The Galaxy S7 was well received for Samsung earlier this year, with this smartphone representing something of a return to form for the Korean corporation in its flagship range. So even more will be expected from the Galaxy S8 when it is released later this year, and considering Samsung’s reputation for delivering the best in smartphone technology, this should be an extremely accomplished unit.
There will also be particular pressure on Samsung to produce something outstanding, as the next generation iPhone 7 will have hit the stores by then. Apple has become the market-leading smartphone manufacturer by some distance, and Samsung’s immediate aim is to close the gap on its great rival.
This can lead us all to dream regarding what Samsung will ultimately include in this flagship smartphone, so here is the ultimate wish list for the Galaxy S8.
Galaxy S8 Release date
The first thing to note about the Galaxy S8 is that Samsung is likely to follow the release schedule from this year’s Galaxy S7. This latest flagship smartphone from the Korean electronics giant received a slightly earlier release than previous iterations of the series, and this is likely to be repeated when the Galaxy S8 emerges.
With the 2017 Mobile World Congress taking place between February 27 and March 2, it is likely that the Galaxy S8 will be unveiled during this massive trade show. So pencil the release date in for the earlier of those two dates.
Built-in storage
Samsung has rather scrimped on the quantity of storage in the Galaxy S range over the last few years, with just 32GB of built-in storage in the base model of the smartphone. A substantial proportion of this is taken up by the operating system, and so it would be preferable if Samsung were to significantly increase the inherent storage included in the Galaxy S8.
Considering that Apple offers smartphone contenders with 128GB of internal storage, it seems perfectly plausible that Samsung could do the same, without having to rely on the rather slower microSD technology.
Fingerprint reduction
We all love the moment when a new smartphone comes out of its packaging, and we can observe its gleaming visage for the first time. Unfortunately, this doesn’t last for very long, and the Galaxy S series is particularly vulnerable to the external appearance of the unit being peppered with fingerprints.
So many fans of the Android-driven smartphone range will hope that some form of fingerprint-repellent coating could be added to the Galaxy S8 to improve upon this annoying design flaw.
Battery life
The battery life of Samsung products has generally been superior to those of Apple, but it would nonetheless be welcome for the Korean electronics giant to improve the battery life of the Galaxy S8.
Pricing
Could Samsung conceivably be tempted to shave the price of the Galaxy S8? This would be a bold decision by the Korean manufacturer, as obviously the Galaxy S8 is a premium aspect of the product portfolio of the company, and its profit margin must be carefully calculated.
But with a wide variety of more affordable Android variants now challenging Samsung, while Apple appears to be significantly ahead in the premium smartphone marketplace, the incentive for the Korean company to slash the price of the Galaxy S8 is certainly obvious. So don’t rule out a $600 price tag for the bargain basement version of the Galaxy S8.
Improved speakers
The Galaxy S7 delivers decent sound quality, but its solitary speaker is something of a disappointment. Samsung would be well advised to ensure that the Galaxy S8 features dual front-facing speakers, as Apple similarly increases the emphasis on the music-playing capability of its device ranage.
Camera upgrades
The Galaxy S7 included a fantastic camera with its new dual-pixel technology, but the megapixel rating of the snapper did take a bit of a hit. Samsung fans would undoubtedly love to see the corporation once more upgrade the megapixel capabilities of the camera in the Galaxy S8, possibly increasing it once again to 16-megapixels.
This could be coupled with the front-facing camera also been improved, which would be extremely welcome considering the emphasis in contemporary culture on capturing selfies. Could Samsung even push the boat out and include optical image stabilization in its selfie snapper? There is no technical reason why not.
4K display
We’re still waiting for Samsung to produce its first 4K resolution compatible smartphone, and although it is generally considered that the Galaxy Note 6 could be this product, the Galaxy S8 could follow suit next year. In particular, this would assist the virtual reality performance of the smartphone; something that Samsung would clearly like to achieve considering the investment it has made in the Gear VR headset.
TouchWiz evolution
Samsung has significantly improved TouchWiz over the last couple of years, but the system included in this Android-driven smartphone continues to bloat the operation of the device. Regular Galaxy S range users will hope that the latest version of TouchWiz could be slimmed down still further, with fewer pre-installed applications in particular.
USB Type-C
It was rather surprising that Samsung chose not to include the innovative and state of the art USB Type-C technology in the Galaxy S7, despite the inclusion in that mobile of fast charging. Several smartphones have now done away with the minor annoyance of only being able to plug the recharging cable in one way round, and hopefully Samsung will follow this example when the Galaxy S8 is unveiled and ultimately released.
Iris scanner
Finally, with security at an increasing premium in the world of smartphones, it would be preferable for the Korean corporation to include an iris scanner in this device. This is something that has been linked with both the Galaxy S range and the Galaxy Note series for some time, and it would be a welcome inclusion in a world in which smartphones can be rather vulnerable to theft.
