My Top 8 Features of the Galaxy S8!

"One of the great challenges of our age, in which the tools of our productivity are also the tools of our leisure, is to figure out how to make more useful those moments of procrastination when we're idling in front of our computer screens."—Joshua Foer, American Journalist

Sponsored by Samsung

I was thrilled to be in attendance as a Samsung Ambassador at the #Unpacked event at the Lincoln Center in NYC on March 29, when Samsung unveiled its new Galaxy S8! And lucky me, I was given a shiny new silver S8+ to test. As background, you should understand I have ALWAYS been a Samsung Galaxy owner since the very beginning (remember the slide-out keyboards?). I have never owned any other smartphone by any other manufacturer. And if you’ve never owned a Galaxy, even if you are a diehard supporter of another brand, I recommend you consider switching to the S8—what I consider the phone of the future. Let me count the top 8 reasons why I love the S8!

1.     Right out of the box, the S8 was a breeze to set up! Using Smart Switch and a cable between my old and new phones (or you can do it wirelessly), I transferred all the apps, music, videos, and photos from my S7 to my new S8. Within minutes, my new phone was ready to go!

2.     The Galaxy S8 has the world's first 10nm Octacore Processor! What does that mean? It’s FAST! If you're like me and don't know an Octacore from an octopus, here's the deal: that means the phone has a total of EIGHT processors running simultaneously, to provide a smooth workability that outperforms all other phones. The "10nm" designation means Samsung makes the chipset using nanotechnology so tiny it takes an electron microscope to see it. It's also a 64-bit processor, like the ones in the best home computers. Four of the eight work at a blistering 2.35 gigahertz (GHz), while the other four perform at 1.9 GHz, blowing the competition away. It all runs on the Android 7 Nougat OS. Fast enough for even my impatience level!

3.     Naturally, the screen of my dream phone would need to be big enough to support web browsing, without having to hit the back button, to make the keyboard disappear, to see the SAVE button on the bottom of a web page. GASP, wait! The Infinity screen is huge! We're talking 5.8 inches for the Galaxy S8and the S8+ (the one I have) at 6.2-inches looks amazingly like a small tablet. It's also a dual-edge screen, meaning the right and left sides curve, with no side bezels, making more usable screen. The home button is a virtual background button rather than a physical button, so it doesn’t take up real estate on the screen. I can sit in the taxi and browse to my heart’s content!

4.     Okay, okay, I sheepishly admit I have never used a password on my phone (and knock on wood, have never lost it), because it takes too darn long to get into it. And seriously, I may have forgotten what I wanted to record in my Tasks sometimes when it takes too long to open. The phone should turn on lightning-fast. GASP, wait, it does! With the S8, you ARE your password. Just looking at it turns it on! You can still use a password, fingerprint, or retina, but the facial recognition is the best. Talk about efficient! When I’m running down the airport, I need my phone to unlock quickly.

5.     I'm loving Bixby, the Galaxy S8's new virtual assistant, who will make everyone's life easier and more productive on the go, with machine learning and a seamless experience. Bixby will help you reduce those taps and swipes and get things done FAST. Your phone experience shouldn't be cluttered and complicated—so mundane tasks will be fast and easy with the Galaxy S8.

6.     And my dream phone needs to charge quickly! I've already talked about how fast the Galaxy S8 works, and even better, it has fast wireless charging to increase productivity on the go. Put it on a charging pad and you don't even have to plug in a cord to charge the battery. That's sci-fi come to life! When I’m traveling, it lasts me an entire day of heavy usage no problem without periodic charging as I had to do previously.

7.     Well, what about lots of storage, for files that go back and forth between phone and computer? No problem! We're talking 64 GB native storage, expandable to 256 GB with a tiny microSD card. Great for switching between virtual and home office.

8.     Bleeding edge tech. There’s still so much I plan to explore with my new S8! I don’t have it yet, but the Samsung DeX system lets you turn anyplace into a workplace and power your S8! The Galaxy S8 in essence becomes your CPU, integrating with your peripherals for a full desktop experience where you can review documents, use your apps, or process email. Just slide your phone into the docking cradle, and hello productivity! Can’t wait to get my hands on one. Likewise, why shouldn't my phone be able to communicate with my other smart devices? I own a Samsung television, a Samsung refrigerator, and other Samsung devices. With a Samsung Connect Home unit or SmartThings hub, I’ll be able to connect to my appliances and electronics directly with my Galaxy S8, using the hub's built-in Zibgee and Z-Wave wireless connections.

They say no one can make a product that pleases everyone, but I have to say: The Galaxy S8 is the closest I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot of electronics during my career as a productivity consultant, speaker, and author. It's the best smartphone I've encountered from a productivity perspective. Samsung obviously knows what professionals care about these days. These 8 reasons why I love the S8 makes other smartphones look like they're from the Stone Age. The Galaxy S8 and S8+ are available now, so hurry before they sell out.

Tweet me @laurastack with your favorite S8 productivity features!