A considerable amount of news has surfaced about the Samsung Galaxy S8 in recent days, including a new release date rumor, sales expectations and several leaks. If accurate, the 2017 flagship could be off to an impressive start in rebuilding Samsung’s brand.
Reports from the Investor suggest Samsung may be aiming for a 60 million unit shipment target for the Galaxy S8. The Galaxy S line is Samsung’s top flagship and is always expected to have a high sales volume. The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge sold about 48 million handsets in 2016, making projections for the Galaxy S8 somewhat high. However, rumors circulating for the Galaxy S8 have raised expectations for its popularity on the market.
Some of the first Galaxy S8 leaks have also surfaced and showcase the possible new device with no home button, as per longstanding rumors. Images of a handset with Samsung branding recently appeared on Weibo. The unit closely resembles a Galaxy S7 Edge without its home button, and looks more like a complete prototype as opposed to the kinds of dummy phones often showcased in leaks. However, Gordon Kelly of Forbes noted that it is easy for graphic designers to tweak images of old Samsung devices and pass them off as a leaked model of an unreleased device.
Samsung is expected to release the Galaxy S8 with no home button to minimize the bezel on the device. Additionally, Samsung may be looking to compete with Apple’s iPhone 8, which is also expected to have no bezel. However, the rumors have not been confirmed for either device.
This could be our first look at the Samsung Galaxy S8 - No buttons - #GalaxyS8 #Leak https://t.co/tYO3iqWbSD pic.twitter.com/EETpNdk3Ic
— PhoneBunch (@phonebunch) January 5, 2017
Another leak showcased the long-rumored Bixby voice activated personal assistant within Samsung software. According to the leak, Bixby may also be associated with a stripped down, voice activated version of Samsung Pay. Overall, Bixby is expected to be Samsung’s version of Siri.
Samsung accidentally lifts the lid on new virtual assistant Bixby ahead of launch https://t.co/NNNfEmRtxA pic.twitter.com/5JHCOWMaNR
— TNW (@thenextweb) January 10, 2017
Among many reports are claims that the Galaxy S8 likely won’t be announced at Mobile World Congress in February. Early rumors suggested Samsung may host a standalone launch event for the device in New York City in April and new reports suggest the the launch may happen April 18. At this time it remains uncertain whether this date is that of an unveiling event or of its the actual market release date for the Galaxy S8. Samsung has declined to confirm details about the device’s launch, according to The Investor.
The publication claims Samsung will begin mass production of the Galaxy S8 in March, which makes sense for an April release. The Galaxy S7 went into mass production in February, ahead of its March 10 market release.
