Samsung has officially unveiled its latest flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus, along with the high-end specifications and powerful features of the devices.
The Galaxy S8 has a 5.8-inch AMOLED curved Infinity Display, while the Galaxy S8 Plus has a larger 6.2-inch screen. The smartphones will be powered by either Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 or Samsung's Exynos 8895, with 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of internal storage that is expandable up to 256 GB, and Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box.
However, one important specification that can easily be missed by most users is the fact that the Galaxy S8 supports Bluetooth 5.0, making it the first smartphone with such a feature.
Samsung Galaxy S8 Features Bluetooth 5.0 Support
Bluetooth 5.0, which made its debut in the middle of last year, is double the speed with four times the range of its predecessor, Bluetooth 4.2. With the next-generation wireless transmission standard, connections will be retained up to distances of 800 feet, or 240 meters.
The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus, however, are officially the first smartphones to provide support for the technology. While more devices supporting Bluetooth 5.0 will likely come out in the near future, the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus currently stand with this advantage over other smartphones in the market.
What Bluetooth 5.0 Offers To Users
In addition to the double data speed and quadrupled range, Bluetooth 5.0 also improves the audio quality of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus, resulting in better overall sound for playing music and receiving calls on the smartphones.
Bluetooth 5.0 also allows the Galaxy S8 to support two independent Bluetooth connections, named by Samsung as the Dual Audio feature. Through the feature, two Bluetooth headphones or speakers can be connected at the same time to the smartphone. Users will no longer have to share headphones when listening to the same content coming from the Galaxy S8, with each person allowed to control the volume of their Bluetooth headphones without having any effect on the other one. Two separate Bluetooth speakers can also be connected and placed in opposite ends of a room to help everyone hear the audio output clearer.
Will You Buy The Galaxy S8?
Bluetooth 5.0 support is far from a deciding factor on whether customers will purchase the Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8 Plus, but it is a great feature to have especially as Bluetooth technology is very prevalent in modern devices. It might not be perfect, but Bluetooth connections are found in a wide range of accessories that can be used with the smartphones.
Preorders for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus have already started, with shipments of preordered units to arrive on April 21. The price of the smartphones vary among retailers, but most have the Galaxy S8 for $750 and the Galaxy S8 Plus for $850. Verizon is the exception, with a $720 price tag for the Galaxy S8 and a $840 price tag for the Galaxy S8 Plus.
All carriers are offering a free Samsung Gear VR headset for preordered units along with various other promotions.
