Introduction
Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) is not a successor to a particular A-series phone. It's more of a trimmed Galaxy S8 version for the masses with matching design, screen, and the current number 8. Or so Samsung would have us believe.
Indeed, Samsung is changing its naming convention once again. While before the number denoted the physical size of the phone in the midrange class, now it has come to show the generation it comes in and we're up to gen8 if the S and Note series serve as any guidance.
That's not to say that the Galaxy A8 (2018) doesn't have a predecessor - it's the Galaxy A5 (2017). And the new phone is an upgrade in almost all respects except perhaps for the main camera.
Visually, the A8 is indeed closer to the S8. The similarly shaped and sized curved glass-sandwich design, the tall AMOLED screen, and the fingerprint on the back are some of the features which show the close relation between the Galaxy A8 and the S8. There is even a notable selfie upgrade - the A8 now comes with a dual-camera at the front with a variety of effects, including portrait photos with defocused background.
Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) specs:
- Body: Aluminum frame, glass front and back; IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.
- Display: 5.6" Super AMOLED display, FullHD+ 2,220x1,080 resolution Infinity display (18.5:9 aspect ratio), 441ppi pixel density; Always On Display.
- Rear camera: 16MP, f/1.7 aperture. Phase detection autofocus. 1080p/30fps video recording.
- Front cameras: Primary: 16MP, f/1.9 aperture. Secondary: 8MP, f/1.9 aperture. Fixed focus. Selective focus (portrait mode). 1080p/30fps video recording.
- OS/Software: Android 7.1.1 Nougat; Samsung Experience 8.5 custom overlay.
- Chipset: Exynos 7885: octa-core CPU (2x2.2GHz Cortex-A73 + 6x1.6GHz Cortex-A53), Mali-G71 GPU.
- Memory: 4GB of RAM; 32/64GB storage; dedicated microSD slot for expansion.
- Battery: 3,000 mAh Li-Po (sealed); fast charging.
- Connectivity: Dual SIM; LTE Cat. 11 (600Mbps download); USB-C (v2.0); Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac; GPS, GLONASS, Beidou; NFC, MST; Bluetooth 5.
- Misc: Rear-mounted fingerprint reader (centered, hurrah!); single speaker on the side; 3.5mm jack; Samsung Pay support; Gear VR support.
The Galaxy A8 (2018) seems like a thoughtful alternative to the headliner without losing much of the S8's charm. And if the price is right, then Samsung may have done an excellent 'S8 lite' model.
Design
The Galaxy A8 (2018) would probably go down in history as the phone to fix the badly placed fingerprint scanner for Samsung's phone portfolio. It may look like a Galaxy S8 and have the whole flagship vibe, but the balance on the back has been restored. The fingerprint sensor is now conveniently positioned under the main camera.
The new placement aside, the biometric sensor is always-on, fast and very accurate. The latter is pretty much guaranteed by the lengthy setup process with more than the usual number of taps.
The slightly curved AMOLED display is one of the biggest treats - it's sporting the cool 18.5:9 aspect ratio though the resolution of 1080p is slightly lower than the S8's 1440p. The screen has the same round corners as seen on the flagship model, but while both phones are similar in size, the A8's display is 0.2" smaller than the 5.8" unit on the S8.
Speaking of sizes, the Galaxy A8 is thicker and 20g heavier than the S8. The A8's screen bezels are obviously bigger, though it's nothing major to hurt the otherwise sleek design.
The top bezel is jam-packed with stuff - the earpiece, the two selfie snappers, a bunch of sensors, and even a notification LED. The bottom has nothing though. There is no pressure-sensitive home key on the screen of the Galaxy A8 (2018), it's one of the thing the S8 series will be keeping as an exclusive.
The Galaxy A-series was treated to IP67 grade ingress sealing in 2017 and the trend continues onto the 2018 editions. And no cards were lost in the process - even on the dual SIM version of the A8 (2018), you don't have to sacrifice storage expansion for a second SIM. We definitely appreciate the dedicated microSD slot.
Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018)
Finally, the loudspeaker on the Galaxy A8 (2018) is on the right side, above the power button. It looked like an odd placement when Samsung introduced it on last year's A-series, but we've come to accept it after it also became the choice for positioning on the J-series of 2017 as well.
The loudspeaker • the loudspeaker • handling the Galaxy A8 (2018)
Immersive 5.6" AMOLED of 18.5:9 ratio
The new tall screen aspect ratio is the first bridge between the Galaxy A and S lineups. For better or worse this screen ratio has become the hottest trend of 2017 and it's not going away. Naturally, Samsung has to cater to the users' demands and the S8's 18.5:9 Infinity AMOLED is now premiering on the Galaxy A8 (2018).
The resolution has been lowered to fit the A-series profile - there are 1,080 by 2,220 pixels on the A8's screen making for a flagship-grade 441ppi density. The image is sharp, there is no visible pixelization whatsoever, and the Dimond PenTile pattern of the matrix is invisible to the naked eye.
We expected the Galaxy A8 to post similar numbers in the tests as the most recent Samsung we've tested - the J7 Pro, and indeed it did. Maximum brightness in manual mode is reasonable at 390nits. In Auto mode, just like the J7 Pro, the A8 gets a healthy boost up to 590nits.
| Display test | 100% brightness | ||
| Black, cd/m2 | White, cd/m2 | ||
| 0 | 390 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 590 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 425 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 533 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 413 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 559 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 437 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 441 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 679 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 440 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 618 | ∞ | |
Just like any recent Samsung AMOLED, the one on the A8 scored an excellent mark in our sunlight legibility test. This makes the A8 (2018) one of those phones to bring at the beach, especially now that there is ingress protection.
Sunlight contrast ratio
- Apple iPhone X
5.013 - OnePlus 5T
4.789 - Samsung Galaxy S8
4.768 - Samsung Galaxy S8+
4.658 - Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+
4.615 - Motorola Moto Z2 Play
4.459 - Oppo R11
4.454 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
4.439 - OnePlus 3
4.424 - Samsung Galaxy S7
4.376 - HTC One A9
4.274 - Samsung Galaxy Note7
4.247 - Samsung Galaxy A3
4.241 - Nokia 8
4.239 - Google Pixel 2 XL (pre-update)
4.234 - OnePlus 3T
4.232 - Google Pixel XL
4.164 - ZTE Axon 7
4.154 - Samsung Galaxy Note8
4.148 - Meizu Pro 7 Plus
4.147 - Samsung Galaxy S6 edge
4.124 - Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)
4.124 - Huawei Mate 10 Pro (normal)
4.096 - Samsung Galaxy Note5
4.09 - Google Pixel 2 (pre-update)
4.023 - LG V30
4.022 - Huawei Nexus 6P
4.019 - Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro
3.998 - Vivo Xplay5 Elite
3.983 - OnePlus X
3.983 - Apple iPhone 7
3.964 - Oppo R7s
3.964 - Apple iPhone 8 (True Tone)
3.957 - Huawei P9 Plus
3.956 - Meizu Pro 6 Plus
3.935 - Lenovo Moto Z
3.931 - Samsung Galaxy A7 (2016)
3.918 - OnePlus 5
3.914 - Samsung Galaxy C5
3.911 - Samsung Galaxy C7
3.896 - Samsung Galaxy A5
3.895 - Samsung Galaxy J7 outdoor
3.879 - Samsung Galaxy J2 outdoor
3.873 - Samsung Galaxy A8
3.859 - Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018)
3.842 - Sony Xperia XZs
3.818 - Samsung Galaxy A9 (2016)
3.817 - Motorola Moto X (2014)
3.816 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
3.812 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
3.804 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) outdoor mode
3.802 - Xiaomi Redmi Pro
3.798 - LG V20 Max auto
3.798 - Sony Xperia XZ
3.795 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016)
3.789 - Apple iPhone 6s
3.783 - Meizu Pro 5
3.781 - Microsoft Lumia 650
3.772 - Xiaomi Mi 6
3.767 - Sony Xperia XZ1
3.765 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
3.756 - Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact
3.729 - Apple iPhone 8 Plus (True Tone)
3.725 - Oppo F1 Plus
3.709 - Vivo X5Pro
3.706 - Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)
3.688 - Apple iPhone SE
3.681 - Huawei Mate 9
3.68 - Samsung Galaxy A7
3.679 - Meizu PRO 6
3.659 - BlackBerry Priv
3.645 - Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra
3.597 - Apple iPhone 7 Plus
3.588 - LG G6
3.556 - Apple iPhone 6s Plus
3.53 - Motorola Moto Z Play
3.526 - Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) outdoor mode
3.523 - Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016)
3.523 - Acer Jade Primo
3.521 - Microsoft Lumia 950
3.512 - Oppo R7 Plus
3.499 - nubia Z11
3.466 - Huawei P10 Plus
3.456 - HTC U Ultra
3.453 - Samsung Galaxy J7
3.422 - Meizu MX5
3.416 - LG V20
3.402 - Huawei P10
3.379 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)
3.378 - Oppo R9s
3.352 - Honor 8 Pro
3.341 - Oppo R7
3.32 - Lenovo P2
3.316 - Archos Diamond Omega
3.305 - Honor 9
3.289 - Xiaomi Mi 5s
3.276 - Nokia 5
3.261 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
3.244 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
3.238 - Samsung Galaxy J2
3.235 - Sony Xperia X Performance
3.234 - Xiaomi Mi Note 2
3.228 - Motorola Moto X Play
3.222 - Oppo F3 Plus
3.218 - Huawei Mate 9 Pro
3.206 - Huawei P9
3.195 - Xiaomi Mi Mix 2
3.19 - ZTE Nubia Z17
3.159 - Oppo R11s
3.153 - Lenovo Vibe Shot
3.113 - HTC U11 Life
3.108 - Motorola Moto X Force
3.105 - LG Nexus 5X
3.092 - HTC U11
3.089 - Huawei Mate S
3.073 - Microsoft Lumia 640 XL
3.065 - Sony Xperia XA1
3.012 - Sony Xperia L1
2.994 - Sony Xperia X
2.989 - LG Q6
2.987 - Huawei P10 Lite
2.974 - Samsung Galaxy Note
2.97 - Sony Xperia Z1
2.95 - Huawei Mate 8
2.949 - Xiaomi Redmi 4
2.92 - Xiaomi Redmi 3S
2.913 - Sony Xperia XA Ultra
2.906 - LG G5
2.905 - HTC One S
2.901 - Xiaomi Redmi 3s Prime
2.893 - Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus
2.884 - Sony Xperia XZ Premium (sRGB)
2.877 - Sony Xperia XZ Premium
2.877 - Sony Xperia Z5
2.876 - Nokia 3
2.871 - Microsoft Lumia 550
2.851 - Lenovo Moto M
2.813 - Xiaomi Redmi 3 Pro
2.803 - Sony Xperia Z5 compact
2.784 - Nokia 2
2.752 - Meizu MX6
2.751 - LG V10
2.744 - Huawei Mate 10 (normal)
2.742 - Xiaomi Redmi 3
2.735 - Huawei Honor 7X
2.734 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
2.714 - Meizu M5
2.71 - Sony Xperia M5
2.69 - Xiaomi Mi A1
2.689 - Huawei P9 Lite
2.679 - Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime
2.679 - vivo V7+
2.671 - Vivo V3Max
2.659 - Xiaomi Mi Mix
2.658 - Huawei Mate 10 Lite
2.654 - Oppo F5
2.653 - Doogee Mix
2.642 - Xiaomi Mi 4i
2.641 - Xiaomi Redmi 4a
2.635 - Xiaomi Mi 5X (Standard)
2.616 - Sony Xperia XA
2.609 - Motorola Moto G4 Plus
2.582 - Motorola Moto G4 Plus (max auto)
2.582 - Meizu M5s
2.58 - Xiaomi Mi 4c
2.574 - LeEco Le Max 2
2.567 - Asus Zenfone 3 ZE552KL
2.563 - Microsoft Lumia 640
2.563 - Xiaomi Mi Max 2
2.561 - HTC U11+
2.556 - Lenovo Moto G4
2.544 - Lenovo K6 Note
2.544 - Oppo F1
2.528 - Sony Xperia Z5 Premium
2.525 - Huawei Honor 7 Lite / Honor 5c
2.506 - Sony Xperia M4 Aqua
2.503 - Oppo F1s
2.481 - Motorola Moto G
2.477 - Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus
2.473 - Huawei G8
2.471 - Huawei nova
2.467 - Sony Xperia Z
2.462 - Lenovo Vibe K5
2.459 - Meizu m3 max
2.447 - Xiaomi Mi 5X (Auto)
2.417 - HTC 10 evo
2.407 - Huawei Honor 7
2.406 - Vivo V7
2.404 - Sony Xperia E5
2.386 - ZUK Z1 by Lenovo
2.382 - HTC 10
2.378 - Oppo F3
2.376 - vivo V5 Plus
2.371 - Meizu m1 note
2.362 - Huawei nova plus
2.329 - Razer Phone
2.328 - HTC One E9+
2.305 - Alcatel One Touch Hero
2.272 - Apple iPhone 4S
2.269 - Lenovo Vibe K4 Note
2.254 - Sony Xperia C5 Ultra
2.253 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (MediaTek)
2.249 - Sony Xperia C4 Dual
2.235 - Xiaomi Mi Note
2.234 - Motorola Moto G (2014)
2.233 - LG Nexus 5
2.228 - Huawei P8
2.196 - Meizu M5 Note
2.189 - Huawei Honor 6
2.169 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 2
2.166 - OnePlus Two
2.165 - HTC One X
2.158 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (X20)
2.145 - LG Aka
2.145 - Archos 50 Diamond
2.134 - Xiaomi Redmi Note
2.119 - Xiaomi Mi 4S
2.095 - Acer Liquid X2
2.084 - Huawei P8lite
2.078 - vivo V5
2.059 - Moto G 3rd gen max manual
2.026 - Xiaomi Mi 3
2.001 - Xiaomi Mi Max
1.996 - Sony Xperia E4g
1.972
1.961
1.923
1.892
1.892
1.873
1.772
1.759
1.758
1.68
1.675
1.659
1.605
1.545
1.473
1.351
1.3
1.221
1.215
Finally, there is one more display test to be aced. Samsung has been a master in color accuracy for quite some time, offering three different and very accurate color profiles (avg deltaE < 2, max deltaE < 4) - sRGB (AMOLED Basic), Adobe RGB (AMOLED Photo), DCI-P3 (AMOLED Cinema). There is also the default Adaptive mode, which has the widest color gamut, and it is calibrated for popping (vivid) colors (avg deltaE of 6.1).
So, the Galaxy A8 (2018) not only comes with an immersive and high-res AMOLED screen, but its panel is nothing short of class-leading.
Battery life
There's a 3,000mAh battery inside the Galaxy A8 (2018), which should be enough for some good power autonomy enhanced by the efficient AMOLED and the 14nm chipset. There is fast charging supported which should fill about 40% of a depleted battery in half an hour.
In our testing, the Galaxy A8 (2018) clocked in 17 hours looping videos and around eleven and a half hours when browsing the web over Wi-Fi. In voice calls, it is close to a full day. Frugal standby consumption helped achieve an overall Endurance rating of 92 hours.
Our endurance rating denotes how long a single battery charge will last you if you use the Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) for an hour each of telephony, web browsing, and video playback daily. We've established this usage pattern so our battery results are comparable across devices in the most common day-to-day tasks. The battery testing procedure is described in detail in case you're interested in the nitty-gritties. You can also check out our complete battery test table, where you can see how all of the smartphones we've tested will compare under your own typical use.
Audio output is nicely clean
The Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) performed nicely in the first part of our audio quality test. When working with an active external amplifier it produced perfectly clean output and matched that with nicely high volume.
Headphones introduced very little stereo crosstalk so the Galaxy A8 (2018) is much better in that aspect than most of the phones out there. They did bring some intermodulation distortion (which you don't hear easily anyway) and dropped the loudness to just above average, but the rest of the output was unaffected. Overall this is some of the cleanest headphones output we’ve seen on any phone lately.
| Test | Frequency response | Noise level | Dynamic range | THD | IMD + Noise | Stereo crosstalk |
| +0.01, -0.03 | -92.1 | 92.2 | 0.0038 | 0.0085 | -90.0 | |
| +0.30, -0.07 | -91.7 | 91.8 | 0.022 | 0.206 | -72.4 | |
| +0.01, -0.03 | -92.1 | 92.1 | 0.0020 | 0.0086 | -92.5 | |
| +0.03, -0.03 | -92.5 | 92.5 | 0.0024 | 0.046 | -77.3 | |
| +0.02, -0.02 | -93.4 | 93.2 | 0.0025 | 0.012 | -90.8 | |
| +0.20, -0.37 | -93.4 | 93.0 | 0.015 | 0.320 | -55.7 | |
| +0.01, -0.03 | -94.0 | 94.0 | 0.0018 | 0.011 | -93.7 | |
| +0.15, -0.09 | -94.3 | 94.3 | 0.0071 | 0.135 | -60.1 | |
| +0.02, -0.02 | -94.3 | 94.3 | 0.0038 | 0.0072 | -93.5 | |
| +0.31, -0.01 | -93.3 | 93.3 | 0.016 | 0.243 | -63.8 | |
| +0.02, -0.01 | -93.2 | 93.1 | 0.0008 | 0.0069 | -94.2 | |
| +0.03, -0.02 | -92.9 | 92.9 | 0.0057 | 0.051 | -68.1 | |
| +0.05, -0.11 | -94.1 | 94.1 | 0.0017 | 0.0067 | -94.5 | |
| +0.05, -0.02 | -93.7 | 93.8 | 0.0018 | 0.105 | -53.7 |
Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) frequency response
You can learn more about the tested parameters and the whole testing process here.
Loudspeaker
The Galaxy A8 (2018) has a single speaker at its disposal. It is positioned on the right frame above the power button, which, while a little unorthodox, should protect it from accidental muffling in most situations. It is also quite loud, scored a "Very Good" mark in our test, and subjectively - it has a rich and deep sound output.
| Speakerphone test | Voice, dB | Ringing |
Overall score | |
| 61.7 | 69.7 | 71.8 | Average | |
| 66.7 | 66.6 | 75.7 | Good | |
| 66.2 | 70.5 | 72.5 | Good | |
| 68.4 | 73.2 | 69.9 | Good | |
| 67.8 | 72.9 | 73.3 | Good | |
| 66.6 | 66.1 | 81.5 | Good | |
| 69.2 | 70.6 | 81.6 | Very Good | |
| 67.8 | 71.0 | 84.5 | Very Good | |
| 74.0 | 73.9 | 90.4 | Excellent |
Software
The Galaxy A8 (2018) runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat - no Oreo just yet, but it will come eventually. There's a healthy dose of Samsung Experience on top, version 8.5, so everyone who's seen an S8, Note8, or even a recent J7, should be right at home.
The Galaxy A8 (2018) has every software trick the S8 duo had - Always-on display, super-fast and always-on fingerprint scanner, Android Smart Lock, and powerful interface.
Nothing has really changed on the lockscreen, homescreen, or the notification shade. The task switcher is the place where you can initiate multi-window or pop-up apps.
The lockscreen • homescreen • notification shade • task switcher • app drawer
Just like other Galaxies, the A8 has a rich theme support via Samsung's own Theme Store. You should definitely check it out.
The Game Launcher has been Samsung's way of improving mobile gaming since the S7. It groups all your games in one place, so they don't get lost in the busy app drawer.
Theme Store • a theme • a theme • Game Launcher • Settings
The in-play Game tools portion allows you to turn off notifications during a game and disable the home and navigation buttons. You can grab screenshots, and record gameplay too. Once again there is no resolution control. The A8 only has a FullHD panel, to begin with, but given the hard time the Mali-G71MP2 might be having with the native pixel count, we do wish there was the option to take some of the load off and run games at 720p instead.
The Nougat OS with the latest Samsung Experience is a treat, sure - easy to use, fast, and straightforward. But if you like to customize and tweak a variety of settings, you'll find the interface quite powerful, too.
Performance
The Galaxy A8 (2018) is powered by Samsung's own Exynos 7885 chipset. At least that's what benchmarking apps report - Samsung hasn't gone official with such an SoC, and it's not listed in the spec sheets either.
The new chip has a CPU configuration, which we haven't seen before. The processor consists of two powerful A73 cores clocked at up to 2.2GHz, and six A53s ticking at up to 1.6GHz. Odd it may be, but we are grateful for the A73 powerful cores as they would make a real difference in regular Android operation.
And now - it's benchmark time. GeekBench is what we ran first, and the new processor did fine. A single A73 core is a powerful tool capable of handling anything you throw at it. We are not sure what cores are used for the multi-core calculations but here the A8 shows unimpressive improvement over the Galaxy J7 Pro's A53-based Exynos processor.
GeekBench 4.1 (single-core)
Higher is better
- Samsung Galaxy S8
1991 - OnePlus 5T
1960 - Oppo R11s
1614 - Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018)
1532 - Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro
735
GeekBench 4.1 (multi-core)
Higher is better
- OnePlus 5T
6701 - Samsung Galaxy S8
6656 - Oppo R11s
5907 - Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018)
4418 - Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro
3768
According to AIDA64, the Galaxy A8 (2018) has a dual-core Mali-G71 (MP2) GPU. The previous Exynos 7880 had a dual-core Mali-T830 GPU, which means the Exynos 7885 inside the A8 employs a better GPU core. In fact, the G71 is found inside Kirin 960 (Huawei P10) and Exynos 8895 (Galaxy S8), but instead of two, there are 8 and 20 computing cores respectively.
Anyway, the G71 is more powerful than the T830 (offscreen test), but when we factor the increased resolution (onscreen test), it turns out the A8 performs similarly, or slightly lesser, than the Galaxy A7 (2017).
GFX 3.1 Manhattan (1080p offscreen)
Higher is better
- OnePlus 5T
41 - Samsung Galaxy S8
36 - Huawei P10
22 - Oppo R11s
15 - Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018)
9.9 - Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)
9.1 - Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro
3.3
GFX 3.1 Manhattan (onscreen)
Higher is better
- OnePlus 5T
35 - Huawei P10
30 - Samsung Galaxy S8
23 - Oppo R11s
15 - Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)
9 - Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018)
8.7 - Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro
3.3
Finally, we ran the all-round AnTuTu test and the A8 (2018) scored above average for the class, taking a comfortable position between the flagships and the preceding mid-rangers.
AnTuTu 6
Higher is better
- OnePlus 5T
179790 - Samsung Galaxy S8
174435 - Huawei P10
126629 - Oppo R11s
121638 - Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018)
85389 - Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)
60767 - Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro
47920
The new Exynos 7885 is a small improvement over the 7880, as the name suggests. The CPU is the most notable upgrade and the daily Android operations handled by the new A73 cores should see a potential boost if you are coming from a J7 or A7. Sure, there are minor almost unnoticeable hiccups here and there, but we came to accept those as fine for anything that's not a flagship Android.
The GPU may have been refreshed, too, but the pixel count bump ate the extra power, so you will get the same gaming experience as on the A7. And it's not bad at all, even with two GPU cores the A8 is perfectly capable of handling all popular titles we've tried.
And finally, the chip is built using 14nm process and thus is rather cool. We haven't noticed any major heat dispersion, but if you do, you can always use the game launcher to tweak some settings.
Is the Exynos 7885 the best mid-range chip out there? No, the Snapdragon 660 does much better. But it's powerful enough and in the meantime - power-efficient, which makes it up for the job.
Camera
The Galaxy A8 (2018) is equipped with a 16MP rear camera with an f/1.7 aperture lens - that's the same resolution as the previous generation, only with a brighter lens. It's got phase detection autofocus, but no optical stabilization. There's a trusty old single LED flash - it's how Samsung rolls.
The camera interface is quite familiar - swiping down will switch between the front and back camera. Left brings up a panel with filters (no download option, though). Right lands you on a shooting mode selector. Oddly, the HDR selector (auto, on, off) has been hidden in the camera settings.
A Pro mode is present, though that's a huge overstatement - you get control over exposure compensation, ISO and white balance presets, plus a metering mode selector, but no manual focus and no manual shutter speed. Not the "Pro" we were hoping for.
Anyway, enough with the interface, let's look at some pictures.
Image quality is quite good, with low noise and minimal signs of noise reduction. There is more than enough detail, but sometimes the foliage can get messy. Colors are pleasingly vivid too, without being over the.
The dynamic range is about average, but we noticed the camera always brought more detail than we'd expect in the shadows.
Just like it happens with other Samsung samples, you may notice some sharpening halos and some over-sharpened building edges. But none of those were extreme, though.
Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) 16MP camera samples
There is HDR Auto available, but it's inside the Settings menu. We rarely had to rely on HDR as the phone brings enough detail in the shadows. Forcing the HDR on won't enhanced the shadows, but will decrease the highlights blowout a bit.
HDR off • HDR on
Thanks to the wide f/1.7 aperture, the Galaxy A8 (2018) shoots nice low-light photos. Its shutter speed can go as slow as 1/17s without OIS, but it turned enough for some good photos. There is noise, sure, but also more than enough detail for the class.
Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) 16MP low-light samples
We've seen higher-res panoramas than the 1,800px-tall snaps coming out of the Galaxy A8 (2018), but their quality is quite good with lots of detail, low-noise, good dynamic range, even exposure, and no stitching traces.
Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) panorama
And here are the shortcuts to the Photo compare tool, where you can pixel-peep to your heart's content. We've pre-selected the Galaxy A7 (2017) and the Oppo R11s, but you can pick any two of the smartphones we've tested.
Galaxy A8 (2018) vs. A7 (2017) vs. Oppo R11s in our Photo compare tool
Selfie camera
In a Samsung-first, the Galaxy A8 (2018) comes with a dual front-facing camera. It's a 16MP+8MP pairing, each with an f/1.9 aperture, with a fixed focus plane.
The lack of auto focus doesn't mean the camera is not capable of some focus tricks. The A8 (2018) comes with Live focus in particular - a feature, which allows variable defocusing of the background before or after the shot has been taken. It's probably the dual front camera's raison d'être.
The 8MP snapper has slightly wider lens - it's an equivalent of 24mm while the regular one is 27mm.
The 16MP selfie samples are among the best we've seen to date with plenty of captured detail, superb colors and contrast, very good dynamic range.
They are not as sharp as the regular photos, but that's maybe a good thing as they show a more mature processing. Overall, this 16MP selfie camera easily gets our praise and makes it on our top picks list.
Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) 16MP selfies
The 8MP snapper is equally capable, though sometimes it may produce slightly warmer colors. Other than that - it's as great and recommended for group shots because of the wider lens.
Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) 8MP selfies
And here is a side-by-side comparison, shot in the "immersive" format.
Regular selfie • group selfie
Finally, you can use the Live Focus feature to blur the background of the 16MP shots. The method softens the images, but the subject separation is done in a very pleasant way with no visible image artefacts. It's not a clean-cut separation, but more of a gradual blur, but we prefer this way in mobile photography as the photos look more natural than the ones with messed up hair, ears, sweaters.
Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) 16MP selfie samples with blurred background
Video camera
The Galaxy A8 (2018) captures video up to 1080p/30fps, so no 4K recording out of this one. There is an option to capture 2,220 x 1,080 px videos, but those would look natural only on your Galaxy and nowhere else.
There is no OIS available on the Galaxy A8 (2018), but there is some kind of EIS enabled for all video modes.
The A8's videos are encoded with a 17Mbps bitrate, the usual number, while audio gets a generous 256Kbps, stereo.
The FullHD video output is good, with nice levels of detail and low noise. Colors are rendered quite well too. Audio, by the way, is surprisingly clear, and it can't be down to just the bitrate.
An unedited sample (10s, 22MB) straight out of the camera is waiting for you to download from our server and examine in detail. You can also try this wide sample (10s, 24MB) shot in the odd aspect ratio that the screen has.
Finally, the Video compare tool is a good place to go and check how the A8 (2018)'s video output stacks up against the rest.
Galaxy A8 (2018) against the A7 (2017) and the A5 (2017) in our Video compare tool
The competition
We have to admit the pricing is not in favor of the Galaxy A8 (2018) at launch. While the suggested tag of €500 is about right for an upper tier mid-ranger, the competition won't even need to put a fierce fight to make a statement.
Luckily, we all know that either operators or time will adjust that price accordingly, so while we are not happy with the price at launch, it will get realistic rather sooner than later. Meanwhile, let's take a look at some of the A8's alternatives.
An extra €50 on top of the €500 can get you the flagship Galaxy S8, which is hands-down the better phone. It's got a better screen, chipset and main camera. This one is nearly a year-old and soon to be replaced though. Then there is the cheaper Galaxy A7 (2017), with a regular 5.7" AMOLED screen, similar chip, and same camera sensor sans the secondary selfie one.
The OnePlus 5T also would tempts you with similar AMOLED screen with a tall aspect ratio. It also offers a much faster processor and graphics, and dual-cam on the back.
Finally, the Huawei Mate 10 Lite is also worth checking out with classy design, capable chip, and four snappers - two at the back and two for selfies. Oh, and it's much cheaper. Though honestly, it's perhaps not in the same league as the Galaxy A8 (2018).
Samsung Galaxy S8 • Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) • OnePlus 5T • Huawei Mate 10 Lite
The Verdict
The new Galaxy A8 (2018) turned out somewhat of a rebel. We thought it's going to be a 'lite' version of the Galaxy S8, but it grew above these expectations. The fingerprint scanner is also finally at the right spot.
The A8 also offers a double cam for selfies, pretty functional at that.
Finally, when it comes to software, the Galaxy A8 (2018) might lack Oreo at launch, but it packs all the tricks the S8 series had in the bag, and then some.
Pros
- Futuristic design, logical fingerprint scanner positioning
- Class-leading Super AMOLED screen
- Great battery life at 92 hours, fast charging
- Excellent choice of processor with powerful A73 cores
- Impressive image quality (both rear and selfie) for the class
Cons
- No 4K video recording
- Mediocre GPU
- No Oreo at launch
- Pricey
If it wasn't for the pricey tag, we would have recommended the Galaxy A8 (2018) in a heartbeat. Which doesn't make it a bad phone, on the contrary - it is a great all-round smartphone and probably one of the most well-done mid-rangers right now. We hope that once its price settles down in a few weeks (or months) - the Galaxy A8 (2018) will become the hot pick it was designed to be.
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