Samsung is yet to figure out the cause of the Galaxy Note 7 explosions, but the company is working to make the upcoming Galaxy S8 its best smartphone ever. There have been plenty of leaks and rumors about the device, but this is probably the first time a senior Samsung executive has revealed the details of Galaxy S8 months before its official unveiling.
A slick design and an improved camera
Samsung’s Vice-President for mobile communications, Lee Kyeong-tae told the Wall Street Journal that the Galaxy S8 will have a “slick design and an improved camera.” There have been rumors that Samsung’s next-gen flagship smartphone would feature a dual-camera system to take on Apple’s iPhone 7 Plus. Last month, Samsung had filed patent documents for a camera interface with a single-finger zoom control.
Lee Kyeong-tae added that the handset will also feature “an enhanced artificial intelligence service.” Lee didn’t offer any specifics on the AI service, but the Korean electronics giant is likely to leverage its recent acquisition of Viv Labs to challenge Siri and Google Assistant. Viv was developed by the same people who developed Siri and sold it to Apple in 2010. Viv is said to be capable of writing its own code to carry out new tasks.
Galaxy S8 rumored features and specs
Preliminary leaks suggest that the Galaxy S8 will feature a 5.5-inch 4K Super AMOLED display with 806ppi pixel density. It is said to be powered by 6GB RAM and Qualcomm Snapdragon 830 or Exynos 8895 processor. The US version will feature Snapdragon, while the rest of the world is expected to get the Exynos-powered model. The device is rumored to have a dual-camera system of 16MP and 8MP lenses on the back.
Samsung may eliminate the home button in the Galaxy S8. According to a Weibo posting, the handset will feature an optical fingerprint scanner embedded in the display. It will eliminate the need for fingerprint sensors being embedded in the home button. The optical fingerprint sensor is far more accurate than the ultrasonic fingerprint recognition system.
Samsung going all out to win back customers’ trust
The better AI, improved camera, and optical fingerprint sensor could be Samsung’s attempt to win back the trust of customers following the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco. Profits at Samsung’s mobile communications division tumbled 96% during the July-September quarter due to the massive recall and discontinuation of the Galaxy Note 7. The Note 7 fiasco is estimated to cost Samsung as much as $5 billion in the long run.
The Galaxy S8 may feature batteries supplied by Samsung’s arch-rival LG Chem. The world’s largest smartphone maker is negotiating a deal with LG Chem in an attempt to diversify its battery supplier base. Recently, there were rumors that Samsung was planning to give the Galaxy S8 for free or for a nominal amount to Galaxy Note 7 buyers to win back their trust.
