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Samsung Galaxy S8: What we know so far

Samsung Galaxy S8: What we know so far

The Galaxy S8 is expected to be released this spring, but leaked information suggests we will see an new design from Samsung.

Samsung is expected to announce its next flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S8, in April, but it looks like we won't have to wait that long to see the final product. Evan Blass from VentureBeat, who has a reputation for reporting legitimate smartphone leaks, published images last week showing the designs of the two forthcoming Samsung Galaxy S8 models.

Based on the images, it looks like past reports from The Guardian were correct: The new Galaxy S8 will be available in two sizes, featuring thin bezels allowing for more screen real-estate than the Galaxy Note 7 in a smaller form factor.

Two edge models

VentureBeat reports that Samsung will release two versions of the Galaxy S8 - a 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch model -- but both will feature the edge-design. Unlike past years, you won't have a choice between the edge display and a more traditional display. It also looks like Samsung ditched the physical home button on the S8, leaving more room for the oversized, infinity display.

Devices will feature the typical 4GB of RAM, but will now start with 64GB of storage, rather than 32GB; storage will be expandable up to 256GB with a microSD card. The charging port will be a USB-C port, but unlike Apple, Samsung has opted to keep the 3.5-millimeter headphone jack.

[ Related story: 5 of the most anticipated smartphones for 2017 ]

Updated performance

VentureBeat reports that some devices will feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, while others will feature the Samsung Exynos processor. Processors will vary by region, but all Galaxy S8 devices are expected to feature processors made using 10-nanometer fabrication methods.

According to VentureBeat, this is alleged to make the devices 11 percent faster than the Galaxy S7 with 23 percent faster graphics processing. Even with larger displays and a boost in performance, the Galaxy S8 is reported to be 20 percent more energy efficient than its predecessor.

If you're a fan of selfies, you'll also be happy to hear the leaks suggest the Galaxy S8 will feature an 8-megapixel front facing camera. That's a significant increase from the 5-megapixel front-facing camera on the Galaxy S7; the rear-facing camera will remain 12-megapixels. If the images are correct, the front-facing camera will also feature the same Iris scanning technology as the Galaxy Note 7 - which was another popular rumor.

[ Related story: 6 hybrid tablets we want to see in 2017 ]

New features

Even with the lack of a physical home button, there will still be a fingerprint scanner to unlock the device. It's been relocated to the back of the device, right next to the rear-facing camera.

The devices are also expected to include extra features like the "force touch" technology on the iPhone 7 as well as Samsung's virtual assistant, Bixby. VentureBeat also confirms The Guardian's report that Samsung will offer an HDMI equipped dock that will allow users to connect the Galaxy S8 to a desktop monitor, mouse and keyboard.

Samsung was originally expected to announce the Galaxy S8 devices at this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on February 26. Instead, the company is now expected to release a new tablet - possibly the Galaxy Tab S3 - at MWC, and will push the smartphone release into late April. Although, CNet reports that Samsung may, at the very least, show off images or tease product information about the rumored smartphones.

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