Samsung's Galaxy S8 will arrive in the UK on April 28 (or earlier, if you put in a preorder now), along with its big brother, the Galaxy S8 Plus.
Early reviews for the two phones are positive. Some people think the curved screen, which covers the sides of the phone, makes the S8 "one of the most attractive phones you can buy."
I disagree.
I found the phone frustrating from the moment I picked it up, though I did spend only a short time with it.
While the 5.8-inch curved screen looks pretty great when the S8 is sitting on a display table, the size makes the phone difficult to hold. I have a 5.2-inch phone, the Huawei P9, and I can just about manage to use it with one hand. The S8 Plus has a 6.2-inch screen, which is edging into tablet territory.
Samsung Galaxy S8
The Samsung Galaxy S8 is a massive phone. Shona Ghosh/Business Insider
Even basic navigation felt cumbersome as a result.
For example, Samsung has removed the physical home button from the S8, instead adding digital keys at the bottom of the screen display.
And on the left side of the phone, Samsung has added a physical button for Bixby, its new digital assistant.
Samsung Galaxy S8 buttons Shona Ghosh/Business Insider
It's impossible to reach both the Bixby button and then reach the home button while holding the S8 in one hand.
So if you were to activate Bixby to check your diary, or the weather, you would then have to maneuver the S8 awkwardly in your hand to return to the home screen.
That problem might go away if Bixby could be activated by voice, but Samsung hasn't added voice controls in the UK yet. It isn't clear when this will happen, if ever. I'll come back to Bixby's unfinished qualities later.
The camera was another disappointment. It felt less immediately impressive than that of my Huawei P9, which came with a fantastic dual-lens camera when it was released in 2016. The S8 matches its rivals with a 12-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front camera, which means pictures will look as good as those from any other up-to-date high-end phone on the market.
One fun feature with the S8's camera is the Snapchat-like filters, which I could see myself using.
Samsung Galaxy S8 filters
The Samsung Galaxy S8 comes with fun, Snapchat-like filters. Shona Ghosh/Business Insider
Samsung has tried to differentiate its camera with Bixby Vision, a feature that turns the S8's camera into a visual search engine.
Point the camera up to a famous building, for example, and Bixby will (theoretically) suggest restaurants nearby and give you other relevant information. Until Bixby looks more complete and works properly, though, it's hard to tell whether this is useful or just a gimmick.
There are a few really neat tricks. The iris scanner on the front of the S8 lets you unlock the phone faster than a fingerprint scanner would. You can also unlock the phone using facial recognition, though this might be less secure.
Samsung Galaxy S8 iris scanner Shona Ghosh/Business Insider
And there's no doubting that the curved, almost bezel-free display is really lovely when it comes to reading on the S8.
Samsung Galaxy S8 curved screen Shona Ghosh/Business Insider
But if you need something more manageable in the hand than Samsung's jumbo phones, the S8 and the S8 Plus probably won't be for you.
