miller, perhaps unsurprisingly, mirrors his industry peers in criticizing both Bixby and location of the S8 fingerprint scanner, he ultimately concludes that Samsung “continues to set the bar for smartphone technology, leading with the latest mobile processor, best smartphone display, well supported mobile payment technology, and more.”In Brief...What can we take away from these industry leaders? Simply put, not only is the Galaxy S8 red hot with consumers, but it is likely to be the year’s best opportunity for app advertisers to engage in successful native app preloading. With 50 million units expected to ship this year, you don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to preload your apps on the Samsung Galaxy S8.If you are a brand interested in preloading your app on the Galaxy S8, click here now.
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