Samsung Electronics is one dominant company, but even they cannot keep their products entirely under wraps before launch. Over the weekend, the features of the Samsung Galaxy 8 leaked online including specs, price, and release date.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo then went on to confirm several of the rumors in an exclusive report for 9to5 Google, further spoiling the reveal event scheduled for March 29.
The South Korean giant is apparently bringing to market a serious flagship competitor to the iPhone 8, but some experts say that the new features are not quite as advanced as Apple’s technology.
Samsung Galaxy 8 will have larger displays and no home button
The highly-disputed king of Android devices will return with a new design and two size variants. The standard Samsung Galaxy 8 will have a 3D-curved OLED 5.8-inch display while the larger model will 6.2 inches of screen.
A 3,000 mAh battery will power the smaller phone, while its big brother will get an extra 500 mAh for prolonged performance. Both devices will support fast charging via USB-C, but wireless charging has not been confirmed yet as a feature.
What’s more, the company is ditching the signature home button on the devices for more display real estate. This results in a dramatic overhaul for the Korean flagship, with thinner bezels and no apparent way to unlock the phone.
Unlock your Galaxy 8 with a new iris scanner
However, Samsung has you covered with an exciting new feature it has been working on for some time now: a highly-advanced iris scanner.
Users will be able to unlock their phones by just glancing at the front of the device, where an IR-LED transmitter and receiver sits at the top to near-instantly recognize your iris.
The company has a backup plan, literally located on the back of the flagship. The Samsung Galaxy 8 will also have a fingerprint scanner module next to the rear camera.
Processing power will depend on your location
A rather controversial move by Samsung, the firm will not offer the same performance configurations on all their devices. Processors and RAM will change depending on where you buy the handset.
If you are in the United States, China, or Japan, then your Galaxy 8 gets a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor. On the other hand, the rest of Asia and Europe will get a Samsung Exynos 8895 chipset. No word on other markets yet.
Chinese buyers will be the luckiest of the bunch because they will also get access to 6 GB of RAM instead of the standard 4 GB expected in most markets. Korean consumers will also get the top-specs model.
Everything else gets better too
Each new generation improves over the previous one, so it is only natural that the latest star in the Galaxy lineup gets some upgrades as well.
The new pair of phones will have enhanced 12 MP, Dual Pixel cameras on the rear and 8 MP cameras on the front. The selfie lenses adapt better to low-light settings than earlier generations.
Samsung’s latest will also feature a PC mode and a high-performance mode. The first one will allow for faster data transmission when connected to a dock, while the second one will pump out more power in situations where users need it the most.
The tech giant will officially unveil the Samsung Galaxy 8 on March 29, and it is expected to go on sale on April 21. The standard model will reportedly have a starting price of $850, with the high-end version jumping to $950.
Source: 9to5 Google