Last week, Samsung announced to launch the company flagship Galaxy S8 series in New Delhi on April 19. Now, Flipkart has teased the Galaxy S7 successor on its official website hinting, the device might be exclusive to its e-commerce site.
Flipkart has opened dedicated Samsung Galaxy S8 and the S8+ page on its website with the launch date details and key features, leading many to believe that the phone's pre-order service might go live on Wednesday in India and delivery of the device later this weekend.
Samsung during the Galaxy S8 series launch on March 29 had confirmed to release the phone in major international markets on April 21. So, one can also expect the device to hit brick-and-mortar stores and online shops at the same time.
How much will Samsung Galaxy S8 series cost in India?
Samsung Galaxy S8 series expected cost around Rs. 50,000 , as the US-bound models' prices start at $720 (approx. €669/Rs. 46,706).
If the Galaxy S8 is manufactured in Samsung India's local assembling plant, then the price of the devices will be on par with international pricing structure, as the company need not have to pay import taxes.
For those unaware, Samsung's Galaxy S8 comes in two variants—one, 5.8-inch Galaxy S8 and a bigger 6.2-inch Galaxy S8+ (or Plus). It comes with an all new design language boasting super AMOLED-based Infinity display, a bezel-less, full-frontal, edge-to-edge screen having WQHD+ (2960x1440p) resolution. With extended display, Samsung has incorporated virtual home button right on the screen.
Like its predecessor, the new Galaxy S8 series also comes with IP68 water-and-dust certifications meaning, it can survive five feet underwater for close to 30 minutes. Device owners can take it for a dip in the swimming pool and also capture photos and take calls, as well.
Most notable aspect of the Galaxy S8 series is the Bixby digital assistant. It is capable to support almost every task that the application is capable of performing using the conventional touch gesture command. However, Samsung has confirmed that the Bixby will have limited features such as Vision, Home, and Reminder, at the launch. But, the most important Bixby Voice feature will only be made available in coming months.
In the front display panel, the company has incorporated an 8MP snapper with f/1.7 aperture, wide FoV (Field of View) lens, an Iris scanner with face recognition technology.
Also read: Samsung Galaxy S8 vs Galaxy S7: Is it worth the upgrade?
On the rear, Galaxy S8 series houses 12MP dual-pixel camera with f/1.7 aperture at the top center, a LED flash to the left side, fingerprint scanner to the right and a heart-rate sensor below.
It is powered by a 10nanometer class octa-core processor coupled with Android Nougat OS. Depending on the region of sale Samsung Galaxy S8 will come in two sub-variants based on CPUs. The new phones heading to the US, China and select developed markets will have Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 octa-core System-on-Chip (SoC). Whereas, the ones sold in Europe, India and rest of the regions, they will have Samsung's own Exynos 9985 series processor.
The new Galaxy S8 also boasts Samsung DeX feature. Users, with the help of the display dock, can convert the phone into a mini-computer via DeX. It will offer new adaptive user experience on a big screen with optimised look and behaviour of apps as per usage preferences of the customer to provide a PC-like experience.
Watch this space for latest news on Samsung Galaxy S8 series.
Key specifications of the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+:
| Model | Samsung Galaxy S8 | Samsung Galaxy S8+ |
| Display | 5.8-inch WQHD+ (2960x1440p) super AMOLED-based infinity display (a bezel-less, full-frontal, edge-to-edge screen)
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6.2-inch WQHD+ (2960x1440p) super AMOLED-based infinity display (a bezel-less, full-frontal, edge-to-edge screen)
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| OS | Android 7.1 Nougat with Samsung Bixby digital assistant | Android 7.1 Nougat with Samsung Bixby digital assistant |
| Processor |
|
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| RAM | 4GB LPDDR4 | 4GB LPDDR4 |
| Storage | 64GB (UFS v2.1) | 64GB (UFS v2.1) |
| Camera |
|
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| Battery | 3,000mAh with fast and wireless charging ability | 3,500mAh with fast and wireless charging ability |
| Network | 4G-LTE | 4G-LTE |
| Add-ons | Iris scanner with Face recognition technology, fingerprint sensor, Single/Dual-SIM (based on region of sale), Bluetooth 4.2 (with apt-X & LE), Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n/ac; dual-band: 2.4GHz & 5GHz), VHT80 MU-MIMO, NFC (Near Field Communication), heart rate sensor, Type C USB port, MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) technology. | Iris scanner with Face recognition technology, fingerprint sensor, Single/Dual-SIM (based on region of sale), Bluetooth 4.2 (with apt-X & LE), Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n/ac; dual-band: 2.4GHz & 5GHz), VHT80 MU-MIMO, NFC (Near Field Communication), heart rate sensor, Type C USB port, MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) technology. |
| Glass-based cases (colours) | Midnight Black, Orchid Blue, Maple Gold, Orchid Gray, and Arctic Silver | Midnight Black, Orchid Blue, Maple Gold, Orchid Gray, and Arctic Silver |
| Dimensions | 148.9 x 68.1 x 8.0mm | 159.5 x 73.4 x 8.1mm |
| Weight | 155g | 173g |
| Price [in US] | $720 (approx. €669/Rs. 46,706) | $840( roughly €781/Rs.54,499) |
