Something to Look Forward to: Samsung S8 Rumors

The launch of the new Galaxy S8 has been a much-awaited event since the recall of the S7. Samsung fanatics have been eagerly waiting how the mobile giant will outdo its last marvel. The S8 predecessor was the first to introduce an iris scanner. This made the S7 to be the groundbreaker in advanced biometric recognition. Speculations are that Samsung’s need to step up their game and gain back the trust of their following after the Note7 fiasco. This included two separate calls for a recall and a halt in production. The upcoming release is said to be the new flagship of Samsung with all the bells and whistles and a mishmash of other features. The usual specs will include a dual-edge display with a curved screen, as tipsters found out. This will be the only screen iterations next year. The S8 will come with Samsung’s usual waterproofing, and the manufacturers have increased the power efficiency to address the demands of the market.

Here are the three features that fans should look out for:

• 3D Touch

Sources say that Samsung will include a pressure –sensitive display with functionalities similar to Apple’s Force Touch. Back in 2014, Apple released a revolutionary way we interact with our mobile screens with Force Touch.  This enabled the Apple watch to gain more gestures as opposed to the regular ones we have grown accustomed to like swipe, tap, and pinch. This addition to the Samsung repertoire of features may prove to be a gamble since it already has a legal history with the feature’s innovator — Apple.

• 4K Screen

The pressure-sensitive display is meant to unlock additional functionalities of the smartphone. It may not be a first for Samsung, but its integration with the stunning 4k display and edgy, stylish design will be. Rumors say that this pairing will take the S8 to a whole new level and will be the first in its league as a 4k phone, with hints of the VR driving force for eye-candy goodness. There will be a 2K resolution of the 5.7 inches Super AMOLED curved EDGE screen, and 4K resolution on the 6.2 inch Super AMOLED curved EDGE. The screen will include a home button with fingerprint scanner along with the next-generation OLED technology.

• Audio Option

There was an uproar when Apple announced that the 3.5mm audio jack will now be part of history. The loss of the headphone jack caused hesitation with a lot of the Apple fans, but it seems like Apple is not the only one on this road. Rumors say that the S8 will not feature this audio connection option. Instead, it will include a USB Audio Class 3.0 which will bring a Type C connectivity for audio. The audio jack may not be a total loss as anticipated by the masses, should Samsung opt for the USB-C port which is widely available. This will create a path for Android to reliably exploit audio and open a lot of options to innovate the look and feel of the device.

• Viv!

To further bury the Note 7 disaster, Samsung has created a new assistant, which customers can expect as one of the most stand-out features. Viv! is the creation of the Siri’s original creators who are now working for Samsung. This venture was to help Samsung sever the dependence on Google services, and the company has set its sight on becoming a major competitor in the software and services including AI. Samsung has already started with Samsung Pay that directly competes with Google’s Pay solution, and SmartThings will soon follow suit.

The impending arrival of the Samsung S8 is very much awaited by Samsung fans as well as technical experts and analysts. The S7 was a great design, except for the problem with the exploding batteries. This puts a heavy burden on the S8 to top the S7, and improve on the battery situation. When you think about it, as long as you solve the battery situation, you should be on track to getting your customers back.

The above innovations and features may not all come to the S8. However, it seems that the above is the path which Samsung is about to take. They are the biggest manufacturer by volume of cell phones in the world. However, they are not the most profitable company in the cellphone industry. That distinction goes to Apple.

Samsung and Apple cannot avoid but be compared to one another. It is just too bad that Samsung creates some parts for Apple, and are privy to some of Apple’s innovations. Another difference between Apple and Samsung is that Samsung is dependent on the volume of sales to keep their standing in the community. On the other hand, Apple is happy to keep their 20% of the business happy and loyal to the brand name.

The two brands make great phones, with two of the best cellphone cameras. They may have different logic behind their cameras. However, it is accepted that other manufacturers would have a hard time trying to keep up with the camera technology.

The 3D Touch, Viv! and doing away with the audio jack are efforts to keep up with Apple. However, the 4K screen resolution is insane. The only reason Samsung would have for putting it in their cell phone is for their VR gears. This is where they will make a big splash. If they can create a critical mass of followers, Apple will have to respond in kind.

The S8 is the one product where Samsung is putting their reputation on the line. It looks like a winner, but only the consumers can say when it is time to buy.