For Samsung, the upcoming Galaxy S8 will be a make-or-break device. The Korean company’s investigation revealed that the Galaxy Note 7 explosions were caused by battery issues. Samsung will still be sourcing Galaxy S8 batteries from its sister company Samsung SDI, which supplied the Note 7 batteries.
Galaxy S8 to have 3,250mAh battery
One of the reasons the Note 7 would catch fire was the company’s ambitious approach to pack a bigger battery in a slimmer design. A new report coming out of Korea claims that the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus both will have bigger batteries than the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, respectively. To ensure that the new phones don’t explode like Note 7, Samsung will take a new approach, which includes an eight-point testing program.
Sources familiar with the matter told Korean publication ITcle that the Galaxy S8 will pack a 3,250mAh battery, while its bigger sibling will come with a 3,750mAh battery pack. By comparison, last year’s Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge had 3,000mAh and 3,600mAh batteries, respectively. However, the report contradicts noted tipster Evan Blass’ claim that the S8 and S8 Plus would sport the same battery capacities as their predecessors.
New Galaxy S phones to be powered by Snapdragon 835
The upcoming phones will need bigger batteries because they are rumored to feature larger 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch displays, respectively. Larger display phones require more energy to light them up. The Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus are said to be powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 835 processor built using 10nm manufacturing process. Snapdragon is 25% more energy efficient than its predecessor.
The next-gen Galaxy S device will have a bezel-less “Infinity” display covering most of the face of the phone. The top and bottom bezels are said to be so thin that there won’t even be space for Samsung’s logo. Contrary to some rumors, the handset will retain the 3.5mm headphone jack. It would have a USB Type-C port for data transfer and charging.
Samsung to hold an event on February 26
The fingerprint scanner would be placed on the back of the phone. Samsung will also add its own voice assistant Bixby to the Galaxy S8. Recent reports indicate that the upcoming phones will be more expensive than their predecessors. The Galaxy S8 would have the starting price of $850, and the base model of S8 Plus would cost buyers $960.
Big news is on its way. Don’t miss out. https://t.co/ChwhlkYISP pic.twitter.com/rblHI0BkPq
— Samsung Mobile (@SamsungMobile) February 1, 2017
Samsung has just sent out invites for a special event on February 26 that will be held in Barcelona. However, the company is unlikely to show off the Galaxy S8 at the February 26 event. Instead, it is expected to launch the Galaxy Tab S3 at the pre-MWC event. The Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus would be launched at a special event in New York on March 29th.
