It doesn’t take a genius to work out that the next flagship in Samsung’s “S” line of smartphones will be the Galaxy S8. However, with the Korean tech giant still reeling from the Note 7 fiasco, it’s revealing little information about the S8. So we have to rely on rumors and leaks; here are the very latest pieces of information from the grapevine.
Galaxy S8 design
Next year will be an important one for Samsung due to it missing the chance to be crowned mobile hardware innovator for 2016. Now it needs to focus on the Galaxy S8, and rumors coming from China suggest a radical redesign. These rumors propose an all-screen S8, which is similar to what Apple is rumored to be planning for the iPhone 8. Additionally, the handset will reportedly lack a Home button, and there could be two different variants.
RAM and storage
Could Samsung be ready to push the internal specs of the Galaxy S8 past what its competitors currently have? Sammobile.com suggests that it could give the S8 6GB of RAM. However, some industry experts/critics are suggesting that 8GB would be the minimum required to stay ahead of the competition. Furthermore, a huge increase in internal storage up to 256GB could also be included. If accurate, this would be a huge jump compared to the 32GB found on the S7. However, any increase in internal storage has raised the question about whether the S8 will have microSD card support.
Whatever Samsung decides, it needs a handset that can manage all tasks without extra battery drain and excess heat.
Processor
As always, there are expected to be two versions of processors used in the Galaxy S8, depending on where a user lives in the world. They are either an Exynos chipset or the recently-announced Qualcomm Snapdragon 835. Qualcomm announced that it would be working with Samsung on its 10nm 835 chip on November 17. Apparently, chipsets of this size can achieve higher power efficiency and performance, as well as open up new mobile experiences for consumers.
Bixby or Kestra?
Samsung purchased Viv Labs and its smart assistant in October. As co-creators of Siri, the people there have years of experience creating digital personal assistants.
Just last month, Samsung applied for a trademark for the name “Bixby”. At that time, it was thought to be the name of the upcoming digital personal assistant. However, now, according to SlashGear, the company has also registered “Kestra,” as well as “Bix-bee” and “Bix.” The rumor mill suggests “Kestra” and “Bixby” are the male / female names of the personal assistant on the Galaxy S8.
Battery issues
While the vast majority of the rumors we’ve seen are positive for the Galaxy S8, they’re not all good. One such negative rumor surrounds Samsung’s SDI affiliate, with the company apparently trying to reassure its customers that its batteries are safe to use in their handsets.
As a young company, it aspires to make a name for itself in the industry, and according to the University Herald, it has hinted at withdrawing its supply of batteries to Samsung. If accurate, this could delay the release of the Galaxy S8, according to speculations on social media.
Galaxy S8 and S8 Edge?
One recent rumor published by Phone Arena suggests that Samsung will release only one handset, meaning that it will break from its one with a flat bezel and one curved tradition. Instead, it will reportedly offer a single Galaxy S8 with a dual-edge curved display. However, there has been no official confirmation of this, so it’s probably best to expect an S8 and S8 Edge.
If there are to be two variants, they could be what are being internally referred to at Samsung as the Dream and Dream 2, with the Dream apparently having VR connotations, seeing as Samsung’s recently announced VR Platform is called DayDream.
Camera
As for camera rumors, there are many. However, one focuses on a new 1/2.3-inch sensor that will have an f/1.4 aperture. If this is true, it would be a much better camera capable of better performance in low-light conditions than current smartphones. But whether this technology will find its way to the Galaxy S8 or not is unclear.
One additional camera rumor suggests that Samsung is looking ahead to providing a 1/1.7-inch sensor in the near future.
Release date
If Samsung follows its previous behaviors, it’s likely that we will see the Galaxy S8 at the Mobile World Congress, which starts on February 27 and ends on March 2. This could mean a launch date of February 26 is likely.
Previously, rumors had suggested that due to the Note 7 fiasco, Samsung may bring the launch forward. However, various sources close to Samsung and supposed leaks have suggested that February 26 is the date.
So will we see a single Galaxy S8, or will it be accompanied by an S8 Edge? Of course there’s no way of knowing at this point, so with months of waiting still ahead of us, it’s probably best to ask what you would like Samsung to do.
We think a redesign is a must, as is the incorporation of more RAM, a more powerful CPU, and even a larger battery. However, if the rumors of a Galaxy Note 8 prove to be false, we’d like to see iris scanning included; after all, it didn’t get much of a chance on the last Note.
Tell us what you think Samsung should include in the S8 in the comment section below.
