Samsung Galaxy S8 Launched: Top 8 Features, Price in India, Pre Book Offers, and More

Samsung Galaxy S8 and Samsung Galaxy S8+ are finally in India, having made their debut at a starting price of Rs. 57,900. Samsung's newest smartphones bring a new design that gives prominence to the screen like never before. The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ bring a radical new design to the flagship range that is sure to turn a few heads. But the attractive design and big screens are not the only big draws of the new Samsung flagships, as they also offer the Dual Pixel camera on the back, Bixby digital assistant, DeX desktop dock, among its array of new features.

Samsung Galaxy S8 colours, price in India, and pre-booking

Samsung Galaxy S8 comes to India a price of Rs. 57,900 (MOP) and will be available in Midnight Black and Maple Gold colour options, while the Samsung Galaxy S8+ is priced at Rs. 64,900 (MOP) and will be available in Midnight Black, Coral Blue, and Maple Gold colour variants. Those who pre-book the Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+ will get a wireless charging accessory worth Rs. 4,499 free with their handset. Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ pre-bookings are now open and the smartphones will be available from May 5.

Samsung says that the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ will "usher in a new era of smartphone design and fantastic new services" from the company. Here are eight of the top Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ new features you must know about:

1. Samsung Galaxy S8 design
Samsung has ditched its signature home button design for the bezel-less design on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. Samsung believes that removing the home button will help Galaxy S8 series offer a more immersive viewing experience while will also make multi-tasking more convenient. Additionally, the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ come with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on both the front and back offering a premium finish.

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The Samsung Galaxy S8 measures 148.9x68.1x8mm and weighs 155 grams which is slightly heavier than its predecessor Galaxy S7 that measured 142.4x69.6x7.9mm and weighed 152 grams. The Galaxy S8+, on the other hand, measures 159.5x73.4x8.1mm and weighs 173 grams thanks to the large screen size. The Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge came with 150.9x72.6x7.7mm dimensions, and weighed 157 grams.

2. Samsung's all-new UX
Samsung's latest Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ also debut the company's brand new UX. Samsung says that the all-new UX of the Galaxy S8 has been developed to enhance the user interactions. At the global launch event of the smartphones, the company showcased that the Galaxy S8's app icons and typography incorporate the Galaxy S8's physical design language.

Samsung has also updated brand sound "Over the Horizon" and ringtones with the all-new UX. The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ will also sport the now-standard Galaxy S-Series features including Always-On display.

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3. Samsung Galaxy S8 performance
While in the US Samsung's Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor (2.35GHz quad-core + 1.7GHz quad-core), the smartphones launch in India are powered by Samsung's own Exynos 8895 SoC with an octa-core processor (2.35GHz quad-core + 1.9GHz quad-core). Samsung says the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ feature the "industry's first 10nm processor, enabling heightened speed and efficiency."

Both new 10nm processors are also claimed to be Gigabit LTE and Gigabit Wi-Fi ready with support for download speeds up to 1Gbps. When available in the US, Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ will be the first smartphones with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 SoC to make their way to the consumers.

4. Samsung Galaxy S8 Infinity Display
The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ sport Infinity Display, and in comparison, the Galaxy S8's display is 18 percent larger than the display seen on the Galaxy S7. Samsung says that in landscape mode, Galaxy S8's 18.5:9 display will be perfect for 21:9 movies, and also claims the Galaxy S8's display offers 36 percent more viewing area compared to the Galaxy S7.

Samsung is also promoting the two phones' High Dynamic Range (HDR) Premium capabilities. The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ will also sport a new Snap Window feature that will enhance productivity by allowing users to pin a specific area from a recent app to the top of the screen, and continue using the area below it. Both the handsets sport a screen resolution of Quad HD+ (1440x2960 pixels).

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5. Samsung Galaxy S8's dual-pixel technology
The Galaxy S8 and S8+ sport 12-megapixel dual pixel technology with OIS (optical image stabilisation) with f/1.7 aperture while there is an 8-megapixel autofocus sensor at the front with f/1.7 aperture.

The dual-pixel sensor technology with wide aperture and autofocus on the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ is said to perform better in low-light conditions. The camera UX is also claimed to optimise for one-handed operation. The front camera comes with facial recognition technology that can recognise and track faces to provide focused selfies. The camera app also includes wide variety of filters, animated stickers, and stamps.

6. Samsung Galaxy S8's virtual assistant - Bixby
Samsung's Bixby virtual assistant is making its debut on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. The company at the event confessed that the Bixby is still being developed and it was created to enhance the way users can interact with the Galaxy S8. Bixby will offer contextual information based on users' habits. The Galaxy S8 also comes with a dedicated hardware button for Bixby, though the voice-based features of Bixby will be pushed out to the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ at a later date.

7. Samsung Galaxy S8 and Samsung DeX
Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ come with an optional accessory called Samsung DeX, which is mobile-to-PC transition tool that can turn the Galaxy S8 into a PC. It works similar to Microsoft's Continuum feature. The Samsung DeX tool will be compatible with the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+, and will offer users an Android-based desktop-like experience. Samsung Galaxy S8 users will have to plug the handset into the DeX Station, which will connect the handset to an HDMI compatible monitor as well as connect to any Bluetooth-enabled, USB, or RF-type keyboard and mouse.

Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ customers can separately purchase Samsung DeX at Rs. 8,999.

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8. Samsung Pay and My Galaxy
Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ come preloaded with Samsung Pay and the My Galaxy app. While Samsung Pay is the company's recently launched payment service that lets you use your Samsung phone to make digital payments at most locations where a credit or debit card is accepted, My Galaxy "is an integrated one-stop shop application for consumers who are looking for entertainment or services such as hotel, airline, rail bookings, taxi bookings, health," as well as support and care for their Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+.

Are you looking forward to buying the Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+? Let us know via the comments below.

We also discussed whether the Galaxy S8's pricing gives it an edge over iPhone 7 and Google Pixel in India on our podcast, so be sure to check that out as well in this week's episode of Orbital, our technology podcast. You can subscribe to it via iTunes or RSS, or just hit the play button below.