The wait is finally over as Samsung is all set to launch its next-generation flagships, the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus on Wednesday at an event in New York City at 11 am EST (8:30 pm IST).
It goes without saying that not only are the new Galaxy S-series handsets among the most anticipated smartphone flagships of 2017, but they could also be Samsung’s ticket out of the plight it has had to endure following the infamous Galaxy Note 7 debacle of 2016.
Samsung will live stream the Galaxy S8 launch event on the company website. Alternatively, you also have the option to witness the event live on the Samsung Electronics and Samsung Mobile Facebook pages. Finally, those of you looking to watch the event in 360-degree live streaming, you need to first download the Unpacked 2017 app for Android and iOS.
Samsung Galaxy S8, S8 Plus specs
The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus are expected to come equipped with a 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch display respectively. The displays on both handsets will be of the Super AMOLED pressure sensitive variety with QHD+ resolution (2400 x 2960 pixels).
The Galaxy S8 will reportedly have a dual-edged curved display with absolutely minimal bezel and an aspect ratio measured at 18:9. According to reports, Samsung might call the new display the ‘Infinite Display’.
Both handsets will be powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 835 SoC. Although, Samsung will be rooting for the homegrown Exynos 8895 in some markets.
Both the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus will carry 4GB of RAM under the hood, although we hear, consumers in China and South Korea may also get a 6GB RAM variant. Both will be powered by Android 7.0 Nougat and will feature support for dual-SIM.
As for the camera, the S8 and S8+ will probably come with 12MP dual camera on the rear panel and an 8MP front camera for video calling and selfies.
As one can expect from Samsung flagships, both handsets will be IP68-rated for water and dust resistance, in addition to supporting an iris scanner, as well as some kind of facial recognition.
The Galaxy S8 will have a battery capacity of 3000mAh whereas the bigger and more powerful S8 Plus will boast a 3500mAh battery.
Other key specs and features include:
- AI assistant Bixby
- video capture at 1,000 frames per second
- USB C port
- SIM card and microSD slots
- Fingerprint scanner that supports gesture recognition
- Bluetooth 4.2
Color options include: black, white, blue, gold, silver, and violet.
The Galaxy S8 base variant will launch at €799 (~$863) while the Galaxy S8 Plus base variant is expected to set you back €899 ($971).