Samsung Galaxy S8 ( Rumours )
With the Galaxy Note 7 debacle, Samsung has lost a lot more
than just billions of dollars last year. The South Korean giant has spent
considerable time and effort in making amends to Galaxy Note 7 buyers, fixing
its reputation, as well as identifying the cause behind the smartphone's
explosions. And the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S8 is its first big bet to move
past the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco.
Therefore, it is no surprise that all eyes have been on
Samsung Galaxy S8 leaks, much more than for other flagship smartphone, as 2017
is expected be the year of redemption for the company. Curious about the
Samsung Galaxy S8? Here's everything we know about the Samsung's 2017 flagship.
Samsung Galaxy S8 launch date
While Samsung was expected to be on schedule and launch the
Galaxy S8 in February, recent reports indicate a delay due to the
investigations into the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco as well as major design changes
for the Galaxy S8. The smartphone was expected to be unveiled at MWC this year,
but Samsung's mobile chief Koh-Dong-jin has confirmed that the smartphone won't
make an appearance at the mobile expo. The most recent pegged date for the
Samsung Galaxy unveiling is March 29, with the launch date rumoured as April
21. Samsung will launch the Galaxy S8 at a dedicated Unpacked event. The
Samsung Galaxy S8 release date in India, however, is not yet known.
However, the company is rumoured to show a one-minute
Samsung Galaxy S8 teaser at its MWC 2017 event. Additionally, the South Korean
giant seems to be optimistic about the smartphone selling well as it has
reportedly doubled the number of initial shipments of the device.
Samsung Galaxy S8 price
The price of the Galaxy S8 is still a mystery, but a few
reports hint that due to the major changes, the smartphone will be priced a
little higher than the Samsung Galaxy S7. Goldman Sachs predicts that the
Galaxy S8 will see a rise in prices by up to 15 to 20 percent compared to its
predecessor. Twitter user Ricciolo has said that the Samsung Galaxy S8's price
will be EUR 849 (roughly Rs. 61,700), while the Galaxy S8 Plus will cost EUR
949 (approximately Rs. 69,000). The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus prices
for Europe are rumoured to be EUR 799 and EUR 899. Of course, for now, what the
Samsung Galaxy S8 price in India will be is not known at this point.
Samsung Galaxy S8 display
Samsung Galaxy S8 is pegged to have a dual-edged curved
display with almost negligible bezel. There was an early report that pegged the
screen-to-body ratio at 90 percent. The recent photo leak shows that the
display takes up all the space, and only the top and bottom bezel are seen; a
promotional video by Samsung that is said to feature the upcoming Galaxy S8
also shows that the smartphone has thin bezels on the sides, and that the
display takes up most of the front panel. The top bezel of Samsung Galaxy Note
7 houses the speaker, front camera, and the sensors, while the bottom bezel
only houses the logo. As for specifications, one report indicates that the
Samsung Galaxy S8 will feature a 5.5-inch 4K (2160x3840 pixels) Super AMOLED
display and will boast of an impressive pixel density of 806ppi.
Samsung Galaxy S8 iris scanner
Samsung Galaxy S8 is expected to feature an iris scanner,
which will allow users to unlock the smartphone just by looking at it. The
feature made its debut on Samsung devices with the Galaxy Note 7, so it won't
be a stretch to imagine this same functionality on the Galaxy S8 as well.
Samsung Galaxy S8 will come in two variants
However, a separate leak also suggests that the company
could launch its next flagship smartphone in two screen size variants -
5.7-inch and 6.2-inch. The larger variant is expected to be called the Galaxy
S8 Plus, which is said to have the model number SM-G9550/SM-G9550X; the smaller
Galaxy S8 variant, on the other hand, is said to have the model number
SM-G9500/SM-G9500X. More recently however, screen sizes of 5-inch and 6-inch
were tipped for the same models.
Samsung Galaxy S8 will not have Home button
Samsung is expected to ditch the Home Button, and have an
all-display front. The iconic capsule shaped button at the bottom will be
ditched, along with the capacitive buttons as well. A recent photo leak testified
to this rumour further, but the image strangely didn't show any on screen
buttons either.
Samsung Galaxy S8 fingerprint scanner
Traditionally, all Samsung smartphones have integrated the
fingerprint sensor underneath the Home Button, but because the Home Button is
being let go, the fingerprint sensor may reside at the back of the phone. This
has been corroborated by leaked official Samsung cases for the Galaxy S8 and
Galaxy S8 Plus. of the Another report notes that the device may sport an
optical fingerprint scanner that will enable reading thumb print through the
display as well.
Samsung Galaxy S8 virtual assistant
Samsung is widely leveraging its Viv Labs acquisition to
introduce "an enhanced artificial-intelligence service" in the Galaxy
S8. The developers at Viv previously founded Siri, which is now Apple's digital
voice-assistant on mobile devices. Samsung is calling its version Bixby, and
will use the new virtual assistant in mostly all the native apps that will come
pre-installed in the Galaxy S8. A separate rumour indicates that Bixby will be
the name of the the male voice of the assistant, while the female voice will be
called Kestra.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 is said to have a dedicated hardware
button, which will be positioned on the left edge, to activate Bixby. The
Samsung Galaxy S8 virtual assistant will be able to recognise text as well as
identify objects in images, according to Sammobile. Moreover, it is rumoured to
support as many as eight languages at the time of launch.
Samsung Galaxy S8 processor
The Galaxy S8 flagship smartphone will likely be powered by
the recently announced Snapdragon 835 SoC from Qualcomm while an Exynos
8895-based variant is also being rumoured. It will be paired with a 6GB of RAM
or an 8GB of RAM.
Samsung Galaxy S8 pressure sensitive display
Following Apple's lead, Samsung may integrate a
pressure-sensitive display technology in its next flagship. Notably, Samsung's
technology is expected to work similarly to Apple's 3D Touch tech introduced
with the iPhone 6s. The technology will be able to distinguish between a light
tap and deep press, enabling access to more functions just by pressing harder.
Samsung Galaxy S8 storage
The Galaxy S8 is also rumoured to sport a 256GB storage
variant. It is unclear whether this will be the only storage option, or one of
the storage variants made available in the market. If Samsung follows
tradition, then a separate microSD slot for further expansion of memory will
also be offered with Galaxy S8. Just to put things into perspective, the
predecessor was offered in 32GB and 64GB storage variants only.
Samsung Galaxy S8 camera
Early leaks point at a dual camera setup at the back - one
16-megapixel lens and another 8-megapixel lens. However, the latest leaks hint
that due to the large display in the front, a dual camera setup will be hard to
cram in. The camera, however, will see and upgrade and the Samsung Galaxy S8
may finally become the company's first smartphone to feature autofocus
functionality on the front camera.
Samsung Galaxy S8 audio jack
Just like the iPhone 7 rumours, the audio jack leaks of the
Galaxy S8 have been aplenty. Reports indicate that Samsung is getting rid of
the old 3.5mm audio standard, and will bundle a 3.5mm-headphone-to-USB Type-C
adapter, just like Apple. A separate report also hints that Samsung will launch
wireless headphones alongside as well.
Samsung Galaxy S8's Continuum-like feature
Lastly, the Galaxy S8 is also tipped to come with something
similar to the popular Continuum feature seen on Windows 10 Mobile devices.
This means that you could use your smartphone on your PC by connecting the
device to the monitor, and the keyboard and mouse via Bluetooth (presumably).
According to the leak, the feature is being called the Samsung Desktop Experience.
Samsung Galaxy S8 heat pipe cooling system
Samsung will reportedly opt for the same heat pipe cooling
system that it used in the Galaxy S7 to dissipate the heat from the smartphone.
The heat pipe cooling system is responsible of taking the heat from the chipset
and transferring it to the back plate where it can be dispersed.
Samsung Galaxy S8 battery
Samsung Galaxy S8 was earlier rumoured to come with a
3250mAh battery, but a new report claims that the battery capacity of the
smartphone will be 3000mAh, the same as that of the Galaxy S7. On the other
hand, Galaxy S8 Plus' battery capacity is said to be 3500mAh, smaller than the
3600mAh battery of the Galaxy S7 Edge.
