Four major smartphones will definitely be released in 2017, with two new devices expected from both Apple and Samsung. The battle between the two market leaders will intensify when the iPhone 8 and Galaxy S8 generation hit the stores. But what can we expect from these major mobile releases? Here is a rundown of all the latest features and specs linked with these four smartphones.
iPhone 8
Undoubtedly the most highly anticipated smartphone release of 2017, the iPhone 8 is particularly important as it marks the tenth anniversary of the entire iPhone range. It seems incredible that it is ten years since the first iPhone unit was released, but Apple is certain to mark this occasion with an outstanding iPhone 8 product.
Very few details have been confirmed regarding the iPhone 8 as of yet, but the general expectation among analysts is that Apple will really push the boat out to deliver something truly exceptional. Nonetheless, the specs of the device are still likely to be inferior in pure numbers to Samsung Galaxy offerings.
Nonetheless, Apple will undoubtedly be upgrading the iPhone 8 significantly compared to previous releases, with analysts expecting at least 4GB of RAM alongside a powerful new A11 chip. The resolution of the iPhone range could also be increased, with the iPhone 8 likely to feature a full HD display.
However, the major innovations in the iPhone range are likely to be related to physical features. A virtual reality focus is expected, but Apple could also conceivably make major design alterations as well. The first ever curved iPhone display is anticipated with the iPhone 8; this could also benefit from OLED technology.
An innovative form of wireless charging technology has also been linked with the iPhone 8, particularly by KGI Securities’ Ming-Chi Kuo.
iPhone 8 Plus specs
The iPhone 8 Plus probably won’t diverge too strongly from the iPhone 8 in the majority of specs, but there are a few areas in which the phablet will be superior. One which is absolutely certain is in screen resolution, with the larger iPhone 8 Plus expected to benefit from quad HD resolution this time round.
Another possible area of difference between the smartphone and phablet iPhone will be in camera technology. Apple is expected to include a dual-camera in the iPhone series this time round, but it may be that only the iPhone 8 Plus benefits from this technology.
The iPhone 8 Plus will also, of course, have a larger screen than the iPhone page, and some reports have even suggested that Apple will increase the size relative to previous releases. This would mean that the iPhone 8 Plus phablet benefits from a 5.8-inch screen, if indeed such reports are accurate.
Galaxy S8 specs
Samsung will deliver the first major smartphone release of 2017 with the Galaxy S8, and this device is actually expected relatively soon. We should probably have our first opportunity to get our hands on the flagship of the Korean corporation before February is out, with the Galaxy S8 expected to debut at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Usually there are a wide range of leaks related to Samsung products, but these have been rather thin on the ground with regard to the Galaxy S8. However, the online vendor Mobile Fun recently displayed a listing for a smartphone case by Ghostek that includes images of what purports to be the Samsung Galaxy S8 inside the cover. This at least gave some impression of what the Samsung mobile may look like when it hits the stores, and it doesn’t appear to be a massive physical departure from previous smartphones in the range.
One interesting aspect of the Galaxy S8 is that the Home button in the device may be removed completely. This is a design innovation that has also been linked with the iPhone range recently, but it is believed that Samsung will pull the trigger on its Home button first. Functions currently linked with this aspect of the Galaxy S series will instead be carried out via touchscreen technology.
And recent reports have focused on a user of the Chinese social media site Weibo that supposedly provided images of the forthcoming Galaxy S8, and that features no Home button. Such leaks are dubious by their very nature, but momentum is certainly gathering to suggest that the Galaxy S8 will indeed abandon the Home button.
There has also been some debate over whether the Galaxy S8 will feature a headphone jack, after Apple dispensed with this feature in the last generation iPhone. But a recent report from SlashLeaks provides a Galaxy S8 smartphone case including space for a headphone jack. The same piece of evidence also points to the inclusion of USB-C in the Galaxy S8.
Samsung will also bump up the specs in the Galaxy S8, possibly delivering the first ever 4K resolution mobile from the Korean corporation. There will undoubtedly be a curved version of the Galaxy S8, while a true octa-core processor and 6GB of RAM have been linked with the device as well.
Galaxy S8 Plus
The Galaxy S8 Plus will obviously be larger than the Galaxy S8 considering its phablet status. And some reports have suggested that this device will feature a screen larger than 6-inches. This could be achieved via a wraparound edge-to-edge display, which has been particularly linked with the larger of the two Galaxy S8 devices.
Furthermore, foldable technology could be included in the Samsung Galaxy series for the first time when the Galaxy S8 is released, and this is far more likely to be part of the Galaxy S8 Plus. It would be an obvious way for Samsung to set apart the two major device releases.
Samsung may also imbue the Galaxy S8 with superior camera technology, as the battle with Apple to deliver the best photographic capability possible continues.
