Samsung will launch the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ smartphones today at an event in New York, finally ending months of speculation about its first flagships since the fateful Galaxy Note 7. The company has been teasing the two smartphones, dropping hints about its slick design and improved camera. Last week,it even went so far to confirm that Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 will come preloaded with an AI-based digital assistant called Bixby.
The Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2017 event will be live streamed on the company site at 11am EST (8:30pm IST). Do stay tuned to Gadgets 360, as we will be live blogging the latest updates from the event. Alternatively, users can watch the live stream on the Samsung Mobile and Samsung Electronics Facebook pages. Finally, users can also choose to download the Unpacked 2017 app for Android and iOS, with the option for 360-degree live streaming.
Samsung Galaxy S8 Price, Release Date, Specifications, and Everything Else We Know
As with most major launches nowadays, almost everything about the Samsung Galaxy S8 is known ahead of the actual unveiling. From the Samsung Galaxy S8 specifications to design to price, everything about the smartphone and its anticipated larger sibling, the Galaxy S8+, has been leaked.
Let us start with the specifications. Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are expected to sport 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch Super AMOLED pressure sensitive displays respectively, with QHD+ display resolutions (2400x2960 pixels). Samsung Galaxy S8 is pegged to have a dual-edged curved display with almost negligible bezel and 18:9 aspect ratio; the display may be named 'Infinity Display'. The two smartphones will be powered by the latest Snapdragon 835 SoC, but some markets will get the home-grown Exynos 8895 chip as well.
Both the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ will be paired with 4GB of RAM, though China and South Korea are said to get 6GB of RAM variants. The devices will run on Android 7.0 Nougat, and support dual-SIM slots. In the camera department, there is expected to be a 12-megapixel dual pixel rear camera, and an 8-megapixel front camera as well.
Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ smartphones will be IP68-rated for dust and water resistance, support an iris scanner, may sport some sort of facial recognition, and 3000mAh and 3500mAh batteries respectively.
As for the price, recent rumours indicate the Samsung Galaxy S8 price will start at EUR 799 (roughly Rs. 56,000), while the Galaxy S8+ will be priced at EUR 899 (roughly Rs. 63,300). Separately, the new Gear VR expected to release alonside will cost EUR 129 (roughly Rs. 9,000), while the new Gear 360 will be priced at EUR 229 (roughly Rs. 16,100), and an accessory that could provide a Continuum-like called DeX is said to be priced at EUR 150 (roughly Rs. 10,500).
An even more recent leak indicates that the Galaxy S8 will be even more expensive and will be sold at EUR 829 (roughly Rs. 58,500) while the bigger S8+ should be priced at EUR 929 (roughly Rs. 65,500). With these leaks, one thing is for sure, the Galaxy S8 will definitely be more expensive than the Galaxy S7 launched last year.
Of course, more details will be known at the official unveiling later on Wednesday.
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