Being a fan of Samsung over the last few years has been a bit like being the loving owner of a misbehaved dog. It’s not that their products are known to bite, but instead they may spontaneously combust, on a plane, in your pocket, or just about anywhere. Well, Samsung is trying to ditch its shaky public image with a new phone, one that Samsung promises won’t explode. Last month at the annual Mobile World Conference, the company unveiled its latest editions to the Galaxy family, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the S8+.
These two new models feature edge-to-edge displays (5.8″ and 6.2″) and have ditched the physical home button. By getting rid of the traditional hardware button, it uses software buttons like other Android phones. It also uses some haptic feedback, to create a virtual feeling of pressing a button.
The resolution is a bit of a bump up from the S7 at 2,960 x 1,440, a result of the company’s change in aspect ratio. The display curves around the left and right edges, something that Samsung is calling the “infinity display”, giving the appearance that the device has no bezels. The USB-C port and the 3.5mm headphone jack are located on the bottom of the phone. The power and volume buttons are on opposite sides of the screen.
The S8 uses the same camera as the Galaxy S7, a 12 megapixel sensor with OIS. While the hardware here hasn’t changed, Samsung says that improvements have been made on the software side to improve picture quality. The front facing camera, however, has received an upgrade featuring a 8 megapixel sensor with autofocus.
The most notable update to the Galaxy is the addition of Samsung’s new personal assistant, Bixby. The assistant is such an integral component to the device, that it actually has its own dedicated button. A quick press of the button takes you to Bixby Home, while a longer press activates Bixby’s voice features. You can access Bixby’s augmented reality features by pressing a button located in the camera application.
The S8 and S8+ are available for pre-order starting tomorrow, March 30th and are available on April 21st. While the price is usually up to carriers, early speculation has it floating around $720.
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