If you were looking for some good news about Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7, I’m afraid you’ve come to the wrong place. However, there are some emerging rumors about the Korean tech giant’s next flagship, the Galaxy S8, also called “Project Dream,” so in this article I am going to share everything I know.
Source: FlickrGalaxy S8 design evolution
Right now the tech world remains focused on everything Apple and Sony, with a little Nintendo thrown in. However, while there is a lack of credible leaks informing us what the Galaxy S8 may look like, there is still plenty of room for speculation.
According to Phone Arena, Samsung could stick with the metal-glass design it introduced in 2014 with the A series of handsets. If that thought turns out to be correct, it will give the rumor mill something to hold on to and speculate about.
But what about design features that Samsung shouldn’t do away with on the Galaxy S8? Personally, I think the waterproof and dust-proof body should remain, as should hybrid SIM compatibility and the MicroSD card slot. All of these features have their uses, and until technology moves on, Samsung would be foolish to remove them.
3.5mm audio jack
Did you keep up with the rumors about the iPhone 7? If you did, you would have been aware of the rumor about the headphone jack being replaced, which subsequently turned out to be true. Now it looks like other manufacturers are considering the removal of this 50-year old piece of technology too.
One of these companies is said to be Samsung, however, as for real details on this, and I am sorry to say there aren’t any. But I do believe that if it were to go down this route, it would not go down too well with its loyal base of users. So I am keeping my fingers crossed, as are many others, that Samsung does not decide to follow Apple. Fingers crossed that the headphone jack makes an appearance on the Galaxy S8.
Iris scanner
When the world discovered that the Galaxy Note 7 had an iris scanner. many wondered whether this technology would make its way onto other devices. Since then, Samsung has confirmed that it will be used on other smartphones, possibly both high-end and mid-range.
So I believe you could almost bet your house on Samsung including this technology in the Galaxy S8.
Source: PixabaySoftware
It almost goes without saying that the next flagship phone will come packing Android Nougat. The fact that Google launched it 11 days ago kind of forces Samsung to do so.
However, many Samsung lovers will argue that the manufacturer’s user experience already has similar features to what Nougat has, with split-screen multitasking being the most notable. But I believe any handset could benefit from running Android Nougat, as it has so much more to offer.
Camera
To me, it seems as though dual-camera technology has at last taken off. If you go back to 2011, one of the first handsets to feature such a setup was the HTC Evo 3D. Now in 2016, we have the iPhone 7 Plus with its dual-camera technology.
Early leaks/rumors out of China suggest that the Galaxy S8 could be sporting dual-camera tech on its back too. Furthermore, it could feature lossless optical zoom and other advanced photographic technologies. As far as the sensors on the front and rear cameras, some are suggesting that Samsung could stick with the same/similar 12MP sensor seen on the Galaxy S7. However, other rumors are talking about a yet-mysterious 13MP sensor from Sony.
If you like to take a lot of selfies, apparently an 8MP front-facing camera will take care of this. As for whether there will be an LED flash or a front-facing dual-camera, watch this space…
Release date and price
So when will Samsung announce the handset? If the past is anything to go by, there’s a good chance we could hear something before MWC 2017. If you prefer bold predictions, here’s one: MWC starts on February 27, 2017. So I would hazard a guess that the Galaxy S8 will be officially announced on February 26, 2017.
The phone will probably be available to buy not long after the announcement date. As an example, if we take a look at the Galaxy S7, the Galaxy S8 could be made available to purchase in the middle of March 2017, probably the 16th or 17th.
What about price? Remember, this is purely speculation, so take it with a grain of salt. It is likely that the next handset will have a similar price to its predecessor, meaning that the smaller version could be priced somewhere between $649 and $699, depending on storage options. The larger version will likely sell for $749 to $799.
What do you hope Samsung will include in the Galaxy S8? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
