The Galaxy S8 may very well be the most important phone Samsung ever releases, with the Note 7 issues now firmly in their review mirror it’s time to move forward and show the world what they can do. Popular leaker Evan Blass know as @evleaks has once again secured early images of a device, this time the Galaxy S8.
Along with the image, the expected launch date has leaked as well, March 29th in New York, as expected, with availability expected shortly thereafter. This fits in with previous leaks of a ‘delayed’ launch and April availability. The price may be a factor with the leak suggesting the cost could be increasing by at least 100 euros ($141 AUD).
Whilst only one image it clearly shows off almost the entire device, around the front it confirms the seamless front panel devoid of any branding, buttons or speaker grills. Down the bottom, we see Samsung had the courage to include a headphone jack, alongside a USB-C connector and stereo speakers.
On the rear, we’ve got a single camera and a fingerprint sensor. The location of the fingerprint sensor is sure to create something between intrigue and an uproar. The sensor is located not below the rear camera as is the style but next to it. I look forward to having my greasy fingerprints all over the camera lens.
As expected we will be getting two curved models a “smaller” 5.8″ Galaxy S8 and a larger 6.2″ Galaxy S8 Plus both AMOLED QHD displays. while those sizes sound massive the devices are not expected to be “too large thanks to the combination or near baseless design, the dual curved display and apparently an 18.5:9 (instead of 16:9) screen ratio.
A new feature to break light is the apparent inclusion of the “force touch” pressure sensitive display. Popularised by Apple, and now included by Huawei on some devices, the S8 will apparently have pressure sensitivity on at least the lower part of the screen. It will be interesting to see how this is integrated into Android.
Samsung looks to be sticking with the striking dual curved front and back design of the Note 7, something I am happy about, the Note 7 is still the most striking device I have ever held.
Looking internally we’re expecting Samsung’s normal mix of Qualcomm Snapdragon (835) and Samsung Exynos chips depending on the region. Battery size will apparently be 3000mAh and 3500mAh respectively, hopefully, this gives the same great battery life as the Note 7 got.
Both devices should ship with Android Nougat supported by 4GB of RAM and storage options starting at 64GB ranging up to 256GB, with the option to drop in a 256GB SD card.
The rear camera is expected to be a 12MP f/1.7 with an 8MP f/1.7 front-facing sensor. This should provide the same excellent image capture of the Galaxy S7 with hopefully more power in the processor for faster processing and improved image magic.
Rounding out the current rumours is the inclusion of Samsung’s own AI Bixby which apparently will also include object recognition as part of its bag of tricks. and the launch of a desktop mode with an optional accessory dock to allow you to drop your phone in and have it render a desktop interface on a monitor.
How is the new Samsung Galaxy S8 shaping up for you? Let us know below.
