The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus release date will happen in the first half of 2017 as rumored earlier with the unveiling likely to coincide with the Barcelona MWC 2017 in February, followed by the actual availability as early as April. Then Sammy fans can look forward to the Galaxy Note 8 unpacking later in the year.
The latest rumors from China indicate that Samsung is already testing two Android flagship smartphones codenamed G9500ZCU0APLF and G9550ZCU0APLF. According to WCCFTech, the first handset is likely the 5.5-inch Galaxy S8 that will replace the Galaxy S7 of last year. Supply chain murmurs have so far indicated that the device sports an all-screen profile with most of the physical controllers replaced by touch-sensitive keys.
And while the device will rock a slightly bigger display panel than its immediate predecessor, the overall build is likely to stay the same or even a tad smaller.
As for the GS8 with model number G9550ZCU0APLF, the same report indicated that it will debut as the supersized Galaxy S8 Plus that is speculated with screaming front display size of between 5.8-inch and 6-inch. And like the regular GS8, it will be a bezel-free handset that is housed in metal and glass.
The two GS8 models will run on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 SoC and Samsung's own Exynos 8895, both of which will make use of the 10-nanometer FinFET process for more power and speed plus better efficiency.
But it appears that even with the plan to make a phablet version of the Galaxy S8 in the S8 Plus, Samsung still intends to issue a sequel to the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7. The South Korean tech titan, according to a report by Business Korea, "the company will release the Note series this year again."
The move is in line with the perceived continued phablet market, which the report noted Samsung started six years ago.
In order to differentiate the Note 8 from the GS8, which Business Korea said will boast of 2K display resolution, the former will unbox sporting a 4K-ready front panel that is enhanced for virtual reality or VR functionalities. Likewise, the Galaxy Note 8 is an all-screen device that is encased in metal and glass housing. And as expected, the S-Pen stylus remains in the cards.
It will be the same Galaxy S8 main engine that will fire up the Galaxy Note 8 on release date, meaning the combo of SD 835/Exynos 8895, likely with minimum 6GB of RAM support, and Android Nougat will run Samsung's 2017 phablet flagship show.