Home
Mobiles
Mobiles News
Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ Launch Highlights

Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ Launch Highlights

By Pranay Parab | Updated: 30 March 2017 13:39 IST

Will Galaxy S8 Be the Smash Hit Samsung Needs?

2017-03-30T09:16:59+0530

Samsung Galaxy S8 vs iPhone 7 Plus vs OnePlus 3T vs LG G6

2017-03-29T23:06:20+0530

Samsung Galaxy S8 Launch: DeX Mobile-to-PC Transition Tool Unveiled

2017-03-29T23:05:52+0530

Samsung Galaxy S8 Launch: Gear 360 Spherical VR Camera Gets a Refresh

2017-03-29T23:05:29+0530

Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ With Bixby Virtual Assistant, Infinity Display Launched

2017-03-29T21:46:37+0530

Stay tuned to Gadgets360.com for detailed coverage of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+, along with all the other announcements Samsung made at this event.

2017-03-29T21:35:01+0530

A video concludes the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ launch.

2017-03-29T21:31:48+0530

It appears as if Koh's wrapping up the presentation.

2017-03-29T21:31:22+0530

DJ Koh is back on stage.

2017-03-29T21:30:01+0530

Samsung DeX uses a keyboard and mouse which makes it work just like desktop and laptop computers do, based on what we saw during the demo.

2017-03-29T21:28:57+0530

The interface on the DeX looks like it's well-optimised for desktop use. Motorola tried something similar with the Atrix smartphone a few years ago, but Samsung's effort is obviously likely to benefit from all the additional processing power that the S8 has.

2017-03-29T21:28:07+0530

It's like a simple dock connected to a monitor. In the demo it appeared easy to plug in the S8 to the DeX.

2017-03-29T21:27:08+0530

It's called the Samsung DeX.

2017-03-29T21:26:08+0530

De Silva is talking about another accessory that bridges the gap between the desktop and mobile.

2017-03-29T21:25:50+0530

The new Gear 360 will soon launch across the world. No information on price yet.

2017-03-29T21:25:09+0530

Pretty much everyone in the audience is now recording a video using their Gear 360s at the venue.

2017-03-29T21:24:00+0530

The company's giving Gear 360s to everyone in the audience. Don't you wish you were there to try out this new gadget?

2017-03-29T21:22:40+0530

They started a live video broadcast on Facebook via a Samsung employee who's standing outside the venue.

2017-03-29T21:21:21+0530

The new Gear 360 has an enhanced grip that fits in your hand and the camera shoots in 4K as well. It also supports live broadcasting on Facebook, YouTube, and Samsung VR.

2017-03-29T21:20:27+0530

On to the next accessory - De Silva is talking about the Gear 360, a 360-degree camera.

2017-03-29T21:19:45+0530

She's talking about VR partnerships from films to games.

2017-03-29T21:18:21+0530

She's talking about the virtual reality experience with the Galaxy S8. The Gear VR headset now has a motion sensing Bluetooth remote.

2017-03-29T21:17:19+0530

Suzanne De Silva, Samsung's Director of Product Strategy is now on stage.

2017-03-29T21:15:59+0530

Every Galaxy S8 will ship with top of the line earbuds from AKG that cost $99 when purchased separately.

2017-03-29T21:15:09+0530

Galaxy S8 and S8+ will be available starting April 21.

2017-03-29T21:14:38+0530

Thodla is now talking about Samsung Connect Home - a premium router and IoT hub.

2017-03-29T21:12:56+0530

You can even ask Bixby to remind you about something when you reach home. It checks your location and reminds you when you reach home. The service works with certain third-party services such as Google Play Music.

2017-03-29T21:11:25+0530

Naturally, Bixby is integrated deeply with the operating system and learns from your usage of the phone. If you take an Uber every morning, it places that card at the top.

2017-03-29T21:10:01+0530

If you see something you want to buy, just point your camera at it and Bixby will find the listing via one of Samsung's partners.

2017-03-29T21:09:06+0530

Bixby is context aware and can understand commands such as, Capture this and send to Cindy. This command will send a screenshot to the person mentioned.

2017-03-29T21:07:31+0530

The voice assistant is called Bixby.

2017-03-29T21:06:03+0530

They're talking about the voice assistant tech in the new smartphones.

2017-03-29T21:05:29+0530

Sriram Thodla, Samsung's director of services and business is on stage.

2017-03-29T21:04:34+0530

Galaxy S8 and S8+ will ship with a password manager app called Samsung Pass. Soon you'll be able to use the app with services beyond finance, Samsung says.

2017-03-29T21:02:45+0530

Samsung claims face recognition unlocks the phone instantly.

2017-03-29T21:00:08+0530

The phone has a fingerprint scanner, an iris scanner, and even facial recognition. You can use any of these technologies to unlock your Samsung Galaxy S8 or S8+, instead of using a complex password or pattern.

2017-03-29T20:59:45+0530

Samsung says it's gone beyond the industry standard with an 8-point battery test to make the phone as safe as possible.

2017-03-29T20:58:31+0530

These smartphones support wireless charging as well.

2017-03-29T20:57:55+0530

There's a new 10nm processor for these smartphones, which Samsung says it has created to pack more processing power in the same space. A chart says the processor is 10% faster than the one in S7 and the GPU is 21% faster.

2017-03-29T20:57:27+0530

The Galaxy S8 and S8+ are water- and dust-resistant, like their predecessors.

2017-03-29T20:56:38+0530

The smartphone's front camera has a smart autofocus that helps you click better selfie, Samsung says.

2017-03-29T20:56:14+0530

Now on to talk about the Galaxy S8's camera.

2017-03-29T20:54:38+0530

The S8 is available in five colours.

2017-03-29T20:54:22+0530

The S8 has an invisible home button beneath the display.

2017-03-29T20:53:41+0530

There's a new Clearview standing case to prop up the phone for watching videos.

2017-03-29T20:53:19+0530

The display has earned a Mobile HDR Premium certification from the UHD Alliance. The display supports HDR video content.

2017-03-29T20:52:43+0530

They're talking about the advantages of the screen - less scrolling, more space for videos, etc.

2017-03-29T20:52:06+0530

We made each individual component of the phone smaller to make room for the Infinity Display, the company says.

2017-03-29T20:51:19+0530

S8 has a 5.8 display while the S8+ is 6.2 inches

2017-03-29T20:50:23+0530

The first big feature of the phone is called the Infinity Display - an edge to edge screen with no bezel except a small bezel at the top and bottom

2017-03-29T20:49:35+0530

They're emphasising about the fact that smartphone displays haven't really changed much over the years.

2017-03-29T20:48:34+0530

But first, a brief recap about the evolution of the smartphone.

2017-03-29T20:48:04+0530

Samsung is now talking about the smartphones.

2017-03-29T20:47:24+0530

This is a departure from last year when they called the phones S7 and S7 Edge. S8+ sounds a bit like Apple's naming scheme for the iPhone 7 Plus, doesn't it?

2017-03-29T20:46:48+0530

Samsung is launching two new smartphones at this event - Galaxy S8 and S8+.

2017-03-29T20:46:04+0530

Unbox your phone seems to be the marketing tagline for this smartphone.

2017-03-29T20:45:33+0530

Koh's gone off stage and a promotional video for the phone begins.

2017-03-29T20:44:52+0530

This is the part of the event where there's a lot of marketing talk. We'll soon be hearing more about the phone itself.

2017-03-29T20:43:57+0530

Koh is now bigging up Samsung's partnership with Google, which is a departure from some of the company's events in previous years.

2017-03-29T20:42:54+0530

He just named the company's voice assistant tech, which is named Bixby.

2017-03-29T20:41:17+0530

Koh says the company's new flagship will feature fingerprint, iris, and facial recognition technologies.

2017-03-29T20:40:24+0530

Koh says Samsung's commitment is to quality, safety, and craftsmanship. This is presumably the company's way to reassure people that the Note 7 fiasco was an exception.

2017-03-29T20:38:42+0530

What seems exceptional today, will become essential tomorrow, he says.

2017-03-29T20:36:56+0530

DJ Koh is now recounting the history of mobile phones, highlighting how the smartphone industry has been pushing boundaries constantly.

2017-03-29T20:36:13+0530

The video's over now and Samsung's President of Mobile Communications business DJ Koh is on stage.

2017-03-29T20:34:04+0530

One generation's impossible is the next one's normal, says the on-screen text in the video.

2017-03-29T20:33:27+0530

This video shows a bunch of people using the phone, while The Beatles' song Across the Universe plays in the background.

2017-03-29T20:32:35+0530

Samsung's Galaxy unpacked 2017 event has begun with a video about the phone.

2017-03-29T20:31:19+0530

The event is about to begin soon.

2017-03-29T20:29:51+0530

The event begins at 8.30 pm IST, so stay tuned for live updates.

2017-03-29T20:16:06+0530

Galaxy S8 is Samsung's flagship smartphone and this is a big launch for the company especially because the Note 7 was recalled globally.

2017-03-29T20:15:43+0530

Hello and welcome to Gadgets 360's live blog of the Samsung Galaxy S8 launch, which will begin soon in New York.

2017-03-29T20:12:45+0530

Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ have finally been launched, ending months of wait for the fans and the industry in general. While the key Galaxy S8 specifications have been made official, details such as price were not announced at the event.

As for specifications, the all-new Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ smartphones feature 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch bezel-less 'Infinity Display'; the two smartphones have curved screen design, Gorilla Glass 5, 2960x1440 pixel resolution, and 18.5:9 aspect ratio. With the pressure-sensitive panel, the Home button is now placed under the Infinity Display and can be accessed by long-pressing.

Both Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ have 4GB of RAM, Android 7.0 Nougat operating system, 12-megapixel dual-pixel rear camera, 8-megapixel front camera, and IP68 certification for water- and dust-resistance. The bigger model will reportedly have a 3500mAh battery, while its smaller sibling will be powered by a 3000mAh battery. Under the hood is the Snapdragon 835 octa-core chipset made on the 10nm process, and storage can be expanded up to 256GB via microSD cards. Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are the first phones with Bluetooth 5.0 and Gigabit LTE speeds.

Of course, Samsung has long been building hype around its next flagship smartphones as well, promising a sleek design and improved camera, and confirming the Bixby AI-based virtual assistant ahead of the Galaxy S8 launch event.

At the event, Samsung also launched Galaxy S8 accessories, such as DeX mobile-to-PC dock, and the new Gear 360 spherical camera. The company announced that the new Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ will come with free Gear VR headset with Touch Controller (worth $129 or roughly Rs. 8,300), and Harman AKG earbuds (priced at $99 or approximately Rs. 6,400).

Stay with us for our Samsung Galaxy S8 launch live blog to get every update about Samsung's next flagship smartphones.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.