Torrents of leaks and rumors about the Galaxy S8 have left almost nothing to the imagination. We have already seen leaked prototypes, schematics, and concept images over the last few weeks. Now a credible “eyewitness” has helped CNet Korea design schematics of Samsung’s upcoming flagship phone. The renders confirm many of the previous rumors.
Curves are less edgy than Galaxy S7 Edge
The phone has a dual-edge display, but the curves are not as pronounced as the Galaxy S7 Edge. They do not wrap around the sides of the handset. Samsung may have gone with a less edgy style to avoid accidental touches. The 5.8-inch Galaxy S8 measures 131.58mm x 68.05mm. The 6.2-inch S8 Plus measures 159.53mm x 73.37mm. The Plus version is slightly larger and wider than the Galaxy S7 Edge, and has a unique aspect ratio of 18.5:9.
The new renders reveal that Samsung is determined to go ahead with the weird position of the fingerprint sensor on the back. The home button will be embedded in the Super AMOLED display. There will be on-screen soft keys for back and menu buttons. But the fingerprint sits on the right side of the rear camera. Google’s Pixel also has the fingerprint sensor on the back, but it is nowhere close to the camera.
Fingerprint scanner’s position does not make sense
Placing the fingerprint sensor next to the camera near the top would make it difficult for people with smaller hands (mostly women) to reach to the scanner. Also, it sits on the right side of the camera, which means users will accidentally end up putting their fingers on the camera lens a lot. CNet Korea says the Galaxy S8 will also feature 3.5mm headphone jack and a USB Type-C port for charging.
Earlier this week, Samsung sent out invites for an event on February 26th. The company is widely expected to unveil the Galaxy Tab S3 at the pre-Mobile World Congress (MWC) event. However, the Korea Herald has learned from its sources that Samsung may also offer a sneak peek into the Galaxy S8. The company is planning to show a one-minute video clip of the Galaxy S8 at the event.
Samsung to unveil Galaxy S8 on March 29
Both the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus are rumored to feature Snapdragon 835 processor, 64GB of built-in storage, Samsung’s own virtual assistant Bixby, and bigger batteries. The S8 and S8 Plus will have 3,250mAh and 3,750mAh batteries, respectively. Samsung is also said to add a Continuum-like feature called Samsung DeX that will allow users to turn the Galaxy S8 into a computer by connecting it to a monitor, keyboard, and mouse.
Samsung would officially unveil the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus on March 29 in New York.
