Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus: Specs and reviews

Samsung could drop Edge series with new Galaxy S8

10 February

Samsung could drop its Edge series with its upcoming Galaxy S8 and give all versions of the new smartphone curved displays.

According to Cnet Korea, the Galaxy and Edge series will be combined into one device with a curved AMOLED screen similar to the S7 Edge.

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Sources add that in a bid to maximise screen size, the Galaxy S8 will also feature a fingerprint scanner and home button on the back of the handset, positioned slightly to the right of the camera.

Relocating the home button suggests the Korean tech giant may use on-screen navigation buttons on its next flagship, says Trusted Reviews.

That would "make sense", it adds, as Samsung has long been rumoured to be pairing the S8 with a "full-face screen"

The headphone jack is also expected to appear on the phone, says Cnet Korea, with a USB-C port to charge it.

The leak bolsters rumours on VentureBeat that the Galaxy S8 will feature a curved display covering "83 per cent" of the front panel.

It also claims the phone will be available in two sizes - 5.8ins and 6.2ins - and have a "QHD super AMOLED display".

Samsung has yet to confirm a release date for the Galaxy S8, but TechRadar reports it could be announced on 29 March and enter the market on 21 April.

Samsung Galaxy S8: Will it come without a home button?

27 January

Samsung could remove the conventional central home button from its upcoming Galaxy S8 and may relocate the fingerprint scanner to the rear of the device, say new reports.

According to leaks posted on VentureBeat, the company's next smartphone will feature a display that will "cover 83 per cent" of the front panel and incorporate the curved display found on the S7 Edge - leaving no room for a central home button.

It will be available in two sizes - 5.8ins and 6.2ins – and have "QHD Super AMOLED" displays, adds the website. Due to their "unusual size", the screens could also feature an aspect ratio of 18.5:9 instead of the industry-standard 16:9.

VentureBeat's leak also suggests the Galaxy S8 will lack Samsung branding and buttons on the front panel, with the fingerprint scanner moving to the back, next to the camera. The company may also retain the headphone port, which Apple controversially removed on its iPhone 7.

If true, the leak would bolster rumours posted by The Guardian saying the S8 could feature an "infinity" display that may cover "the majority of the front of the device".

Along with the new display, Samsung is expected to retain the iris scanner first used on the "ill-fated" Galaxy Note 7, allowing users to unlock their device and make purchases using their eyes, adds the paper.

It is not yet known when the Galaxy S8 will be launched. Koh Dong-Jin, head of Samsung mobile, told Reuters it will not appear at next month's Mobile World Congress, the "traditional forum" for the Galaxy S range. Analysts, however, expect it to "start selling by April".

Samsung Galaxy S8: 'Dream' handset could feature bezel-less screen

25 January

Samsung's upcoming iPhone-rivalling smartphone, the Galaxy S8, could feature an edge-to-edge display needing the home button to move to the back of the device, say reports.

According to The Guardian, the phone will come in two sizes, codenamed "Dream" and "Dream 2", and will incorporate an "infinity" display covering "the majority of the front of the device".

Sources claim the bezel-less display, which will "curve down at the left and right sides", similar to the Galaxy S7 Edge, is so large there is no room "to put a logo" or any Samsung branding on the phone, forcing designers to move the home button to the back.

It will also feature an iris-scanning security system, allowing users to purchase apps and unlock their phone with their eyes, adds the paper.

The feature launched on the Galaxy Note 7, which was recalled months after its debut after the handsets were found to catch fire spontaneously. Samsung said this week that incorrectly placed batteries and a lack of wire insulation had caused the smartphone to short circuit.

In a break from tradition, Koh Dong-Jin, head of Samsung mobile, told Reuters the S8 will not appear at next month's Mobile World Congress, the "traditional forum" for the Galaxy S series.

However, analysts say the firm could begin selling the new handset "by April", while investors say customers can "trust" the company to have rectified the battery problems of the Note 7.

Samsung Galaxy S8: First leaks hint at 4K screen

21 June

Samsung's latest flagship smartphones – the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge – are merely months old, but rumours about next year's handset are already hitting the web, with gossip focussing on camera, display, and virtual reality technology.

For starters, it's tipped the phone could sport a 4K display with a resolution of 2160 x 3840 and a pixel density of 806ppi, says Pocket Lint, picking up the Chinese blog whispers.

There's evidence to support the rumour. Samsung has already shown off prototype 4K smartphone displays and, the site adds, it is likely that production versions of these will be on the next handset.

This year's Galaxy S7 uses a 2.5K panel with 1440 x 2560 resolution. It's a screen which Display Mate says sets new records for smartphones and delivers "absolutely stunning and beautiful images".

While the 4K panel would make an already brilliant smartphone slightly sharper, it's Samsung's virtual reality ambitions that could be the main beneficiary of the rumoured advance.

Currently, the firm sells its Gear VR virtual reality headset alongside the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. It uses the smartphone's display to power its images, something which demands greater pixel density, as the stretching of the image, combined with it being screened so close to the eyes, means displays with lower pixel counts can become blurry. A 4K display could mark a large improvement.

Also tipped to be heading the S8's way is a dual camera – something hotly rumoured to be arriving on the iPhone 7 Plus later this year and already on the Huawei P9 and LG G5.

As Know Your Mobile points out, this would keep Samsung's smartphone in trend with its main rivals as dual cameras become more popular.

However, with the handset around nine months away, all the rumours should be taken with a grain of salt. As [4] PC Advisor points out, we will probably see the next Galaxy smartphone around the same launch window as always – just prior to the annual Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, so a date of 26 February 2017.