The Samsung Galaxy S8 is reportedly in for a major design change with an all-screen, nearly bezel-free display, but no dual rear camera setup, Bloomberg reports.
One of the most hotly anticipated smartphones of 2017 is the Galaxy S8, partly because Samsung needs to come up with something big to recover from this year's Galaxy Note 7 fiasco. At the same time, the Galaxy S8 will not only have to counter the iPhone, but will also have some serious competition on the Android side of things as the Google Pixel rapidly gaining ground.
The company's solution to these woes seems to once again push the boundaries in terms of design. It did it with its first Galaxy Note a few years ago, considered insanely huge at the time, and it will apparently do it again with a futuristic design for the Galaxy S8.
All-Screen Design, Bezel-Free
According to Bloomberg, the next-generation Samsung Galaxy S8 will have an all-screen front and will ditch the physical home button, opting instead for a virtual home button "buried in the glass in the lower section."
Bloomberg cites unnamed sources with "direct knowledge of the matter" and says the new Galaxy S8 smartphones will feature only wraparound OLED displays.
Samsung Galaxy S8 Delay
Samsung was recently sued over FinFET technology patent infringement, which prompted rumors that the Galaxy S8 might see a delayed release.
Bloomberg now mentions that the Galaxy S8 might indeed hit the market later than originally planned, but the delay would be tied to a more rigorous testing process. After the whole Galaxy Note 7 mess with two recalls over exploding batteries, it would make sense for Samsung to place safety first.
"While Samsung is targeting a March release of the S8, that could be delayed until April," Bloomberg reports, citing its sources. "Samsung is adopting tougher testing procedures in the wake of the Note 7 debacle that could push back the launch by about a month, one of the people said."
Samsung Galaxy S8 Rumored Specs
Aside from the all-screen, bezel-free display and the purported virtual home button, the Samsung Galaxy S8 is also expected to come with a smart virtual assistant powered by artificial intelligence, with both male and female voices called Bixby and Kestra, respectively.
The galaxy S8 will pack the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor in some markets, while other markets will get an in-house Samsung Exynos processor. Recent rumors also pointed at a version with 6 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage, superior audio with Harman stereo speakers, and other high-end specs.
However, Bloomberg echoes previous reports that Samsung might ditch plans for a dual camera setup because it would amount to higher manufacturing costs.
Lastly, recent rumors also suggested that Samsung will launch the Galaxy S8 with no headphone jack, which would mimic Apple's move to drop the headphone jack from the iPhone 7.
Samsung has yet to confirm any of the purported specs, so it all remains in the rumor state at this point. As always in such cases, take all leaks and reports with a grain of salt. For now, Samsung fans can get the current Galaxy S7 flagship smartphone.
