If you for one moment disregard the rumors that Samsung is to launch a Galaxy Note 8 and instead imagine that the Galaxy S8 will be its flagship for 2017, some interesting stories about this handset are going around. Following the troubled Note 7 recall, Samsung is focusing its attention on the next in its S range of Galaxy devices. Here are the very latest rumors.
Galaxy S8 design
The Galaxy Note 7 was a gorgeously-designed smartphone which Samsung worked for a long time to perfect. Now, if you believe the whispers, the S8 could take some of that design as its own. What this means is that the S8 could do away with the flat panel display and instead feature a dual-curved display.
Previously Samsung preferred to separate the Edge handsets of its flagship “S” range. We’ve seen the standard non-edge and pricier devices go head-to-head. However, a recent report in the Korea Herald claims that Samsung will give all Galaxy S8 devices a dual-curved display.
3D Touch on a Samsung
Another rumor straight from Korea comes from an anonymous supplier who spoke to the Korea Herald. In what seems like a move from the iPhone handbook, Samsung will reportedly include a pressure-sensitive display on the Galaxy S8.
First seen on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, this technology can detect different levels of pressure applied to a screen. Users will be able to use the Galaxy S8 as they would’ve done with the S7 and so on, but new levels of functionality and interactivity will be added,if this rumor turns out to be true.
Voice assistant
According to Reuters, Samsung has been developing a new voice assistant for the Galaxy S8. Working with Viv Labs, a trio of engineers who once worked on Apple’s Siri, the assistant is said to be context-aware, meaning that it can both answer questions and then answer follow-up questions with apparent ease.
Viv Labs unveiled its next-gen AI at Disrupt New York in May and believes that this assistant will reduce Samsung’s dependence on Google.
Iris scanner
One technology that Samsung was particularly proud of on the Note 7 was iris scanning, and unfortunately for the company, it didn’t get the chance to shine due to the device’s premature demise. New rumors suggest that the Korean tech giant will incorporate it into the Galaxy S8. However, it’s thought that this may not just be to give the tech another try.
Following the aftermath of the Note 7, it was clear that Samsung had some disgruntled parts suppliers, so it quickly reached out to them with a compensation package. However, some companies such as Patron and MCNEX have stock and lots of it. So in a bid to help them recoup some losses, Samsung will reportedly source the parts from them.
Virtual reality-ready
Earlier this year, Google announced that its Daydream project would be ready for Android Nougat and gave it VR capabilities. Unfortunately for Android handset manufacturers, to be able to take advantage of this, certain specs need to be met. At the time of this writing, it’s not publicly known what those specs are. However, Samsung reportedly intends the Galaxy S8 to meet them, which will make it VR-ready.
So will the Galaxy S8 be the handset to restore Samsung’s fortunes? Who knows? But what we do know is that if Samsung decides to hold back in its technology race with Apple, 2017 could be an even worse year for it than 2016 has proven to be.
What features would you like to see on the Galaxy S8?
