Here’s how the Note 8 compares to the Essential Phone, LG G6 and iPhone 7 Plus

Let’s start with the good news first.

Whether you’re in the market for a Samsung device, an LG phone, something from HTC, or maybe even an offering from this little-known startup called Essential, you can rest assured that your money will go towards a high-end, highly capable, long-lasting smartphone, that can take great photos, and also isn’t bogged down by too much third-party software.

Now, the bad news.

In Canada, most premium-tier Android devices cost almost $1,000 CAD outright. 

Specs

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

LG G6

Apple iPhone 7 Plus

Essential Phone (PH-1)

Display

6.3-inch, Super AMOLED display, 1440 x 2960 pixels, 18:5:9 aspect ratio, HDR 10

5.7-inch, QHD+ display, 2880×1440, 18:9 aspect ratio

5.5 inch LED-backlit IPS LCD

5.71-inches, IPS LCD display, 2560 x 1312 pixels, 19:10 aspect ratio

Processor

Snapdragon 835 (Exynos 8895)

Snapdragon 821

Apple A10 Fusion

Snapdragon 835

RAM

6GB RAM

4GB of RAM

3GB RAM

4GB of RAM

Storage

64GB (expandable up to 256GB)

32GB (expandable up to 2TB)

32/128/256 GB

128GB

Dimensions

162.5mm x 74.6mm x 8.5mm

148.9 x 71.9 x 7.9mm

158.2mm x 77.9mm x 7.3mm

141.5 x 71.1 x 7.8mm

Weight

195g

163g

188g

185g

Rear Facing Camera

12-megapixel (f/1.7) + 12-megapixel (f.2.4, OIS, AF) dual-LED flash

13-megapixel (f/1.8) +13-megapixel (f/2.4)

Dual 12-megapixel, (28mm, f/1.8, OIS & 56mm, f/2.8), phase detection autofocus, 2x optical zoom, quad-LED (dual tone) flash

13-megapixel, (f/1.85)

Front Facing Camera

8-Megapixel (f/1.7)

5-megapixel (f/2.2)

7-megapixel, f/2.2, 32mm, 1080p@30fps, 720p@240fps, face detection, HDR, panorama

8-megapixel, (f/2.2)

OS

Android 7.1 Nougat

Android 7.0 Nougat

iOS 10.0.1

Android 8.1.1 Oreo

Battery

3,300mAh

3,300mAh

Non-removable Li-Ion 2,900 mAh battery (11.1 Wh)

3,040mAh

Network Connectivity

GSM / HSPA / LTE

GSM/HSPA/LTE

GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE

GSM / HSPA / LTE / Band 66

Sensors

Iris scanner, fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, SpO2

Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, colour spectrum

Fingerprint (front-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer

Rear Fingerprint Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Proximity Sensor, 10 finger multitouch, Accelerometer, Magnetometer , Compass sensor, Ambient light Sensor

SIM Type

Nano SIM

Nano SIM

Nano SIM

Nano SIM

Launch Date

August 23, 2017

April 7, 2017

September 16, 2016

May 30, 2017

Misc

Colours: Black, Blue | IP68 water/dust resistant, S-Pen, 18:9 aspect ratio, wireless charging, USB type C

Colours: Ice Platinum |USB Type-C port, Headphone jack, IP68 certified water and dust resistant

Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, hotspot, Bluetooth 4.2, IP67 certified - dust and water resistant.

Colours: Black Moon, Stellar Grey, Pure White, Ocean Depths | Modularity, USB Type-C, No headphone jack, Bezel-less, Titanium build

There’s some more bad news too. Android’s never been better, but if you’re looking for a smartphone, you also need to throw in Apple’s offerings into the mix.

So how does Samsung’s Note 8 compare to its Android rivals, as well as Apple’s blockbuster? All things considered, quite well actually.

First things first, if this was a competition based solely on screen-size, then the Note 8 would be the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.

Samsung’s latest device features a bezel-less, 6.3-inch display, and the Essential’s 5.71 inches, the G6’s 5.7 inches, and the iPhone 7 Plus’s 5.5 inches seem downright small in comparison. 

A quick aside to bring up the subject of fingerprint sensors: other than the iPhone 7 Plus, every device featured in this comparison has its fingerprint sensor on the back.

In terms of sheer processing power, the Note 8 compares favourably against all of this year’s major flagships. Like the Essential Phone, the Note 8 is powered by a Snapdragon 835 processor. However, unlike the Essential Phone — as well as the G6 and the iPhone 7 Plus — the Note 8 has a staggering 6GB of RAM. 

The Note 8 can also be upgraded with an additional 256GB of storage with an SD card — just like the G6, and unlike the Essential Phone and the iPhone 7 Plus. Also unlike the the iPhone 7 Plus and the Essential Phone — and like the G6 — the Note 8 features a headphone jack. 

In terms of ecosystem, there’s really no comparing any device to the iPhone. The iPhone reigns over Apple’s walled empire with an anodized aluminum finish, and it works with Apple products ranging from as-of-yet unreleased smartspeakers to bluetooth headphones to laptops to desktops to omnipotent workstations.

Samsung, LG, and Essential simply can’t compete with Apple’s ecosystem, so if you own a macOS device or you’ve spent quite a bit of time cultivating an Apple lifestyle, it doesn’t really make sense to get an Android device.

As for photography, each of these devices boast a dual-camera set-up, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that their cameras are equal.

MobileSyrup hasn’t had time to fully test out the Note 8’s shooter, but if the Note 7, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+ are any indication, Samsung’s latest phone is going to feature an almost unparalleled camera experience.

So, if you’re looking for something smaller — or something a little cheaper — than the Note 8, there are other equally capable devices available on the market.