Samsung Galaxy S8 For Dummies

Bill Hughes

• Publisher: For Dummies
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781119382270
• Edition: 8
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Hardware
• Index: Computer Science

Get the most out of your Samsung Galaxy S8 smartphone!

Whether you're seasoned in all things Samsung or get seized up at the thought of learning new technology, this no-nonsense guide makes it fast, easy, and fun to unlock everything your Galaxy S8 has to offer. Starting with the basics, like setup and configuration, and moving on to more advanced topics, like expanding your phone's potential with new software releases, it leaves no stone unturned — offering you the clear and thorough guidance you need to make the most out of every feature and capability available in the Galaxy S8.

There's a reason Samsung dominates the smartphone market — they design and manufacture an undeniably awesome product, and they just keep getting better with each new release. From texting, emailing, and accessing the Internet to taking pictures, watching movies, and downloading apps, the instruction provided in Samsung Galaxy S8 For Dummies will help you become a Samsung samurai in a snap!

• Use your S8 to stay in touch with calls, text, social media, and email
• Offers step-by-step instructions for personalizing and securing your phone
• Helps you troubleshoot common problem
• Have fun downloading games and apps, watching videos, taking photos, and much more

Now get your Galaxy S8 out of its box and keep this book close by — things are about to get really fun!

Part 1

Getting Started with the Samsung Galaxy S8

IN THIS PART …

Review the capabilities of cellphones and what sets smartphones apart.

Navigate your phone for the first time.

Turn off your phone and manage sleep mode.

Make sense of mobile data technology.

Chapter 1

Exploring What You Can Do with Your Phone

IN THIS CHAPTER

Reviewing the basic capabilities of just about any mobile phone

Understanding what sets smartphones apart

Mapping out what makes Samsung Galaxy S8 phones so cool

Getting you prepared to enjoy your phone

Whether you want just the basics from a mobile phone (make and take phone calls, customize your ringtone, take some pictures, maybe use a Bluetooth headset) or you want your phone to be always by your side (a tool for multiple uses throughout your day), you can make that happen. In this chapter, I outline all the things your Samsung Galaxy S8 can do — from the basics to what makes Galaxy S8 phones different from the rest.

Discovering the Basics of Your Phone

All mobile phones on the market today include basic functions, and even some entry-level phones are a little more sophisticated. Of course, Samsung includes all basic functions on the Galaxy S8 model. In addition to making and taking calls (see Chapter 3) and sending and receiving texts (see Chapter 4), the Galaxy S8 sports the following basic features:

• 12MP digital camera: This resolution is more than enough for posting good-quality images on the Internet and even having 8 x 10-inch prints made. There is also a front-facing camera with 8MP that is useful for videoconference calls and selfies.
• Ringtones: You can replace the standard ringtone with custom ringtones that you download to your phone. You also can specify different rings for different numbers.
• Bluetooth: The Galaxy S8 phone supports stereo and standard Bluetooth devices. (See Chapter 3 for more on Bluetooth.)
• High-resolution screen: The Galaxy S8 phone offers one of the highest-resolution touchscreens on the market (2,960 x 1,440 pixels).
• Capacitive touchscreen: The Galaxy S8 phone offers a very slick touchscreen that’s sensitive enough to allow you to interact with the screen accurately, but not so sensitive that it’s hard to manage. In addition, it has an optional setting that steps up the sensitivity for special circumstances, like when you want to use one hand!

Taking Your Phone to the Next Level: The Smartphone Features

In addition to the basic capabilities of any entry-level phone, the Galaxy S8, which is based on the popular Android platform for mobile devices, has capabilities associated with other smartphones, such as the Apple iPhone:

• Internet access: Access websites through a web browser on your phone.
• Photos: The Galaxy S8 comes with a very intelligent camera that has millions of combinations of settings, filters, and resolutions and also has the capability to manage photos.
• Wireless email: Send and receive email from your phone.
• Multimedia: Play music and videos on your phone.
• Contact Manager: The Galaxy S8 lets you take shortcuts that save you from having to enter someone’s ten-digit number each time you want to call or text a friend. In fact, the Contact Manager can track all the numbers that an individual might have, store an email address and photo for the person, and synchronize with the program you use for managing contacts on both your personal and work PCs!
• Digital camcorder: The Galaxy S8 comes with a built-in digital camcorder that records live video at a resolution that you can set, including 4K/UHD (ultra-high definition, which is just now available on the newest televisions).
• Mapping and directions: The Galaxy S8 uses GPS (Global Positioning System) along with other complementary positioning systems to tell you where you are, find local services that you need, and give you directions to where you want to go.
• Fitness information: The Galaxy S8 automatically tracks important health information within the phone and with external sensors.
• Business applications: The Galaxy S8 can keep you productive while you’re away from the office.

I go into each of these capabilities in greater detail in the following sections.

Internet access

Until a few years ago, the only way to access the Internet when you were away from a desk was with a laptop. Smartphones are a great alternative to laptops because they’re small, convenient, and ready to launch their web browsers right away. Even more important, when you have a smartphone, you can access the Internet wherever you are — whether Wi-Fi is available or not.

The drawback to smartphones, however, is that their screen size is smaller than that of even the most basic laptop. On the Galaxy S8 phone, you can use the standard version of a website if you want. You can pinch and stretch your way to get the information you want. (See Chapter 2 for more information on pinching and stretching. For more information on accessing the Internet from your Galaxy S8 phone, turn to Chapter 7.)

To make things a bit easier, many popular websites offer an easier-to-use app that you can download and install on your phone. This is discussed in detail in Chapter 8. Essentially, the website reformats the information from the site so that it’s easier to read and navigate in the mobile environment. Figure 1-1 compares a regular website with the app version of that website.

FIGURE 1-1: A website and the app version of the main site.

Photos

The image application on your phone helps you use the digital camera on your Galaxy S8 phone to its full potential. (It would almost make sense to call the Samsung Galaxy S8 a smartcamera with a built-in phone!)

Studies have found that cellphone users tend to snap a bunch of pictures within the first month of phone usage. After that, the photos sit on the phone (instead of being downloaded to a computer), and the picture-taking rate drops dramatically.

The Galaxy S8 image management application is different. You can integrate your camera images into your home photo library, as well as photo-sharing sites such as Google Photos and Flickr, with minimal effort.

For more on how to use the Photo applications, turn to Chapter 9.

Wireless email

On your Galaxy S8 smartphone, you can access your business and personal email account...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Part 1: Getting Started with the Samsung Galaxy S8
• Part 2: Communicating with Other People
• Part 3: Living on the Internet
• Part 4: Having Fun with Your Phone
• Part 5: Getting Down to Business
• Part 6: The Part of Tens
• About the Author
• Connect with Dummies
• End User License Agreement