Other than the bigger display and battery, the two phones are identical.
Both have a curvaceous body that feels great in the hand. The curved glass front and back tucks into a shiny alloy band, giving the phone an organic look and feel.
The lack of any visible bezel makes the S8 the smartphone equal of an infinity pool. It’s a striking effect. That said, it’s slippery so a protective case is a good idea.
The similarities to the S7 Edge may be obvious, but button placement is the exception.
The fingerprint scanner is no longer part of a physical home button. Samsung’s trademark lozenge-shaped home button has been submerged under the screen and it is now a pressure-sensitive button. This frees up screen space yet still provides tactile feedback when pressed.
The fingerprint scanner got moved to the back of the device. I’ve got mixed feelings about the move. I often found myself tapping the rear camera lens by mistake, leaving oily smears. I soon stopped using the rear fingerprint sensor. This was because the iris scanner allowed me to unlock the S8 by looking at it.
For some reason, Samsung decided to swap the location of the recent apps and back button. It isn’t a biggie, but it did give me pause for thought. That said, they can get reverted to a more standard layout using the settings.