So, we’ve reached that time of the year when Samsung is gearing up its next flagship phone, the Galaxy S8. Frankly, Samsung has had the worst behind them, and they seem focused on the next big thing. The Note 7 debacle was nothing short of a nightmare for them, and the company is still paying the price. But, Samsung is in no mood to repeat the same saga again. In fact, the company could’ve launched the Galaxy S8 a little earlier than the given deadline, but they seem to be taking time just to make sure nothing goes wrong this time. Here is more on what you should expect from Samsung’s upcoming flagship:
What’s New?
There are a lot of exaggerations and deliberations going on regarding Galaxy S8’s design. Samsung has released a couple of concept designs on the internet to intrigue fanboys. The exciting part is that both plans are very aggressive, with curved edges and a large size (5.5inch+?) screen dominating the frontal real estate of the phone. The design in itself is up for debate, but there is no final word on what will be the final design of this phone. What is a given is that the phone will have radical changes in design, with better handling and lightweight frame? The phone should be easier to grip, despite having a metal frame and nearly no bezels at all. Another speculation is that the phone will follow the Galaxy S7 Edge philosophy regarding screen design, with curved edge design.
| Display | 5.7 inch, 515ppi, super amoled |
| CPU | Qualcomm snapdragon 830, Exynos 8895 octacore |
| OS | Android 7 Nougat |
| Memory, RAM | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 8GB RAM |
| Camera | Dual 12mp, autofocus, dual LED flash,phase detection, image stabilization, panorama, HDR, Geo-tagging, 4k video, 9mp image recording, touch focus, smile detection, 2016@60fps, 1080@120fps |
| Battery | 3600mAh non-removable |
| Audio | 24bit, 192khz audio, noise cancellation with mic |
| Connectivity | USB type-c, Wi-Fi a,b,g,n, DLNA, NFC, Bluetooth |
Connectivity
Traditionally, Samsung phones had no issues with connectivity. They provide users with the top of the line connectivity options be it USB, Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G, LTE and stuff. The upcoming flagship should be no exception so expect some new connectivity options like USB type-c, no headphone jack, etc. The USB port will double for both charging and headphone jack.
Revamped Viv Personal Assistant and Software
Samsung’s proprietary TouchWiz customization is the trademark of the company. So much so, that users think of it as Samsung’s version of Android OS. But, it just a customized skin over the Android OS (Android 7 Nougat for S8) and doesn’t alter its functionality. The Viv assistant is Samsung’s version of Apple’s Siri and Google’s assistant. The artificially intelligent assistant is now more functional than ever. The Samsung Galaxy S8 will be among the first phones to feature Nougat OS from Google. For now, the company is busy tweaking its TouchWiz customization to the OS. Users should expect an experience close to vanilla Android version (vanilla android are those that have no customized skins over the actual Android OS systems, for example, Motorola phones are all vanilla android versions).
Display
Some sources claim that Samsung is trying to surprise customers with more than one versions of S8, possibly similar to what the Apple has with its iPhone series of phones. One will have a 6.2inch display (the S8 plus?), while the other version will feature 5.7inch screen (standard Galaxy S8). Both displays will be curved and offer the same 4k resolution. Another source claims that the S8 will retain 2k display while the S8Plus will feature the 4k display. The display will give higher ppi compared to their predecessors. This will help them churn out a better resolution for VR gaming.
Camera
The company is working on a new camera sensor with f/1.4 aperture. The sensor will deliver excellent low light visibility. Other improvements include dual camera setup, optical image stabilization, macro mode, 4k video capture, and 2k video capture at 60 fps. The front facing camera will be an 8-megapixel shooter with autofocus and image stabilization mode. It should have the 1080p video capture, but some say it could boast a 2k video capture capability.
Battery
The battery is rumored to offer around 3600mAh to power the phone. On the downside, the battery is non-removable, so users will have no way of replacing it. There is fast charging mode with 60% charging in less than 15 minutes, which is fast enough for most users anyway.
All in all, the Galaxy S8 has generated plenty of interest across the world. Now, with all said and done, people are anxiously waiting for the company to release the actual phone ASAP.
Release Date
Here is an interesting bit. Traditionally, Samsung has never followed Apple’s footprints when it comes to releasing dates for flagship phones. The most recent, the S7, was published in March, while the S6, S5, and S4 were released in April, while S3 in May. Is there a pattern here? Not quite, but there is a catch, Samsung has a habit of releasing flagships at Mobile World Congress, so we should expect the same for Galaxy S8 this time around. Some rumors suggest that the phone may be launched by February 2017, the next MWC is also planned for the same month so no surprises here, have your fingers crossed already.
Conclusion
So, piling up the rumors known specifications of the phone, it seems that Galaxy S8 will be a significant improvement over its predecessors. Will the Samsung Galaxy S8 be a winner? It’s too early to speculate. However, judging by the successful track record of the company, it could well be the best smartphone this year.
Authored by: Victoria Ashley
