With the official Galaxy Note 7 battery review out of the way, everyone has been waiting for Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (OTCMKTS:SSNLF) to release the new Galaxy S8. Samsung still isn’t saying anything, but clues have been building that it will be later than normal. Now VentureBeat says it has the first photos of the elusive smartphone as well as an exact Galaxy S8 launch date.
Samsung’s well-publicized disaster with the Galaxy Note 7 had a big ripple effect on the Galaxy S8.
First, the company had to identify — without question — what had caused Galaxy Note 7 batteries to burst into flames. Then it had to pinpoint a fail-safe solution to the problem. After that, it had to hold an event where it publicly reviewed its findings and outlined the steps it had taken to ensure it never happens again. That event took place last week.
Galaxy S8 Launch Pushed Back by Battery Concerns
As part of the battery investigation, Samsung also had to take measures to ensure the Galaxy S8 would not have similar problems, and that would have involved delayed finalization of the battery and related components. And you can bet the company has taken testing of the battery on its new flagship smartphone to new levels.
As a result, it seemed likely the Galaxy S8 launch date would be pushed from it’s traditional Mobile World Congress unveiling in February. Samsung confirmed this during last week’s event.
The Guardian, citing anonymous sources close to Samsung, pointed to a late March release date. Yesterday, VentureBeat’s Evan Blass claimed to have specifics, saying the Galaxy S8 launch will take place at a Samsung Unpacked event in New York City on March 29.
Galaxy S8 Details
The VentureBeat report also includes many technical details about SSNLF’s new flagship handset(s), including photos.
As has been speculated, it appears that this year both Galaxy S8 smartphones will feature a curved “Edge” Super AMOLED display, but both will also lose the Home button so nearly the entire front is display — the camera remains at top. As a result, even though the overall dimensions stay roughly the same, both new smartphones will have larger displays than the Galaxy Note 7: 5.8-inches and 6.2-inches.
The fingerprint sensor has been moved to the back, and high tech biometrics are supplemented by an iris scanner. The charge port is the new USB-C standard, base storage moves to 64GB (with SD card expansion still offered) and unlike Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Samsung will reportedly keep the headphone jack.
By connecting to an optional dock, the Galaxy S8 will be able to be used as an Android computer. And it will feature Bixby, the advanced AI personal assistant Samsung gained when it purchased Viv in October.
Interestingly, VentureBeat says the price of both models — which it says will go on sale April 21 — will be €100 (roughly $100) more than last year’s models.
The Importance of the Galaxy S8 Launch
It can’t be understated how critical this release is to SSNLF. After recalling 3 million Galaxy Note 7s’, its reputation took a serious blow. Apple will be pulling out all the stops with the iPhone 8 later this year, as it celebrates the iPhone’s 10th anniversary and mounts a major campaign to convince upgraders. Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG, NASDAQ:GOOGL) released its first Google-branded smartphone in the Pixel Phone at the height of the Galaxy Note 7 debacle, and a follow-up is expected this year.
Both rivals will be gunning to boost sales at Samsung’s expense.
In the last quarterly sales report (from the end of October), Samsung’s smartphone sales marketshare had dropped 13.5% compared to the previous year. The next quarter’s numbers could be even worse. If the Galaxy S8 launch flops, Samsung’s time at the top of the smartphone sales charts would likely be over.
As of this writing, Brad Moon did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
