Samsung Galaxy S8: Rising from the Ashes

The latest news, rumors, reports on Samsung’s newest flagship device

After the fiasco with the Galaxy Note 7, Samsung’s hopefully on its way to making a return with the Galaxy S8. With the excitement and even great expectations to their flagship phone, lots of rumors have come up.

So we’ve compiled here the rumors to help you get on track:

When would it be released?

Launch is said to be on March 29 in New York with the release date on April 21. Another possible release date floating around is on April 18. UPDATE: Samsung just officially released a statement that their new flagship phone will be launched at 11am EDT in New York on March 29.

It was originally believed that Samsung will launch the phone during the Mobile World Congress. But according to The Korea Herald the company will be launching the new Galaxy Tab S3. While we can expect the glimpse of the new Galaxy S8 with a video clip. Unveiling of tablet can be confirmed by the teaser tweet Samsung Mobile posted.

Rumor has it that the launch delay of the smartphone is due to safety issues from the Note 7 explosions.

What is/are sizes of the phone(s)?

It’s speculated that the phone will have 2 sizes just like the previous flagship phones released: namely the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus.

GSM Arena currently released these dimensions for the phones:

For Galaxy S8: 140.1 x 72.2 x 7.3 mm
For Galaxy S8 Plus: 152.4 x 78.5 x 7.9 mm

Screen size/shape of the phone?

The rumored screen size for the Galaxy S8 measures 5.8 inches while the Galaxy 8 “Plus” will be 6.2 inches (larger than the iPhone 7 Plus). What’s new and possibly an awesome feature is it will have an “infinity display” covering the majority of the front panel. There wouldn’t even be room for a home button or maybe even Samsung’s logo!

Korea’s ETNews reported that the company wanted to remove the home button and have it virtually integrated like the rumored iPhone 8/X. It was also released Samsung wanted to have an all-screen front.

The trend of a curved-edge display will be seen in the Galaxy 8 and combined with the next-gen organic light-emitting diode (OLED). The phone in the YouTube video published by Samsung Display may already be a glimpse of the new smartphone.

There may also be an upgrade to 4K display especially with virtual reality currently trending. In addition this will also help Samsung if it has plans to push for their Gear VR. This updated screen will give an enhanced and less pixelated view.

Possible new features to the phone/s?

After the blast they had with the batteries of Note 7, Samsung made changes to make sure it won’t happen again. The new flagship phones’ batteries are tested with the company’s eight-point battery testing procedure and manufactured by a different company.

In Galaxy 8, you might say hello to Bixby. This is said to be the AI assistant they’d be using for the phone which may also have its own button. The Viv Labs Technology-based assistant will likely replace the S Voice.

Another unique component that Samsung’s new flagship phone might have is about their fingerprint sensor. A photo released by Cnet Korea shows that it will be on the back of the phone beside the camera.

Galaxy 8 may have a better back camera too. We’ve seen an impressive one with the Galaxy S7 where they used “Dual Pixel” Technology plus a large f/1.7 lens aperture and 1/2.6-inch sensor. Right now, Samsung is in the works to perfect a 1/1.7-inch sensor for smartphones. Though no confirmation of this can be used in time for the Galaxy 8.

There have been talks that the Galaxy 8 will be using USB-C instead of the Micro USB. It will be following suit from the Galaxy Note 7 and can be the best path since Samsung’s new Gear VR supports USB-C (originally paired up with Note 7). Fortunately, we have developed several Type C Accessories that are already available in case this rumor is true!

To lose or not to lose the 3.5mm headset jack? One of the questions is if will see this in Samsung’s new flagship phone. There was a rumor that the headjack will be removed and Bluetooth headphones will be used, maximizing the USB-C port. Although a more recent rumor suggest the headset jack will stay.

How Tech Armor plans to protect the phone?

There is no doubt that we will support the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus with our flagship Ballistic Glass and we are currently in development as this article is released. The questions we are currently wrestling with are how to most effectively protect the curved edges with other materials as well. We are also currently looking into a completely clear 3D glass option (as opposed to the colored glass seen in many rumor sites) that would work on ALL device options. With such an extremely curved phone (similar to the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge), our flat glass solution (although cost effective and case-friendly) does present some challenges.

How much will the phone cost?

Rumored prices for Galaxy S8 ranges from $850–$950 (USD) while the S8 Plus is at $958.65–$1,050 (USD).

So far that’s the recap of most that’s been circulating all about the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus up to date. Stay tuned for more updates on the phone and how we can help you protect it! 😉

Sources:

http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/samsung-galaxy-s8-1318744

https://www.cnet.com/news/samsung-galaxy-s8-tease-at-mobile-world-congress/

http://www.techradar.com/news/samsung-galaxy-s8-release-date-might-not-be-when-you-expect

http://bgr.com/2017/02/10/galaxy-s8-rumors-release-date-and-features/

https://www.engadget.com/2017/01/31/samsung-will-unveil-something-at-mwc-on-february-26th/

http://m.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20170201000738

https://www.engadget.com/2017/01/26/samsung-s-galaxy-s8-will-likely-debut-on-march-29th/

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/samsung-galaxy-s8-plus-latest-news-size-iphone-7-look-small-screen-a7578341.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/samsung-galaxy-s8-picture-leak-screen-logo-smartphone-release-date-a7550151.html

http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/samsung-galaxy-s8-release-date-specs-rumours-price-uk

https://www.cnet.com/products/samsung-galaxy-s8/preview/