An exact Chinese copy of the Samsung Galaxy S8 - is it worth buying. Should I buy a smartphone Samsung Galaxy S8: editor's test Is it worth buying samsung
Due to the huge popularity of Samsung, we decided to tell you how to identify the original phone from fakes and not make a mistake with the choice. Everything is quite simple, but first things first.
To begin with, let's understand what phones you can find on the Russian market and what you can "run into". There are several types of smartphones that we would like to keep you from buying. It -
- The so-called EUROTEST phones (smartphones released for the foreign market, most often for the Asian market).
- Refreshes (well, or restored phones, devices that were assembled from two or more defective phones).
- Counterfeits (just Chinese copies of famous phones).
Phones EUROTEST
Let's start, perhaps, with the lesser of evils, namely with the so-called Eurotest. All of you are well aware that Samsung produces phones not only for the Russian market, but also for the countries of Asia, Europe and America. Most often this is the same phone, but with local firmware. The maximum that you can run into when buying a foreign phone is a crooked optimization of the Russian menu, and in the worst case, foreign standards mobile communications(in other words, Russian 4G may not work for you, which is quite unpleasant). But here we run into another problem. If your phone breaks down and the store avoids warranty obligations, then the burden of expensive repairs will fall on your shoulders, since the Russian representative office of the company accepts only devices manufactured for our market for service. It is extremely easy to distinguish ROSTEST. Let's start with the box. In most models, the color name should be in Russian, and the box should contain instructions in Russian (do not forget that the manufacturer does not complete all devices with instructions and it is better to immediately check with the seller if it is included). The next one is of course the serial number of the phone. https://www.samsung.com
It's best to call to be sure. 8-800-555-55-55 , and just punch the number in the official service center. The next way is to drive in the service code * # 7353 #, this command is not available on the stock android, but it is on Samsung phones. If you see such a menu, then everything is fine.
I want to say right away that you can distinguish the original at a price. You perfectly understand that the official ROSTEST cannot cost less than a certain minimum, and if, for example, you see samsung galaxy S7 for 20-25 thousand rubles, then with almost one hundred percent certainty I can say that this is definitely not growth. I just want to tell you that everything Cell phones Samsung, in our online store, growth.
Refreshes
Almost every second buyer of a Samsung mobile phone asks us if the phone is refreshed. And here we can tell you with absolute certainty that all the phones in our online store are brand new. Checking this is easy enough. If you have a normal phone in front of you, then the first thing: all the details should be perfectly tailored, and by eye you should not notice cracks and uneven lines. The serial numbers on the phone itself, the box and the service code * # 06 # must match. Refurbished phones can be dangerous because so-called REFRESH are often assembled by non-specialists or just people who are only interested in profit. And almost anything can be installed in the phone. Most often, these are Chinese copies of screens and low-quality batteries. This can not only affect the durability of the phone, but also cause a fire (in case of low-quality batteries.)
Chinese copies.
And of course, the worst thing in our article is Chinese copies of phones. I want to make a reservation right away that the word copy is not applicable to these phones, it is better to use the word fake.
In the Russian market, you can find many fake Samsung phones. I will say more, it is even difficult to say how many types and types of fakes are sold by dishonest sellers. Most often, these phones are almost half the price of the original, and according to many, "there is no difference from the original."
Let's deal with this issue. Of course, each of us wants to save money, and if there is no difference, why pay more. But I want to upset you - of course there is a difference. The first is, of course, the build quality itself, the second is performance, and the third is the quality of components.
Fakes can be divided into two large groups.
- The cheapest (from 6000 to 15000 rubles).
- And middle class(Anything worth more than 15 thousand.)
Of course, you understand that now I rely primarily on the Samsung Galaxy S7 and its copies.
It's not worth talking about cheap fakes. They are very easy to distinguish from the original. Often they are made of low-quality materials and contain something that should not be in the original, namely a TV with an antenna, a stylus, etc. If you see this, then do not waste your time and money. This phone will not serve you faithfully, but will most likely break in 2-3 months.
The next class is middle class fakes. In such phones, the Chinese try to recreate the original as much as possible and do not even skimp on materials.
Finding such a phone is much more difficult, but still possible. The algorithm of actions is the same as with the definition of EUROTEST and refresh. A fake will not break through on the original site and, of course, will not respond to proprietary service commands, plus you can understand whether the original is in front of you by localizing the firmware. In real phones, it is perfectly translated into Russian and you will not find typos and outright crap in it. Of course, you can ask me why the fakes are terrible, and I will answer you that you will find all the problems of the previous groups in them. There are low-quality components and, of course, the lack of after-sales service, and plus, the copies are noticeably behind the original in terms of performance.
To determine what is inside your new phone, use benchmarks (AnTuTu, Geekbench), which will show you what kind of stuff is installed in the device and who made the phone in general.
So, let's sum up. You can save money when buying a Samsung phone, but you need to follow a few simple rules.
- Buy only ROSTEST (so as not to run into problems during service).
- When buying, punch the serial number of your device.
- Be sure to check the integrity of the case and the quality of workmanship.
- Remember that the serial numbers on the phone, the box and the service command *#06# must match.
By following these simple rules, you can buy a really high-quality phone at an adequate price. I want to remind you that we only sell official Samsung phones and ready for any quality checks.
Three reasons to buy from us
Only the best equipment in the Navigator-Shop online store!
One of the main advantages of our store is that our assortment includes only "white" devices, marked RosTest certificate supplied through official shipments directly from the manufacturer. We carefully monitor the quality of the products sold, which allows us to exclude the possibility of a marriage.
As expected, the buyer will be provided with a full warranty package, consisting of manufacturer's warranties, with which you can contact customer service centers for service repairs, and we also provide purchases with our own store guarantee, which allows return or exchange the device within the first two weeks from the date of purchase.
You can read the reviews of our grateful customers on Yandex Market. We work for you and do our best to cooperate with website it was convenient and comfortable!
site - a one-stop site where you can compare prices for phones and other devices in various popular Chinese online stores. Our site offers you a convenient algorithm for searching for products with their detailed description and a list of all key features. Thanks to the Sintetiki website, you no longer need to search for Chinese smartphone and other electronics stores to buy desired device. As a bonus, we have a YouTube channel where you can watch an overview of synthetics on tech.
Targets Synthetics No
The main task of the resource is to provide assistance to buyers in finding and buying electronics on such popular Internet sites as AliExpress, GeekBuying, Gearbest and others.
For the convenience of users, a multi-level mechanism is offered that will help you find useful gadgets. In the catalog of the Synthetics website, you can not only compare Chinese smartphones, but also just get acquainted with the parameters of the desired devices, as well as view the dynamics of changes in their prices since the start of sales.
It is price tracking that should be singled out separately. Aliexpress is one of the most popular online platforms in the world. Low prices have made it especially popular in Ukraine, Russia and Belarus despite the permanent reduction of the duty-free import limit in these countries. By going to the page of the product you are looking for, you will see the dynamics of changes in its cost. This information will allow you to assess the situation on the market and buy the device profitably.
We offer price comparison for mobile phones, tablets, laptops and other devices. To do this, you need to go to the desired section and click on the appropriate icon located next to the image of the device. After two or more models are added to the comparison, a corresponding button will appear in the lower right corner of the screen, by clicking on which you will go to a page where the main characteristics of the devices will be displayed.
Our hottest offers are:
Assortment site
smartphones;
Tablets
laptops;
cases;
protective glass;
· accessories;
· other.
In the "Other" section you will find a huge assortment of different equipment. In particular, you can find augmented reality glasses, gyro scooters, robotics, quadrocopters, consoles, and more.
If you are interested in the most popular and new models of smartphones, we recommend visiting the corresponding category. It is "smart" phones - the most popular gadgets. AliExpress, Gearbest and other stores often offer discounts on smartphones. And we are always looking for great deals for you. You can quickly find them in the "Coupons / Discounts" section.
By going to the page of a smartphone, laptop or other device, you will see the prices for gadgets in Chinese stores. In addition, you can familiarize yourself with the characteristics of the models and leave reviews about the products.
Strengths Synthetics No
So, the main advantages of the site site:
the ability to compare prices for tablets, smartphones and other equipment;
a comfortable choice of goods;
Reliable sellers
· low prices;
a profitable purchase;
· microloan service;
· a wide range of;
Price tracking service
cheap goods from Chinese stores;
the opportunity to get acquainted with the characteristics of devices;
fast shopping.
Here you can also find reviews of customers who have already acquired one or another device. This will allow you to quickly add up your own opinion about the device and decide on the appropriateness of its purchase. In addition, on our YouTube channel you will find an overview of smartphones and headphones, which are the most popular.
Every year, the largest (and not so) smartphone manufacturers announce dozens of new gadgets, which, according to them, are “a breakthrough in the telephone industry.” But it often happens that the output of the device does not meet our expectations. And sometimes it's completely disappointing. And it’s very sad when such “mowing” smartphones end up on store shelves. We have collected for you the TOP 10 phones for which you should not give your money. It is worth mentioning that the market for mobile devices is very huge, so we considered only models recent years which are still available for sale. And the list of mobile outsiders is compiled solely on the basis of the analysis of the reviews of the owners, stores and the personal opinion of the site. Let's get started.
Any model of BlackBerry smartphones
The times when the BlackBerry phone stood on a par with such words as "businessman", "millionaire", "house in Spain" have long since "sunk into oblivion". The business smartphone platform is outdated. Only in 2015 she managed to get a small plus after the release of the flagship phone.
In order to somehow stay afloat, Canadians abandon their own OS and release the first smartphone on the Android platform - BlackBerry Priv.
The result - an average phone without any raisins for a very high price. For the same price, you can buy a good flagship from brands such as LG and Samsung. The smartphone will appeal only to people "35+" who still remember what BlackBerry is.
HTC One M9
The Taiwanese company in 2015 suffered a major fiasco with the release of their new flagship HTC One M9. A smartphone with a new processor, a redesigned body and an improved camera, the audience met more than cool. But the phone itself gave its owners a "hot" reception. Not only did the new Snapdragon 810 processor work, to put it mildly, "in a mess", but it also heated up the smartphone to indecent temperatures.
The phone began to terribly fail due to skipping cycles in the CPU. Later, HTC released a new firmware, where they set a limit on the clock frequency, but because of this, the flagship became equal in power to its predecessor. The company, to remedy the situation, followed the path of Apple with the iPhone (any number + S) and soon released the HTC One M9s. But by that time, the 9th series of phones had earned a bad reputation, so a smartphone with an excellent screen and an overclocked processor failed in sales. However, this model has been discontinued.
The South Korean electronics manufacturer represented by Samsung is actively stepping on the heels of Apple on all fronts, including the payment system, smart watches, smartphones and tablets. In the US market, the Galaxy S7 is even, which is quite surprising, because the "apple" corporation should know better what the Americans need, because this is its home market.
Many users may get the impression that Samsung products are top and best solutions, not only in terms of technical equipment, but also software, especially since in Russia there are branded stores of the South Korean company in almost every shopping center, and Apple has not acquired even one single retail Apple Store in the Russian market.
In fact, this is far from the case and it is impossible to consider Samsung smartphones, tablets or start-watches as the best among analogues on Android (TizenOS). We have tried to collect five main reasons why it is better not to buy smartphones and tablets under the Samsung brand.
Reason 1: Smartphones and Samsung tablets tend to depreciate rapidly. At the start of sales, a top-end phone can cost about 59,000 rubles, and after six months, its purchase will cost 35,000 rubles. In comparison, the iPhone usually never drops in price before the release of a new generation, and if it does, then the difference between the old and the new price is no more than 5,000 rubles.
Reason 2: How to recognize a Samsung smartphone in a crowd? Yes, it's very simple, because the South Korean manufacturer does not hesitate to put his logo on both sides. Above the screen of any phone from this company will always be its logo, exactly like on back cover. To be honest, putting your logo on the front side of a smartphone in 2016 is at least stupid, because the buyer is unlikely to forget who the manufacturer of his phone is. Not everyone can stand seeing the same logo every day.
Reason 5: Despite the fact that Samsung positions itself as the leader in the Android smartphone market, the company does not bother to release new firmware for phones already on the market in a timely manner. What is worth alone, which was updated to Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow in fact for five months after the release of this firmware for Nexus devices. It often happens that Samsung smartphones are not updated at all to new firmware because the company simply does not care about them.
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I decided to become the owner of a smartphone with an EDGE type form factor (simply - with a curved screen) last year, after the discoverer had curved Samsung screens flagship Galaxy S7 Edge. However, the price of the novelty (49,990 and 59,990 rubles for the regular and “plus” models) “bited” - I licked my lips, passing by the windows with the coveted phone, but did not dare to lay out an amount exceeding the size of the average Moscow salary. Even the interest-free installments, with which the company actively stimulated sales, did not help me cross the line between the desire to live within my means and the desire to have a fashionable and beautiful gadget.
I became a step closer to my dream when I was offered to test this year's new product: Samsung released another flagship in the Galaxy S line, this time without an alternative with an EDGE screen - externally, S8 and S8 + differ only in size. I got the usual "eight" with a display of 5.8 inches. Plus model will be in all 6.2.
Samsung Galaxy S8
Design and first impressions
The streamlined shape of the device fits comfortably in the hand, the width of the device is exactly such that you can reach the icon on the opposite edge of the screen with your thumb. The body of the gadget, which is elongated compared to most of the “classmates”, is perceived without objection: the fact that holding the device in the palm of my hand, I cannot reach the upper corner of the display, does not bother at all - we have long lost the habit of working on modern “shovels” with one hand. In addition, the curved screen comes to the rescue: if desired, you can enable the Edge side screen panel by setting a personal list of functions and applications that are called up with a light touch of a finger.
But on the big “borderless” screen, you can comfortably watch a widescreen movie, see more details in a photo, or read a long text with less scrolling. And in general, the design of a “smartphone without borders” (the slogan of this model) captivates at first sight with some kind of weightlessness, airiness, evoking associations with an infinity pool, where the water surface goes beyond the horizon, into infinity.
iPhone 6S Plus (5.5" screen) and Samsung Galaxy S8 (5.8" screen)
However, as is well known, any advantages are always the reverse side of disadvantages. This turned out to be true for the Samsung G8. The graceful streamlined shape is beautiful, but there is nothing to cling to (literally!), besides, the glossy surface of the back panel is slippery, so there is a danger of dropping the device, which, in fact, happened.
I tried to hold the car keys, a thin clutch and a smartphone in one hand. And my Samsung, unpacked three days ago, slipped out of my hand
The fall was at first glance not that dramatic - vertically angled down. For a device with a conventional "frame" display, this would be quite tolerable - a maximum of a scratch or a small dent on the case (I can judge by my own Honor). But the “limitless” screen is not like that: a chip and three small cracks immediately appeared on the glass, one of which, after a couple of days, “grew” by almost a third of the screen. From here practical advice fans of infinity screens: do not hesitate to pack your gadgets in durable cases-books or slips. Now I understand that the offer of the seller in the salon, when I was looking at the "seven", immediately buy an additional guarantee for the screen and get a cover and protective glass- this was not just a promotion for additional options, but a completely prudent recommendation. Another "but" in relation to the screen without side frames - sometimes a sensitive touchscreen erroneously reacts to the touch of fingers just holding a smartphone, and launches unnecessary applications or unnecessarily changes the viewing scale. However, over time, you can get used to this feature, and the case put on the device should generally reduce the problem to "no".
Samsung Galaxy S8 Lock Screen Notifications
Camera
Shooting photos and videos on a new gadget turns into pure entertainment or a demonstration of the capabilities of a pro - whoever likes what. Lens masters will appreciate the built-in technologies in terms of focusing and stabilization - moving objects are clear even in the dark, you can choose the focus length for the best composition, and the most advanced will turn on the shooting mode "Pro" and adjust shutter speed, exposure and other functions incomprehensible to a mere mortal.
Lazy people like me won't be able to stop taking selfies with funny stickers - they also move! Food bloggers will love the Food shooting mode
Features such as face recognition, shooting mode selection and built-in filters can not even be mentioned: Samsung's flagship has them by default. I will only note that it is extremely convenient to control the camera: you can set up functions, switch between the front and rear cameras, change the zoom with one movement of your finger, and if necessary, the camera will take a picture at your command “Voice!”, That is, sorry, “I’m shooting!”
Galaxy S8 camera has a function to add funny stickers when taking a picture
Sound and virtual assistants
Perhaps this may seem unimportant to some, but I personally was pleased with the acoustic capabilities of the G8: in the car, wishing to listen to my favorite album and not finding a USB cable to connect to the car audio system within reach, I simply turned on the music on my smartphone. The volume and sound quality were at the level of the built-in speakers in the car!
A unique feature of the novelty is the personal assistant Bixby. As conceived by the manufacturer, it should become an intelligent virtual assistant that adapts to the owner, with voice control and augmented reality functions. It looks like Samsung has only implemented a fraction of the visual functionality of Bixby Vision so far. This is an augmented reality video camera with the ability to recognize images in the frame. The declared search for goods in my case did not work in any way (perhaps this required connected bank cards?); the search for similar photos on the Web, implemented in conjunction with Pinterest, functioned perfectly (however, it’s hard for me to imagine who, other than photo editors, could use such a function); the search for places also proved to be worthy: tired of constantly consulting a guidebook on a trip, we simply pointed the Bixby camera at a building or monument - and the smartphone displayed brief information about the object, as well as about nearby attractions, cafes and restaurants worth visiting.
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Bixby Vision Rebecca Minkoff Bag Recognition Test
Shooting subjects in Bixby Vision
Even when the bag was placed against a white background, Bixby Vision could not find a single Rebecca Minkoff bag for sale in any online store.
But with the help of Pinterest algorithms, Bixby Vision was able to find several similar bags, incl. Prada and Louis Vuitton. But no photo of the original - Rebecca Minkoff - was found
Health and activity
Previously, I had no experience communicating with fitness applications, so the pre-installed Samsung Health impressed with its wide range of capabilities: measure the pulse, oxygen saturation, assess the level of stress and count the number of steps taken using the built-in sensors, without using additional gadgets like a fitness bracelet. In addition, the application has the ability to record the duration of sleep, various kinds physical activity, the amount and calorie content of food, blood sugar levels - however, all this will have to be done independently, in manual mode. But based on all the data received, the application formulates personal recommendations and regularly reminds you of the need to move, not forgetting to give out a “candy” - marks your personal records and gives virtual rewards-medals.
Samsung Health Data
Samsung Health Data
Built-in applications and security systems
As an editor, I was pleased with the built-in package Microsoft Office(Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive) - quite often I have to open and edit documents on the go, I immediately download the office suite to all smartphones, but here I didn’t have to, and the default built-in applications work better than those installed on their own.
Special praise to the G8 for its incredible security capabilities. The information on your S8 will be protected by a triple security loop. Firstly, the standard PIN code, password or graphic has not gone anywhere, and secondly and thirdly, a fingerprint scanner, face recognition and iris recognition have been added to them. I saw reviews on the Web about the unfortunate location of the fingerprint scanner - next to the lens rear camera, but I never had problems with the supposedly “smeared” camera glass, all the pictures always came out clear, despite the fact that I used the fingerprint scanner very actively (unlocking with it always went smoothly).
Facial recognition worked intermittently: obviously, everything depends very much on the lighting conditions in which you take a control shot and then scan the face
Therefore, sometimes I amused my friends by freezing with a frozen expression on my face and a gadget brought to my nose. But I failed to test unlocking the smartphone by scanning the iris. The fact is that the manufacturer immediately warns that the presence of glasses or contact lenses makes it difficult to scan the iris, and I have severe myopia. Attempts to scan the iris without glasses and lenses did not lead to success in my case - the gadget could not capture my biometric data. To the S8's credit, I must say that the control recording of the iris and the subsequent unlocking in a person who does not suffer from myopia went off with a bang.
Performance
When I received an assignment from the column editor to test the gadget in the AnTuTu rating application, I got an unexpected and impressive result. The overall score (the number of points obtained when measuring the performance of a smartphone) was in the ranking in 2nd place - higher than the "typical" Galaxy S8 included in the ranking (see photo). Samsung's flagship has outdone itself!
Samsung Galaxy S8 results in AnTuTu Benchmarking System
Battery and Charging
For such a multifunctional and productive gadget, an important issue is food. In a state of relative rest - without many hours of watching movies and graphically charged games, but with constant web surfing, photo experiments and running several applications at the same time - the battery holds a charge for at least two days. A worthy result among "classmates".
Fast wired charging turned out to be fantastically fast: she promised to charge the gadget with a 28% charge level in 1 hour and 16 minutes and kept her promise
Slot for a second SIM card
Today, few people have only one mobile number - then operators fail cellular communication, then new attractive Internet tariffs force users to buy a second, or even a third SIM card. I also tried to double my mobile capabilities, but I couldn’t insert two SIM cards into my smartphone at the same time, even with the help of a consultant in a communication salon: the second slot, declared as a hybrid one for an SD or SIM card, no matter how hard we tried, could not accommodate SIM card nano-format. In the end, the consultant, rummaging through the Internet, said that this modification does not provide for the installation of a second SIM card - only a memory card. I had to take my word for it.
Should you buy a Samsung Galaxy S8 smartphone?
And, finally, the price is an important criterion for evaluating any new products. It is traditional for Samsung flagships - RUB 59,990 S7 Edge was also worth it when it first entered our market. However, after a few months, the price of the flagship has decreased, and there are very interesting offers in the salons. But if you are unpretentious, like Oscar Wilde, and you "enough of the best", then perhaps the novelty is worth the money.
A photo: genk.vn, Sergey Smitskiy
