Samsung definitely needed to do something big with the S8 and the larger-screened S8+. They've not had the best time of it recently, and there's been widespread coverage of the infamous exploding battery issue. The S8 needed to be good, and indeed, it is.

In the past, we've reviewed tons of smartphones. At the time of our reviews, there have been times when one phone had the best display and the other had the best camera and then came the another with the best battery and the like. That way, we had different phones excelling in different aspects.

With its Galaxy S8, Samsung has created a superb product that scores even a bit better than its larger Galaxy S8+ sister model. This was different in the S7 lineup, but the Plus model cannot take advantage of its larger battery and is also heavier.

excellent screen; stylish design; fast SoC; very good GPS qualities; fast Wi-Fi; Gigabit LTE; decent call quality; solid sensor configuration; USB 3.1 with DP; HDMI; and OTG; good battery life; quick-charge and wireless charging; water and dust-resistant; very good camera,..

...though not much better than in the predecessor; no dual-SIM; fingerprint scanner hard to find via touch; SoC throttling during permanent load; warranty does not cover damage due to liquids

The Samsung Galaxy S8 is superb, then. It’s a massive leap forwards in design terms compared to the S7, and is head and shoulders above every other phone in this regard. You won’t want to stop looking at it. It works brilliantly too, thanks to Samsung’s new focus on user interface design. It’s powerful, easy to use and if you like your software as stock as possible, this is Samsung’s purest Touchwiz attempt yet. The misplaced fingerprint sensor is the only mark against it, and even then it’s mitigated by the addition of iris and face scanning. And then there’s its growing ecosystem of accessories such as the Gear 360, the new Gear VR with controller, and the DeX desktop dock. All of them help make it a powerhouse that will expand your experience beyond mobile. At £689 SIM-free, the S8 is by no means cheap compared to the £650 LG G6 and £599 Apple iPhone 7. But its premium style and flawless performance are such that it doesn’t feel overpriced. Of course the elephant in the room here is the Note 7, and I’m sure there are those of you who’ll be waiting until the S8 has been in people’s hands for a few months before committing. But come on, surely Samsung isn’t going to make the same mistake again - this phone will have been tested and tested and tested again, and it’ll be truly astounding if it suffers the same fiery fate as its unfortunate smartphone sibling. I certainly didn’t experience a single problem with it in my time testing it. What you’re left with here is a brilliant smartphone experience, wrapped in one of the sleekest designs ever. If you’re looking for a smartphone that nails every aspect of everything you could want in the palm of your hand, this is it. Get the Samsung S8 (64GB) SIM free here for £689 or on contract here

It’s the most beautiful smartphone ever; Ridiculous power, put to good use with DeX; The camera is amazing, as always;

Bixby’s full talents not available at launch; Not all apps are optimised for its 18.5:9 aspect ratio; That fingerprint sensor position is not great at all;

I'm guessing that almost every review of the Samsung Galaxy S8 or S8+ starts out with some mention of last year's recall of the Note 7 due to battery issues that led to the spontaneous combustion of some phones. You would think that all that drama and bad press would have hurt Samsung's reputation.

Gorgeous display; Wireless charging; Good battery life; microSD card slot

Expensive; Fingerprint sensor location; Only one camera on the back; Downward firing speaker

No words to describe the beauty of this phone....Best design ever created ...Battery life is best ...worth every penny

The Samsung Galaxy S8 is without a doubt the most beautiful, polished phone I've ever held. These words were true when I first reviewed it in April, and are still true a month on. I do have some additional insights since then -- scroll down a bit for those.

The Samsung Galaxy S8's fast speeds and fantastic curved screen make it a top phone for 2017, but the annoying fingerprint reader could sour your experience.

The best-looking phone around crushes it in performance, battery life, water-resistance and wireless charging; An external storage slot lets you keep more photos, videos and music.

Its awkwardly placed fingerprint reader leads to camera smears and longer unlock times; which is aggravating when you use it to unlock your phone dozens of times a day.

When Samsung declared that it would be foregoing Mobile World Congress in favour of a separate event to launch the Galaxy S8 at a later date, alarm bells may have rung for some. Especially as the company was still trying to reassure consumer confidence following the Galaxy Note 7's battery issues .

Beautiful design and display; Powerful processor and multitasking; Great camera performance

Big price tag; Doesn't make most of increased screen size

It doesn't take long to fall in love with the S8, thanks to its glorious Infinity Display, blowing away all the nay-sayers and winning over fans previously dedicated to another brand.

Samsung's flagship offering just got launched recently, the Samsung Galaxy S8 is instantly noticeable by its gorgeous infinity display. It is the successor to the last year's model Galaxy S7 and now the S8 is completely changed by its looks.

Great Looks; Curved Screen and Bezel-less Design; Excellent Display Quality; High Brightness; SSD-like storage performance; USB 3.1; Top-notch CPU and GPU; IP68 Certified (Dust-proof and Water Resistant; Wireless Charging Support; Iris Scanner Works Good; Gigabit LTE (1 Gbps Cat.

Average Battery Life; Bixby isn't mature enough; Fingerprint Scanner Placement is Awkward; Slippery; May Fall From Wet Hands