With the Galaxy S7 now in the can, attention at Samsung is already turning to the next generation Galaxy S8. The consumer electronics market moves so quickly that the next smartphone release is in fact being planned before the existing one has even hit the stores!
Galaxy S8 concept images produced
Indeed, the anticipation for new smartphones is such that the first Galaxy S8 concept has already emerged. igalaxys8samsung.com is the source of these particular renders, and the website imagines a handset that features a metal frame covered in glass. This would present a sleek appearance for the next generation flagship smartphone, although some observers have suggested that the design is better suited to a Galaxy Note 6 or Galaxy Note 7.
One of the most notable physical aspects of this concept image is the barely visible bezels on either side of the display. It is noticeable that there is an increasing tendency in, not only the smartphone industry but the consumer electronics niche as a whole, to slim down bezels. Samsung’s own range of high-end television sets are notable for having barely any bezels at all, with the once bold Samsung branding that would have appeared on the exterior now only just visible.
In addition, the front-facing camera unit in this Galaxy S8 concept is rather small, and it appears that the rear camera flash is excluded from the device completely. These renders provide an interesting taster of some of the design aspects that Samsung could presently be considering for the Galaxy S8.
Battery breakthrough
Elsewhere, there is already indication that the next generation Samsung flagship could benefit from innovative battery technology. A new development for fuel cells could produce batteries that are able to power smartphones for double the length of their current battery lives, revolutionising the industry and making utilizing the next generation smartphones considerably more convenient.
The battery in question is described as a “solid oxide fuel cell”, and it has been discovered by researchers based at a university in South Korea. Pohang University of Science and Technology has uncovered this extremely important technology, and this is certainly good news for Samsung as it attempts to bite back in the ongoing war with Apple at the head of the premium smartphone marketplace.
And the fact that this has been discovered and developed on the home turf of Samsung means that the possibility of this appearing in the next generation Galaxy S8 is significantly increased. This would be excellent news for Samsung, considering that it already has a significant edge over Apple in the battery life of its flagship smartphone.
The scale of this particular innovation should not be underestimated nor understated. Firstly, the breakthrough represents the first ever time that anyone has been able to combine porous stainless steel with fine-film electrolytes and electrodes. The university also points out that the devices in question are of minimal heat capacity, which makes the innovation even more impressive and valuable.
Not only are the batteries in question potentially able to pump out significantly more power than the existing lithium-ion technology that is common in smartphones, but it is also significantly more durable as well. This provides great potential for drones and electric vehicles, which could make Apple’s ears prick up, considering its apparent intention to produce an Apple Car in the near future.
One problem for the Galaxy S8 is that it is not entirely clear when this new battery technology will arrive in a form compatible with consumer electronics. Industrial uses are certainly expected, but it is probable that Samsung would need to sign off on any technology included in the Galaxy S8 by roughly September of this year.
4K resolution coming
Aside from the battery technology and concept images, it is reasonable to assume that the Galaxy S8 will be an absolute stonker in terms of specifications and features. One aspect that can be particularly predicted with regard to this 2017 smartphone is the inclusion of a 4K resolution display.
It seems that Samsung likes to lay the groundwork for its flagship smartphone with the high spec Galaxy Note phablet range before including new technology. And with the Galaxy Note 6 largely anticipated to include a 4K display in 2016, this could mean that the Galaxy S8 finally migrates to 4K next year.
With Samsung increasingly consumed with slimming down its flagship smartphone as well as reducing the amount of bezel included in its devices, it is believed that the Galaxy S8 could feature an edge-to-edge screen display. This has been linked with numerous smartphones over the years, with Samsung particularly expected to take a lead in this department, and some smartphones, of course, already feature this technology, most notably the Sharp Aquos Crystal.
Memory boost
Samsung is also expected to ensure that the Galaxy S8 features 256GB of on-board memory storage, boosting the capacity above the 200GB that is possible in the existing generation via micro SD. Apple is expected to increase the storage capacity of the premium version of the iPhone 7 to 256GB, and thus this would be a direct response to the most obvious rival of the Korean corporation.
Whether this would ultimately result in Samsung ditching micro SD once more from the Galaxy S8 remains to be seen. But there would certainly be protest against this concept considering the flexibility that it offers, and the fact that Samsung fans were generally up in arms when it was jettisoned from other Galaxy S releases.
Finally, the Galaxy S8 could have a significant gaming focus when it is released, as some reports have already indicated that the Korean electronics giant is working on an extremely powerful chip architecture with the intention of integrating it within the Galaxy S8. It is even been suggested by some sources that this will place the Galaxy S8 roughly on a par with the PS4 and Xbox One consoles.
So even if the Galaxy S7 is barely out of the gates, there is certainly much to look forward to with the 2017 Galaxy S8 release.
