Without a doubt, the biggest flagship smartphone of 2017 has so far been the Samsung Galaxy S8.

Its display has been widely praised for its virtually borderless design. It’s a win the company needed after the disastrous Note 7 fiasco last year. However, it’s still too early to tell if the S8 will be the financial hit the company needs. As the Financial Times reports:

“Samsung must be glad that the new phone has not caused any big trouble like the Note 7 battery problem. There seems to be no worry about its quality,” said Kim Young-woo, analyst at SK Securities. However, the phones are not selling as well abroad as in the domestic market, Mr Kim added. “Its domestic performance is very good while its overseas sales have been similar to those of its predecessors. There seem to be many consumers overseas waiting for the new iPhone launch,” he said. The S8 is on sale in the US, South Korea and parts of Europe, and analysts said this month that Samsung had sold 5m units globally in the three weeks after its launch. The company did not deny the industry estimate but declined to comment."

And things won’t get easier for S8 sales as the year goes on. The second half of 2017 will see a number of major flagships from competitors launching. The most recent of which is OnePlus’s new OnePlus 5. But just which phone is better? The OnePlus 5 or the Samsung Galaxy S8? We took a look to find out.

OnePlus 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S8: Specs

Here are the specs for the Samsung Galaxy S8:

• Display: 5.8in (Galaxy S8 @570ppi) & 6.2in (Galaxy S8 Plus @529ppi) Quad HD+ Super AMOLED, 2960x1440
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (10nm) octa-core CPU OR Samsung Exynos 8995 (10nm) octa-core CPU - region dependent
• GPU: Adreno 540 (Qualcomm Snapdragon) OR ARM Mali-G71 (Samsung Exynos) - region dependent
• RAM:4GB OR 6GB - region dependent
• Software: Android Nougat
• Connectivity: 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Type-C USB, NFC, GPS, Fingerprint scanner,
• Storage: 64GB
• MicroSD: Yes
• Primary Camera: 12MP, f/1.7 aperture, 1/2.5" sensor size, 1.4µm pixel size, Dual-Pixel Phase Detection Autofocus, OIS, touch focus, face/smile detection, Auto HDR, panorama, 2160p video @30fps, 1080p video @60fps
• Secondary Camera: 8MP with autofocus, f/1.7 aperture, Auto HDR, 1440p video @30fps
• Battery: 3,000mAh

And here’s the specs for the OnePlus 5:

• Dimensions: 154.2 x 74.1 x 7.25mm
• Weight 153g
• Display: 5.5in Optic AMOLED  capacitive touchscreen (73.0% screen-to-body ratio), 16M colors, 1080 x 1920 pixels (401ppi pixel density), Corning Gorilla Glass 5
• Software: Android 7.1.1 (Nougat) with Oxygen OS
• CPU: Qualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 835 Octa-core (4x2.45GHz Kryo & 4x1.9GHz Kryo)
• GPU: Adreno 540
• Internal storage & RAM: 64GB with 6GB RAM OR 128GB with 8GB RAM
• Primary Camera: Dual-Sensor; 16MP with f/1.7 aperture, 1/2.8" sensor size and 1.12 µm pixel size, optical stabilization (OIS) + 20 MP with f/2.6 aperture and 1.0 µm pixel size, phase detection autofocus, 2x optical zoom, dual-LED flash, geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, HDR, panorama
• 2160p video @30fps, 1080p video @30/60fps, 720p video @30/120fps
• Secondary Camera: 16MP with f/2.0 aperture and 1.0 µm pixel size, electronic stabilisation (gyro), 1080p video, Auto HDR
• Loudspeaker: Yes
• 3.5mm jack: Yes
• Connectivity: WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, USB Type-C 2.0
• GPS: Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
• Battery: Non-removable Li-Ion 3,300 mAh battery
• Colors: Midnight Black, Slate Gray
• Other: Fingerprint scanner

Let’s dig down into the specs. First of all the OnePus 5 has some clear advantages here. It offers more RAM with 6GB of 8GB of DDR4 RAM (depending on which model you get). The Galaxy S8 only offers 4GB of 6GB of DDR4 RAM (depending on which model you get). As for storage, the OnePlus 5 also beats the Galaxy S8 here with 64GB or 128GB options. The Galaxy S8 only comes in a 64GB model. However, the S8 does feature a microSD card slot, meaning you could add more storage than the OnePlus 5 is capable of.

As far as CPU goes, both models feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, so there’s no way either phone could one-up the other in this department. However, in some regions the S8 ships with an Exynos 8895 instead. Still, both chips are relatively similar in processing power.

OnePlus 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S8: Design & Build

The OnePlus 5 features an anodized aluminum body with rounded corners that comes in at 7.25mm thin. The Samsung Galaxy S8 features a metal and glass design that comes in at a thicker 8.0mm thinness. Though we’re fans of the OnePlus 5’s awesome black body, nothing beats the metal and glass design of the S8; it’s just too beautiful. Both phones also feature USB-C ports and a 3.5mm audio jack port. The S8 comes in five color options while the OnePlus 5 only comes in Midnight Black / Slate Gray.

OnePlus 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S8: Display and Battery

No question about it, the Galaxy S8’s display DESTROYS the display one the OnePlus 5. While both are AMOLED panels, the S8’s display is both larger at 5.8in and has a much higher resolution at 2960×1440 at 572 ppi. Oh, and the display is virtually edge-to-edge and also features Mobile HDR support. That compares to the OnePlus 5’s 5.5in 1920x1080 at 401ppi. There’s just no way the 5 can match the S8 here.

As for battery, the OnePlus 5 wins, with its 3300 mAh pack. That’s compared to the Samsung Galaxy S8’s 3000 mAh battery. But how long a phone’s battery lasts has as much to do with the size of the pack as it does with how well the software works to conserve power.

OnePlus 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S8: Cameras

This is probably one of the toughest things to judge and it is a very close call. We haven't had first-hand experience of the OnePlus 5 camera yet, but the firm has put out several teasers taken with the handset's imaging hardware and it's pretty impressive to say the very least.

OnePlus has joined the ranks of the likes of the Apple iPhone, LG G6 and Huawei Mate 9, sporting as it does a dual-sensor setup with both working in tandem with a dedicated image processor to deliver improved photo and video quality. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S8 sticks to a single primary sensor, but one that has been very carefully tailored and optimised.

The OnePlus 5's dual-sensor includes both a 16MP shooter with an f/1.7 wide aperture and a large 1/2.8" sensor size and large 1.12µm pixel size, which works together with the optical stabilisation (OIS) to allow in plenty of light and captue tons of detail. This also does very well in low-light situations. The second sensor is a 20MP setup with a telephoto lens, it has a narrower f/2.6 aperture and a smaller 1.0 µm pixel size, it also has phase detection autofocus - the primary job of this sensor is to pick up colour and depth data, as it allows the camera hardware and software to put in post-processing effects like bokeh, and supports a 2x optical zoom.

Thing is the sensor that's doing most of the heavy lifting vis-a-vis image quality is the 16MP one, and specs and features wise it's very similar to the Galaxy S8's solo peeper; a 12MP sensor with the same wide f/1.7 aperture, large 1/2.5" sensor size and large 1.4µm pixel size, as well as OIS. What's more, the Galaxy S8 has fancy Dual-Pixel Phase Detection Autofocus which allows the camera to focus and capture in a fraction of a second, meaning there's much less time for the image to become blurry, grainy, or overexposed; it captures the perfect amount of light in that moment.

Essentially both phones get similar results but go about it very differently. And the OnePlus 5 has a few extra tricks for those who feel the need for them.

As a result, the image quality across both phones is extremely high. In fact I can't really pick a preference.

The front-facing cameras are a similar story. The OnePlus 5 has a higher-rated 16MP, f/2.0 aperture setup while the Galaxy S8 has an 8MP sensor with a wider f/1.7 aperture and is one of only a wee few smartphones on the market with autofocus on the front-facing camera; making selfie capture much, much easier. Both front-facing setups have wide-angle lenses.

OnePlus 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S8: Verdict

Samsung is still very much king of the hill when it comes to design, build, and defintiely with its display technology, which utterly trounces the OnePlus 5's still OnePlus 3T-era display panel. The Galaxy S8 is an all-round sexier affair. Power wise they are in a similar ballpark, although the OnePlus 5 has tons more RAM to play with which may make things run smoother and give a bit more future proofing.

The camera tech is a major clashing point on these two phones, but despite their wildly different routes both end up delivering comparable photo and video quality.

At the end of it all, the OnePlus 5 definitely wins out on price. The fact that so many specs here are anywhere near the level of the Galaxy S8 shows that it's a remarkable phone for the price point. Either that or the Galaxy S8 is massively overpriced. In any case, if you want flagship features and performance, both are comparably viable options on a more or less equal footing but with the OnePlus 5 you get far more bang for your buck, if in a slightly less attractive package. Meanwhile for the Galaxy S8 you are going the whole hog in terms of outlay but you get one gorgeous phone as well as all the bells and whistles.

Interested in the Samsung Galaxy S8? Check out Carphone Warehouse’s exclusive offers and deals right now for the best prices in the UK 

Alternatively, you can buy the Samsung Galaxy S8 outright – or on 0% finance – direct from Samsung. Personally, this is the way I would do it, as you avoid paying almost double the RRP for the phone over 24 months.

You also get to shop around for a truly competitive rolling contract that will save you hundreds over the course of 12 months and, best of all, if something else comes out you quite fancy, you can simply sell your phone and use the money to buy a new one.

The cost upfront is big, granted, but this is the very reason credit cards and 0% finance offers were created. Given the choice, I’d almost always buy something over leasing it – whether you’re talking about cars or phones.

Without a doubt, the biggest flagship smartphone of 2017 has so far been the Samsung Galaxy S8.

Its display has been widely praised for its virtually borderless design. It’s a win the company needed after the disastrous Note 7 fiasco last year. However, it’s still too early to tell if the S8 will be the financial hit the company needs. As the Financial Times reports:

“Samsung must be glad that the new phone has not caused any big trouble like the Note 7 battery problem. There seems to be no worry about its quality,” said Kim Young-woo, analyst at SK Securities. However, the phones are not selling as well abroad as in the domestic market, Mr Kim added. “Its domestic performance is very good while its overseas sales have been similar to those of its predecessors. There seem to be many consumers overseas waiting for the new iPhone launch,” he said. The S8 is on sale in the US, South Korea and parts of Europe, and analysts said this month that Samsung had sold 5m units globally in the three weeks after its launch. The company did not deny the industry estimate but declined to comment."

And things won’t get easier for S8 sales as the year goes on. The second half of 2017 will see a number of major flagships from competitors launching. The most recent of which is OnePlus’s new OnePlus 5. But just which phone is better? The OnePlus 5 or the Samsung Galaxy S8? We took a look to find out.

OnePlus 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S8: Specs

Here are the specs for the Samsung Galaxy S8:

• Display: 5.8in (Galaxy S8 @570ppi) & 6.2in (Galaxy S8 Plus @529ppi) Quad HD+ Super AMOLED, 2960x1440

•  

• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (10nm) octa-core CPU OR Samsung Exynos 8995 (10nm) octa-core CPU - region dependent

• GPU: Adreno 540 (Qualcomm Snapdragon) OR ARM Mali-G71 (Samsung Exynos) - region dependent

• RAM:4GB OR 6GB - region dependent

• Software: Android Nougat

• Connectivity: 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Type-C USB, NFC, GPS, Fingerprint scanner,

• Storage: 64GB

• MicroSD: Yes

• Primary Camera: 12MP, f/1.7 aperture, 1/2.5" sensor size, 1.4µm pixel size, Dual-Pixel Phase Detection Autofocus, OIS, touch focus, face/smile detection, Auto HDR, panorama, 2160p video @30fps, 1080p video @60fps

• Secondary Camera: 8MP with autofocus, f/1.7 aperture, Auto HDR, 1440p video @30fps

• Battery: 3,000mAh

And here’s the specs for the OnePlus 5:

• Dimensions: 154.2 x 74.1 x 7.25mm

• Weight 153g

• Display: 5.5in Optic AMOLED  capacitive touchscreen (73.0% screen-to-body ratio), 16M colors, 1080 x 1920 pixels (401ppi pixel density), Corning Gorilla Glass 5

• Software: Android 7.1.1 (Nougat) with Oxygen OS

• CPU: Qualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 835 Octa-core (4x2.45GHz Kryo & 4x1.9GHz Kryo)

• GPU: Adreno 540

• Internal storage & RAM: 64GB with 6GB RAM OR 128GB with 8GB RAM

• Primary Camera: Dual-Sensor; 16MP with f/1.7 aperture, 1/2.8" sensor size and 1.12 µm pixel size, optical stabilization (OIS) + 20 MP with f/2.6 aperture and 1.0 µm pixel size, phase detection autofocus, 2x optical zoom, dual-LED flash, geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, HDR, panorama

• 2160p video @30fps, 1080p video @30/60fps, 720p video @30/120fps

• Secondary Camera: 16MP with f/2.0 aperture and 1.0 µm pixel size, electronic stabilisation (gyro), 1080p video, Auto HDR

• Loudspeaker: Yes

• 3.5mm jack: Yes

• Connectivity: WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, USB Type-C 2.0

• GPS: Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS

• Battery: Non-removable Li-Ion 3,300 mAh battery

• Colors: Midnight Black, Slate Gray

• Other: Fingerprint scanner

Let’s dig down into the specs. First of all the OnePus 5 has some clear advantages here. It offers more RAM with 6GB of 8GB of DDR4 RAM (depending on which model you get). The Galaxy S8 only offers 4GB of 6GB of DDR4 RAM (depending on which model you get). As for storage, the OnePlus 5 also beats the Galaxy S8 here with 64GB or 128GB options. The Galaxy S8 only comes in a 64GB model. However, the S8 does feature a microSD card slot, meaning you could add more storage than the OnePlus 5 is capable of.

As far as CPU goes, both models feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, so there’s no way either phone could one-up the other in this department. However, in some regions the S8 ships with an Exynos 8895 instead. Still, both chips are relatively similar in processing power.

OnePlus 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S8: Design & Build

The OnePlus 5 features an anodized aluminum body with rounded corners that comes in at 7.25mm thin. The Samsung Galaxy S8 features a metal and glass design that comes in at a thicker 8.0mm thinness. Though we’re fans of the OnePlus 5’s awesome black body, nothing beats the metal and glass design of the S8; it’s just too beautiful. Both phones also feature USB-C ports and a 3.5mm audio jack port. The S8 comes in five color options while the OnePlus 5 only comes in Midnight Black / Slate Gray.

OnePlus 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S8: Display and Battery

No question about it, the Galaxy S8’s display DESTROYS the display one the OnePlus 5. While both are AMOLED panels, the S8’s display is both larger at 5.8in and has a much higher resolution at 2960×1440 at 572 ppi. Oh, and the display is virtually edge-to-edge and also features Mobile HDR support. That compares to the OnePlus 5’s 5.5in 1920x1080 at 401ppi. There’s just no way the 5 can match the S8 here.

As for battery, the OnePlus 5 wins on paper, with its 3300 mAh pack. That’s compared to the Samsung Galaxy S8’s 3000 mAh battery so it only slighly claws in front. But how long a phone’s battery lasts has as much to do with the size of the pack as it does with how well the software works to conserve power; as both phones are on the same hardware architecture it will come down to the skill of the phone maker in optimising everything just right. To date we have not seen a phone that has beaten the Galaxy S8+ in terms of battery life, but we'll have to wait and see if the OnePlus 5 has the chops in our full review.

OnePlus 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S8: Cameras

This is probably one of the toughest things to judge and it is a very close call. We haven't had first-hand experience of the OnePlus 5 camera yet, but the firm has put out several teasers taken with the handset's imaging hardware and it's pretty impressive to say the very least.

OnePlus has joined the ranks of the likes of the Apple iPhone, LG G6 and Huawei Mate 9, sporting as it does a dual-sensor setup with both working in tandem with a dedicated image processor to deliver improved photo and video quality. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S8 sticks to a single primary sensor, but one that has been very carefully tailored and optimised.

The OnePlus 5's dual-sensor includes both a 16MP shooter with an f/1.7 wide aperture and a large 1/2.8" sensor size and large 1.12µm pixel size, which works together with the optical stabilisation (OIS) to allow in plenty of light and captue tons of detail. This also does very well in low-light situations. The second sensor is a 20MP setup with a telephoto lens, it has a narrower f/2.6 aperture and a smaller 1.0 µm pixel size, it also has phase detection autofocus - the primary job of this sensor is to pick up colour and depth data, as it allows the camera hardware and software to put in post-processing effects like bokeh, and supports a 2x optical zoom.

Thing is the sensor that's doing most of the heavy lifting vis-a-vis image quality is the 16MP one, and specs and features wise it's very similar to the Galaxy S8's solo peeper; a 12MP sensor with the same wide f/1.7 aperture, large 1/2.5" sensor size and large 1.4µm pixel size, as well as OIS. What's more, the Galaxy S8 has fancy Dual-Pixel Phase Detection Autofocus which allows the camera to focus and capture in a fraction of a second, meaning there's much less time for the image to become blurry, grainy, or overexposed; it captures the perfect amount of light in that moment.

Essentially both phones get similar results but go about it very differently. And the OnePlus 5 has a few extra tricks for those who feel the need for them.

As a result, the image quality across both phones is extremely high. In fact I can't really pick a preference.

The front-facing cameras are a similar story. The OnePlus 5 has a higher-rated 16MP, f/2.0 aperture setup while the Galaxy S8 has an 8MP sensor with a wider f/1.7 aperture and is one of only a wee few smartphones on the market with autofocus on the front-facing camera; making selfie capture much, much easier. Both front-facing setups have wide-angle lenses.

OnePlus 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S8: Verdict

Samsung is still very much king of the hill when it comes to design, build, and defintiely with its display technology, which utterly trounces the OnePlus 5's still OnePlus 3T-era display panel. The Galaxy S8 is an all-round sexier affair. Power wise they are in a similar ballpark, although the OnePlus 5 has tons more RAM to play with which may make things run smoother and give a bit more future proofing.

The camera tech is a major clashing point on these two phones, but despite their wildly different routes both end up delivering comparable photo and video quality.

At the end of it all, the OnePlus 5 definitely wins out on price. The fact that so many specs here are anywhere near the level of the Galaxy S8 shows that it's a remarkable phone for the price point. Either that or the Galaxy S8 is massively overpriced. In any case, if you want flagship features and performance, both are comparably viable options on a more or less equal footing but with the OnePlus 5 you get far more bang for your buck, if in a slightly less attractive package. Meanwhile for the Galaxy S8 you are going the whole hog in terms of outlay but you get one gorgeous phone as well as all the bells and whistles.

Interested in the Samsung Galaxy S8? Check out Carphone Warehouse’s exclusive offers and deals right now for the best prices in the UK

Alternatively, you can buy the Samsung Galaxy S8 outright – or on 0% finance – direct from Samsung. Personally, this is the way I would do it, as you avoid paying almost double the RRP for the phone over 24 months.

You also get to shop around for a truly competitive rolling contract that will save you hundreds over the course of 12 months and, best of all, if something else comes out you quite fancy, you can simply sell your phone and use the money to buy a new one.

The cost upfront is big, granted, but this is the very reason credit cards and 0% finance offers were created. Given the choice, I’d almost always buy something over leasing it – whether you’re talking about cars or phones.