Samsung is busy preparing the next Galaxy S flagship and for early 2017, this will be the Samsung Galaxy S8. The company is set to announce the device on Wednesday, March 29 at a privately-held Unpacked event in New York City. This will be the official follow up to the 2016 Samsung Galaxy S7 and disastrous Samsung Galaxy Note 7. Here’s what to expect.

Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge -> Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+

Last year Samsung released the Galaxy S7 family and Galaxy Note 7. For 2017, it is no surprise that the next generation Samsung flagship smartphone is going to be named the Galaxy S8. However, as with the last two generations of Galaxy S device, Samsung will be offering two models: the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Samsung Galaxy S8+. The most obvious difference between these two devices will be the display size, with the Galaxy S8 having a smaller screen compared with the Galaxy S8+.

Expect Two Variants: Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+

Both Galaxy S8 models are going to be noticeably larger than 2016’s Galaxy S7 devices. The standard Samsung Galaxy S8 could use a 5.8-inch display and the larger Galaxy S8+ will use a 6.2-inch display. Last year’s Samsung Galaxy S7 came with a 5.1-inch display and the Galaxy S7 Edge increased this to 5.5-inch screen. The reason for the increase in display size is at least partially because for 2016, Samsung’s larger Galaxy S7 Edge outsold the smaller Galaxy S7 handset. Samsung is increasing the size of their devices in order to appeal to more customers. Another reason could be that the failed Samsung Galaxy Note 7 launch in the summer of 2016 meant that Samsung has not sold a modern large-display smartphone for some considerable time, and the company is keen to rectify this. This is especially true as many customers with the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge were originally customers of the Galaxy Note 7. And lastly, the slimmed down bezels are expected to increase the screen-to-body ratio on the new models.

As for colors, Samsung is likely to offer a number depending on where in the world the device is being bought. Black, Gold, Silver, Blue, Orchid, Violet, and Pink are among the possibilities we’ve heard. It is possible that Samsung will release more colors over the months or restrict certain shades to certain markets, and open these up in due course.

Specs

Samsung is expected to base the Galaxy S8 family around two chipsets, depending on the region. Devices set for North America, Japan and China are expected to be based around the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 whereas devices sold into Europe and the rest of the Asian regions are expected to use the Samsung Exynos 8895 chipset. Leaked benchmark figures give the Exynos chipset a small performance advance, but both chipsets are at the very top of the system-on-chip tree and will offer customers the faster silicon currently available.

As well as including a flagship chipset, Samsung is not going to skimp out on the other features. Both models are expected to feature a Super AMOLED panel of 18:9 (or 2:1) aspect ratio, similar to the LG G6. This means that the display will be relatively taller and narrower than previous generation Samsung Galaxy S flagship devices. The latest rumors also point towards the screen resolution being an impressive 2,400 x 2,960 pixels. Most models will ship with 4GB of RAM apart from those sold into South Korea and China, which could see this increased to 6GB. These markets are especially sensitive to RAM statistics. We are expecting both devices to come with a minimum of 32GB of internal storage plus a microSD card slot for memory expansion. Around the back we’re expecting a single rear camera lens of 12MP resolution, which could include the ability to capture ultra slow-motion video at 1000fps. Around the front we might find an 8MP front-facing camera complete with an autofocus mechanism an iris scanning system, reputed to be 3.7MP in resolution.

Inside the chassis, Samsung will have put keen emphasis on battery safety to reassure customers that each handset is 100% safe after the Galaxy Note 7 debacle. We are expecting the smaller Galaxy S8 to use a 3,000mAh battery and the larger Galaxy S8+ to include a 3,500mAh capacity. Samsung is likely to include a number of rapid charging technologies.

Features

With this being a Samsung flagship device, the South Koreans are including all manner of sensors and features. We already know about the iris scanner, which was originally included on the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, so what else can we expect? Firstly, Samsung is now expected to keep the 3.5mm headphone socket after earlier rumors suggested it would be dropped. We’ll be able to recharge the device via the USB Type-C port. We could also see support for fast charging and perhaps wireless charging too, something Samsung included on previous generation Galaxy S flagships. Samsung should also continue to use IP68 environmental protection from water and dust ingress. And additionally, we are expecting the fingerprint scanner to be on the back of the device, but the front glass could include a pressure sensitive area.

Naturally, the device will include support for Samsung Pay and we are expecting Samsung to continue to offer the heart rate sensor, which it introduced with the Samsung Galaxy S5 back in 2015. The upcoming Galaxy S8 looks like it will include bottom-firing stereo speakers and high-definition onboard audio together with including Harman AKG headphones in the box. Another feature that Samsung is expected to include is that of a ‘PC mode’ when docked via the USB Type-C cable, although we are not certain what this entails. Among other rumors are a Smart Glow feature, Beast Mode feature and a brand-new Bixby voice assistant based on machine learning and AI. This could be Samsung’s rightful competitor to rival that of Google’s Assistant technology.

Samsung will be releasing the Galaxy S8 family running Android Nougat under the Grace UX interface.

Design

As we wrote above, Samsung’s new 18:9 aspect ratio display means that the front glass is going to be relatively narrower than older generations. Rather than awkwardly extend the Galaxy S8, Samsung could remove the front-mounted home key in exchange for three software keys (and relocate the fingerprint scanner onto the back). This combined with thin bezels around the AMOLED panel will increase the screen-to-body ratio covering the front of the device. In effect, this reduces the overall size of the device given the large screen sizes. Reduced camera bump and a rounded back would also be nice.

According to leaks, both sides of the display are curved and are constructed of glass and metal. Because Samsung might have moved the fingerprint sensor to the back of the device, the Galaxy S8 family will not have a symmetrical rear view.

Watch the official details unfold via live-stream on Wednesday, March 29th, when Samsung introduces the two phones to the world. Pre-orders are expected to go up in early April, followed by a global release starting on April 28th.

Watch the official announcement via live-stream here -> [Click here] Here’s our roundup of all we know thus far -> [Click here]

We’ll keep you updated on everything important right as it happens! For up to the minute updates, follow us across social media and keep it tuned to Droid Turf for extensive coverage of Samsung’s 2017 Unpacked event.

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