Samsung To Launch A 6.2-Inch Galaxy S8 For Note 7 Customers

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The upcoming Galaxy S8 will give Samsung a chance to regain the faith of consumers after the Galaxy Note 7 disaster that, to some extent, has damaged Samsung’s reputation. A new report suggests that the Korean electronics giant is willing to go the extra mile to woo the Galaxy Note 7 customers. The Galaxy S8 may arrive in two different sizes: 5.7-inch and 6.2-inch.

Both versions of Galaxy S8 to have curved displays

According to Korean publication The Investor, the larger 6.2-inch version will be aimed at Note 7 owners on the lookout for a new phablet. By comparison, this year’s Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge have 5.1-inch and 5.5-inch displays respectively. The report adds that Samsung won’t make a flat-screen Galaxy S8. It means both models of the upcoming smartphone will have curved displays. That corroborates with recent reports that there wasn’t enough demand for the flat-screen version of Samsung’s flagship smartphones.

What’s even more interesting is the fact that the 6.2-inch panel will fit in the same body as the 5.7-inch model. If it’s true, Samsung will be increasing the screen size without increasing the body size. The company can achieve this by choosing a bezel-less design and getting rid of the physical home button. Recent reports claim that Samsung could embed the home button and fingerprint sensor in the display itself.

The bigger version to be called Galaxy S8 Plus

The Investor added that Samsung might give the 6.2-inch model a “Plus” moniker. Another report coming out of Asia claimed earlier this week that Samsung would start testing the Galaxy S8 prototypes in January. The Korean company has asked component suppliers to supply the first batch of Galaxy S8 parts in January. Large volume supplies will begin in February.

The S8 is expected to go on sale in March, following its unveiling at the Mobile World Congress on February 26. However, sources familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal that its release could be pushed back to April. That’s because Samsung is adding a dedicated button on the side edge of the device for an AI assistant. Samsung’s AI assistant is likely to be called “Bixby,” according to the company’s trademark filings.

Samsung can’t release Galaxy S8 without identifying the Note 7 problem

Also, Samsung is yet to figure out the cause of Galaxy Note 7 explosions. The S8 release may indeed be delayed if Samsung engineers fail to identify the cause of the problem soon. The Korean company can’t afford to release its next-gen flagship smartphone without identifying and fixing the problem that caused it to kill the Note 7. The Note 7 disaster is estimated to cost Samsung up to $5 billion.

The Galaxy S8 is expected to feature a 2K Super AMOLED display, a dual-camera system, and iris scanner. The device is said to be powered by Exynos 8895 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 830 depending on the region.

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