Leaks and rumors about the much-awaited Galaxy S8 have intensified significantly in the last few weeks. Yesterday, British retailer Mobile Fun revealed that the 5.8-inch Galaxy S8 would cost users a staggering £799 ($972) and its bigger sibling would be priced at £899 ($1094). If it turns out to be true, the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus would have the highest starting prices of any Samsung smartphone available in the market.
Three model numbers of Galaxy S8 listed on FCC
Less than three weeks before their official unveiling, the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus have reportedly been certified by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Samsung will announce the devices at an Unpacked event in New York City on March 29th. According to the FCC documents, the standard Galaxy S8 is listed in three different variants carrying model numbers: SM-G950U, SM-G950U1 and SM-G950W.
The Plus variant also has three versions with model numbers: SM-G955U, SM-G955U1 and SM-G955W. The FCC filing confirmed wireless charging for the both the S8 and S8 Plus. The handsets are expected to be powered by 4GB RAM and Exynos 8895 or Snapdragon 835 chipset depending on the market. US consumers are expected to get the Snapdragon variant.
Galaxy S8 to feature super-fast facial recognition
Samsung executives told the Korean Economic Daily that the Galaxy S8 would come with facial recognition technology. It means the phone will have three different security options, the other two being the fingerprint scanner and the iris scanner. Samsung is relocating the fingerprint sensor to the back of the phone, so users may not always find it convenient to use.
A Samsung executive told the Korean publication that the iris scanner has certain limitations in terms of speed and accuracy. So, it made sense for the company to add facial recognition for authentication and security. Also, the face scanner reportedly takes “less than 0.01 seconds” to unlock the phone. If it is really that fast, the iris scanner and fingerprint sensor could become merely backup methods for authentication.
Galaxy S8 dimensions compared to other devices
Meanwhile, folks at Onleaks have shared illustrations of the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus sitting alongside other premium smartphones such as the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Dimensions of the 6.2-inch S8 Plus are similar to that of the 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus. That’s because Samsung’s phones will have incredibly thin top and bottom bezels and an edge-to-edge display, increasing the screen area.
OK so this one is the very last one. Now please, let me alone!!! ? #Samsung #GalaxyS8 #GalaxyS8Plus @Butler_Speaks pic.twitter.com/zH0n9OutJa
— Steve H.McFly (@OnLeaks) March 9, 2017
Samsung’s upcoming handsets would come pre-installed with the company’s own Bixby AI assistant. Bixby is said to be smarter than Apple’s Siri. Recent reports indicate that Samsung would start taking pre-orders for the Galaxy S8 on April 10th. However, the phone’s launch date has been pushed back from April 21 to April 28.
