Samsung Galaxy S8: Everything we know so far
There are countless leaks and rumors on the Samsung Galaxy S8. In this article, we take a look at these reports and determine whether they are likely to be true or false. We've also updated it with more information that we've gathered recently.
Samsung Galaxy S8 rumor roundup
After the embarrrassing Galaxy Note7 incident, all eyes are on Samsung's next flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S8. Here's a summary of what we know so far about the Galaxy S8.
Note: We first published this article on 19th February but we've since updated it several times.
1.) Will Samsung be going all out on curved displays for the Galaxy S8?
Samsung has been testing the market with curved displays since 2013. The Galaxy Round, its first curved display smartphone, was only available in its home market of Korea. It was followed a year later by the Galaxy Note Edge. 2015 and 2016 saw the release of more curved screen variants alongside the standard flat screen models such as the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge, and the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge. What would 2017 bring us?
The first hint came from Koh Dong-jin, the head of the tech giant’s mobile business in August 2016 when he reportedly said that the edge display would be the identity of the Galaxy S smartphone lineup. The Korea Herald later reported that Samsung was ditching the flat screen model of the Galaxy S8 as sales of the Galaxy S7 edge surpassed the Galaxy S7.
Earlier last month, an anonymous case maker sent GSMArena 3D renders and schematics of the Galaxy S8 which show that there isn't a flat screen model. Just a few days ago, tipster @evleaks published the first live photo of a purported Galaxy S8 and confirmed that both Galaxy S8 models would have curved displays. A 360-degree video of the Galaxy S8 models was posted by serial tipster @OnLeaks and MySmartPrice (@GearIndia) in early February where the two phones are shown to be have dual-curved displays. Leaked purported press and hands-on photos confirm that both Galaxy S8 models will have curved displays.
Given the solid track record of @evleaks and GSMArena, we can expect Samsung to release two Galaxy S8 models with curved displays. Perhaps one of them might make up for the lack of a "Note" product for the last half year? We'll know more in about a month.
2.) Will Samsung go 4K on the Galaxy S8?
4K displays in smartphones haven't exactly taken off positively. The Sony Xperia Z5 Premium, which has a 4K display, commands quite a premium. We found the display to be excessive and superfluous, and not worth paying more for it. Will Samsung jump on the 4K bandwagon?
The first rumor surfaced in June 2016 when a Chinese source reportedly told WCCF Tech that the Galaxy S8 could be the first phone from Samsung to sport a 4K display although the high power consumption was a deep concern. The rumored heavy focus on virtual reality (VR) was cited as a reason for Samsung to pursue a 4K display on the Galaxy S8.
SamMobile's sources claim that Samsung would be retaining the 2K display for the Galaxy S8 as a higher resolution display would cost more and consume more power unneccesarily. This was later corroborated by tipster @evleaks who confirmed that both phones would come with Quad-HD displays. Later on, the leaked specs sheet of the Galaxy S8+ stated a Quad HD+ Super AMOLED display.
It seems that Samsung feels it's not time to embrace 4K displays for its smartphones.
Bigger and better displays for the Galaxy S8?
As a recap, the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge came with a 5.1-inch display. The Galaxy S7 retains the same display size while the Galaxy S7 edge sports a bigger 5.5-inch display. Will Samsung increase the display size for the Galaxy S8?
Samsung was reportedly sourcing for curved display sizes of 5.1 and 5.5-inches. However, the demise of the Galaxy Note7 could have prompted Samsung to increase the screen size of the Galaxy S8 to attract former Note7 users. Korean news outlet The Bell said that the Galaxy S8 would come with 5.7-inch and 6.2-inch curved screen variants. Another Korean publication, Naver claimed that the Galaxy S8 would launch in 5-inch and 6-inch models.
Based on the leaked schematics of the handsets, GSMArena believes that the Galaxy S8 would come with a 5.7-inch display while the bigger Galaxy S8 model would have a 6.3-inch display. Tipster @evleaks confirmed that the Galaxy S8 will have 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch displays.
The contradicting reports on the display sizes of the Galaxy S8 could be attributed to the elimination of the screen bezels which made it hard for leaksters to gauge the actual dimensions. ETNews reported that Samsung was able to eliminate the bezels to achieve "a truly full-screen smartphone". This was followed up by a Bloomberg's report stating that the Galaxy S8 will sport a bezel-free design with a wraparound display all over. Later, 3D renders and leaked schematics suggest that this is actually the case.
The leaked specs sheet of the Galaxy S8+ indicates that the display is 6.2-inches (full rectangle) and 6.1-inches (rounded corners), which confirms the above theory. Samsung even trademarked a moniker to describe this display - Infinity Display.
Samsung is also said to be equipping the Galaxy S8 with a new Super AMOLED display with the standard RGB arrangement instead of the current Diamond PenTile layout found in the Galaxy S7 edge. This display is also capable of supporting pressure-sensitive technology similar to Apple's 3D Touch on the iPhone. Samsung even has a patent for such a display. Android Police also claimed that there will be 3D Touch-like functionality on the Galaxy S8.
Considering Samsung's prowess in display technologies and hardware design, it is highly likely to see the Galaxy S8 with a bigger, better and more technologically advanced display.
4. ) Virtual home button
2017 may be the year when physical home buttons go away. The home button has been a prominent feature of many phones from Samsung, but it is said to be eliminated in favor of squeezing a bigger display within a compact form factor.
ETNews first reported in October 2016 that the Galaxy S8 will have no physical home button as Samsung wants to increase the screen size and achieve "a truly full-screen smartphone". SamMobile also agreed that the home button will be removed. Where will the home button go?
Bloomberg reports that there will be a virtual home button. Android Police also added that Samsung "will completely ditch hardware navigation keys" and switch to "all soft keys" for the Galaxy S8. Leaked schematics and 3D renders confirm that there is no physical home button.
As the current fingerprint sensor is integrated with the home button, the shift to a virtual home button would mean that the fingerprint sensor follow a similar fate or be relocated somewhere else. Most rumors suggest that the fingerprint sensor would be embedded within the display, but it is likely to be relocated to the rear as revealed by the first leaked photo of a purported Galaxy S8 handset. Another 360-degree video of the two handsets shows no physical home button at the front and a rear fingerprint sensor.
Citing information from its industry sources, The Investor claims to know the real reason why the Galaxy S8 has a rear fingerprint sensor. Apparently, Samsung ran out of time to integrate Synaptics' optical fingerprint sensor technology and made the tough call of relocating the fingerprint sensor to the back.
It seems that the Galaxy S8 is highly likely to come with a virtual home button and a fingerprint sensor located at the rear.
5. ) Will the 3.5mm headphone jack disappear?
After Apple took away the 3.5mm headphone jack on the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, speculations were abuzz on whether Samsung would follow suit.
SamMobile reported that Samsung will replace the headphone jack with the USB Type-C port. However, leaked schematics and 3D renders appear to show the existence of a headphone jack on the Galaxy S8. It was later confirmed by tipster @evleaks that the headphone jack will live on to see another day. The 360-degree video of the Galaxy S8 handsets also shows a 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom.
Given how Samsung switched from removable battery on the Galaxy S5 to the Galaxy S6 a few years ago, we won't be surprised if future generations of the Galaxy S series will ditch the headphone jack. For now, we still expect to see the headphone jack on the Galaxy S8.
6. ) Will the Galaxy S8 have a dual-camera module?
Even before the launch of the iPhone 7 Plus, there have been rumors about a dual-camera module coming to the Galaxy S8.
WCCF Tech reported in June 2016 that the Galaxy S8 could be the first phone in Samsung's lineup to have a dual-camera module. A suite of software features was reportedly in the works to make full use of the dual-camera module.
ETNews claimed in October that Samsung was still deciding whether to have an all-in-one dual-camera module or have two separate cameras. It was later revealed that Samsung had filed two trademarks for imaging technologies which could potentially be used for the dual-camera sensor.
Korean media reported in January 2017 that a Galaxy S8 prototype with the dual-camera module had been sent to Samsung's CEO and Vice Chairman. It is said that the dual-camera module will be exclusive for the bigger Galaxy S8 model.
While these reports seem convincing, the leaked image of a purported Galaxy S8 handset and 3D renders suggest that the dual-camera module will not materialize this year. Tipster @evleaks also confirmed that the imaging hardware specs would remain the same as the Galaxy S7. No rear dual-camera module is spotted in the 360-degree video of the Galaxy S8 handsets too.
No dual-camera module is indicated on the leaked specs sheet of the Galaxy S8+; you can expect the same 12-megapixel Dual Pixel camera alongside an upgraded 8-megapixel front-facing camera.
Therefore, we are inclined to believe that Samsung will not include a dual-camera module for the Galaxy S8 in the launch version.
7. ) Processor and RAM
Samsung has been using a mixture of Qualcomm Snapdragon and its own Exynos chipsets for different models of its smartphones. As a quick recap, the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge models sold in Singapore are powered by the 64-bit octa-core Exynos 8890 processors. What will be running under the hood of the Galaxy S8 this year?
As the Galaxy S8 is said to be focused heavily on VR, a powerful processor with an equally competent graphics processing unit is critical. The likely candidate from Qualcomm would be the Snapdragon 835, which is coincidentally built on Samsung's 10nm FinFET process. The eight Kryo 280 CPUs and Adreno 540 GPU in the Snapdragon 835 are stated to deliver more immersive VR experiences.
Both the Forbes and The Verge reported that Samsung has secured the bulk of the first supplies of the Snapdragon 835 for its Galaxy S8, which deprived other Android phone makers from having access to Qualcomm's latest chipset. Tipster @evleaks also stated that the Galaxy S8 would be equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 or Exynos chipsets depending on sales regions.
Just recently, Samsung unveiled its latest Exynos 9 Series 8895 octa-core processor which is built on the 10nm process. With mass production underway, it is highly likely that some models of the Galaxy S8 will be powered by this new processor.
With regards to the amount of RAM, an earlier rumor of a 6GB RAM variant may not be true after all as @evleaks stated that the Galaxy S8 would come with 4GB RAM. A leaked specs sheet also pointed out that the Galaxy S8+ will have 4GB RAM. However, we cannot rule out the possibility of Samsung releasing an enhanced variant of the Galaxy S8 with 6GB RAM in the coming months.
We believe that the Galaxy S8 will be equipped with the Snapdragon 835 or Exynos 8895 chipset (depending on region/country) and 4GB RAM.
8. ) Bixby, Samsung's AI assistant for the Galaxy S8
Samsung has officially unveiled Bixby, its AI assistant for all its devices. Positioned as a new intelligent interface which will debut on the Galaxy S8, Bixby is said to be more intelligent and intuitive to use compared to existing voice agents or assistants. It is essentially a cloud-based service which requires devices to have an Internet connection and circuitry to receive voice inputs.
At launch, it will only support a subset of preinstalled apps on the Galaxy S8. A SDK will be released for third party developers to make their apps and services Bixby-enabled in the future.
Samsung has confirmed that the Galaxy S8 will feature its own AI assistant, Bixby. While Samsung did not share specific information on what Bixby can do, it did said that the AI assistant will "allow customers to use third-party services seamlessly". In addition, developers can attach and upload services to Bixby, and the more services Bixby is integrated with, the smarter it will get.
SamMobile's sources managed to share insights on how Bixby could work with the camera on the Galaxy S8. Bixby is able to perform visual search and optical character recognition (OCR), a somewhat similar feature to Google's Goggles app. ETNews claims that Bixby can support 7 to 8 languages at launch which include English, Korean and Chinese.
Samsung's acquisition of Viv, a startup founded by the creators of Siri, led some people to think that Bixby is based on Viv's technology. Viv's founder Kittlaus shared that he sold his company to Samsung because the latter has "ubiquity"; Samsung ships over half a billion devices a year which offers Viv a huge distribution network to learn and adapt. However, it may not turn out to be true; the Wall Street Journal believes that Bixby is merely an upgraded version of S Voice.
9. ) Accessories for the Galaxy S8
Aside from the usual case covers and wireless charging docks, Samsung may be introducing two new accessories for the Galaxy S8. One of the rumored accessories is the S Pen.
A Chinese source reportedly claimed that Samsung was initially testing a Galaxy S8 with an integrated S Pen, but the plan had been shelved in favor of offering the stylus as an external accessory. Since the display sizes are likely to be bigger, it seems logical for Samsung to include the S Pen for users to doodle on the extra screen estate. However, the inclusion of the S Pen for the Galaxy S series could cannibalize the Galaxy Note series.
Samsung is also said to be releasing a new pair of wireless in-ear earphones for the Galaxy S8. Seeing how the AirPods have become a runaway success for Apple, Samsung might be motivated to do something similar although it already has a completely wireless earbuds.
While there are few concrete leaks on these purported accessories, we are keeping our eyes open to the possibility of seeing a new pair of earphones alongside the Galaxy S8 for a renewed marketing push.
10. ) Other minor improvements
The Galaxy S8 might come with several minor improvements in the front camera, Bluetooth connectivity and performance.
As Samsung is one of the members of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, the Galaxy S8 could very well be the first phone to come with Bluetooth 5. The latest Bluetooth standard delivers up to twice the speed and four times the range of Bluetooth 4 with no increase in power consumption. The better compatibility with other wireless signals could place the Galaxy S8 in a good position for Internet of Things (IoT).
With the rear camera rated as one of the best in the industry, it's time for Samsung to focus on the front-facing camera. ETNews claimed that the Galaxy S8 would have a front-facing camera with autofocus. This would mean better selfies for Galaxy S8 users.
The Galaxy S8 is also likely to sport a new speed and performance enhancing program, Beast Mode. Samsung has filed trademark applications for this mode in the E.U and the U.S.
As for Samsung Pay, the Galaxy S8 could bring forth an era of using facial recognition to authenticate mobile payments. Bloomberg reported that Samsung will integrate fingerprint, iris and facial detection to authenticate payments. The feature may not be ready at launch, but Samsung is said to be working with banks for mass adoption in the next few months.
11. ) When can you get the Galaxy S8?
If you're still hoping that the Galaxy S8 would be launched later this month at Mobile World Congress 2017, we're sorry to have dashed your hopes - Samsung has officially confirmed that it would not be revealed at the mobile tech show. So when will it be launched?
At Mobile World Congress 2017, Samsung confirmed via a 30-second teaser video that it will be holding its first Galaxy Unpacked event of the year on 29 March. Pre-orders are said to begin on 10 April.
Participants at Samsung's global strategy meeting in South Korea told Naver that the launch would be held in April as Samsung needs more time to work with external agencies to carry out plans on recovering consumer confidence before releasing a new phone. ETNews also reported that 10 million units of the Galaxy S8 are prepared for its launch in April. Both publications could be referring to retail availability of the Galaxy S8, which @evleaks also confirmed to be on 21st April. Samsung is reportedly so confident of the Galaxy S8 that it anticipates huge demand for the phones, hence it is said to have doubled first shipments of the phones.
The Galaxy S8 is going to cost more; the smaller model is expected to come with a retail price of €799 (~S$1,216) and the bigger model is priced at €899 (~S$1,368). There could be as many as 7 color options for the Galaxy S8; KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that Samsung will release the Galaxy S8 in gold, silver, bright black, matte black, blue, orchid and pink. It remains to be seen whether all 7 colors will be available at launch. However, @evleaks is confident that the Galaxy S8 will launch in three colors (black sky, orchid grey and arctic silver).
TL;DR - We are expecting Samsung to announce the Galaxy S8 on 29th March with pre-orders starting on 10 April and the handset launching in global markets from 21st April. You have just about a month to save up!
Interested to find out more about the rumors on the Galaxy S8? Do check out the full list of reading material here.
Image source: @evleaks
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