Samsung has finally launched its flagships Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ at an event after months of rumors and leaks. The smartphones are a very big deal to the company after all it went through with Galaxy Note 7. The company’s aim is to regain the trust of its customers with its latest Samsung smartphones.
Not wasting much of your time, the all new Samsung smartphones will be made available in five color options- Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Arctic Silver, Coral Blue and Maple Gold starting April 21. Both the smartphones are currently up for pre-orders, here is the link. In terms of pricing, the Samsung Galaxy S8 will cost you $720* while the Galaxy S8+ comes at a starting price of $840. If you pre-order the smartphones, you can get Gear VR Immersive Bundle at just $99.99. Samsung is also offering Gear VR as a gift but you have to choose between the two.
Samsung also unveiled Samsung DeX dock and 2017 version of its Gear 360 alongside the smartphones. DeX is a Mobile-to-PC transition tool that converts your smartphone into a desktop like configuration. With DeX dock, you can use your smartphone the same you use your computer by just docking it to the monitor, keyboard, and a mouse. Talking about the Gear 360 used to record 4K 360 videos, now supports live streaming. With the Galaxy smartphones, you can experience the world of Virtual Reality everyday as both the devices supports Gear VR.
Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ debuts Samsung’s own virtual assistant powered by artificial intelligence called “Bixby” just like Apple’s Siri and Google’s Google Assistant but with more advanced features. The smartphones comes pre-loaded with apps that works with Bixby. The flagships also sports iris recognition which made its debut with Samsung Galaxy Note 7. You can unlock your phone and other locked stuff with Samsung’s biometric authentication method.
Getting on to the specifications, Samsung Galaxy S8 sports 5.8-inch QHD+ (1440×2960 pixels) Super AMOLED display curved from both sides. The company is touting it as world’s first “infinity display” that comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. On the other hand, Galaxy S8+ sports 6.2-inch QHD+ (1440×2960 pixels) Super AMOLED display. Both smartphones are dust and water resistant with IP68 certification.
Both the smartphones are powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 835 octa-core (Four cores @ 2.3GHz + Four cores @ 1.7GHz) SoC. Only US customers will be getting the smartphones assembled with Qualcomm’s processor while customers in other countries including India will be getting Exynos 8895 octa-core (2.35GHz Quad + 1.9GHz Quad) SoC. Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones comes packed with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage which can be expanded further up to 256GB via microSD card. Single-SIM model will get a dedicated slot for microSD card.
In terms of camera, both the smartphone gets 12MP dual pixel rear camera with OIS (Optical Image Stabiliztion), f/1.7 aperture, face detection, PDAF (phase detection auto focus), geo-tagging, and LED flash while on the other hand, the smartphones sports 8MP autofocus camera with f/1.7 aperture.
Both Samsung smartphones will be made available in Single-SIM and dual-SIM options with support for LTE (Cat. 16) network. Galaxy S8 packs 3000mAh battery while Galaxy S8+ features larger 3500mAh battery and supports both wireless and fast charging. Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ smartphones runs Android 7.0 Nougat based company’s own UI. The smartphones also sports fingerprint sensor on the rear side aside the camera module and supports Samsung Pay with NFC and MST connectivity. Other connectivity options on board Galaxy smartphones include- Wi-Fi 802.11ac , Bluetooth v5.0, USB Type-C and GPS. Sensors that comes packed with both the smartphones include- accelerometer, proximity, gyroscope, barometer, hear rate sensor, ambient light, and magnetometer.
The smartphones also comes with pre-installed Samsung Connect app that helps control compatible IoT devices and packs high-performance earphones mastered by “AKG by Harman” made with anti-tangle metal-fabric material for better noise cancellation and comfort. “The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ usher in a new era of smartphone design and fantastic new services, opening up new ways to experience the world. The Galaxy S8 and S8+ are our testament to regaining your trust by redefining what’s possible in safety and marks a new milestone in Samsung’s smartphone legacy,” said DJ Koh, President of Mobile Communications Business (Samsung Electronics).
