Expected to be available from April 21, the S8’s anticipated radically new design will be Samsung’s biggest smartphone upgrade in years.
- Reportedly, plus-sized variation with massive 6.25-inch screen
- Iris scanner, fingerprint scanner
- New home button embedded under Amoled display
- Samsung Pay, AI assistant Bixby
A report from South Korea’s ETNews claimed that Samsung will introduce the Galaxy S8 at an event in New York on March 29, and then go on sale to the public on April 21. With the S8 and forthcoming iPhone 8 expected to retail at above US$1,000, it is left to be seen if the new Samsung flagship is a potential Apple killer. What’s for sure is Samsung can do with a boost after the Galaxy Note7 debacle.
Expected to be available from April 21, the S8’s anticipated radically new design will be Samsung’s biggest smartphone upgrade in years.
Reportedly, alongside the standard S8 will be a plus-sized variation. Both will have the same features, except for the screen size – the standard S8 with a 5.8-inch Quad HD+ Super Amoled display while the S8+ with a massive 6.25-inch screen, which makes it slightly larger than the ill-fated Galaxy Note7.
In a spec sheet obtained by TechnoBuffalo, features include a 12-megapixel camera rear camera, an 8-megapixel front-facing snapper, and an iris scanner. Sticking with 4GB of RAM, the water-resistant smartphone will have security via Samsung’s Knox, 64GB of expandable memory, Samsung Pay, wireless charging, and earphones tuned by AKG.
Other leaked rumours include a fingerprint scanner on the rear of the phone and a new home button which could be embedded under the Amoled display. The on-screen keys replacing Samsung’s signature physical home button may be similar to those of other brands such as Huawei. It is also rumoured that both phones will come with AI assistant Bixby, which will compete with Apple’s Siri.
Processor-wise, it is speculated that the S8 and S8+ will be equipped with Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 835 powerhouse, which will deliver more efficiency and longer battery life.
Poor quality leaked images have been published on various websites but there are doubts if they represent the final product. For Samsung fans who are desperate for glimpses of might be the new S8, Korean YouTube channel Samsung Display has posted two videos of a smartphone that could well be the S8.
Though unofficial leaks have abounded for weeks, the first “official” leak appeared yesterday in a tweet by well-informed blogger Evan Blass, revealing what seems to be a screenshot of the upcoming signup page for the S8.
While the Galaxy S8 will not be physically present at the much-anticipated Mobile World Congress 2017 (MWC) starting on Sunday in Barcelona, some information might be revealed by Samsung. Interestingly, another potential competitor in the form of the LG G6 is expected to be launched at the MWC, beating Samsung to the market by at least a month.