Samsung Galaxy S8

Samsung Galaxy S8: release date And Specifications

Update: Is the S8 going to have a curved edge only? Comments by Samsung executives seem to point towards 'yes', while sources claim the company has already started ordering curved panels in two sizes.

A VR-ready 4K screen is also looking ever more likely, while an Nvidia-powered processor, a dual-lens camera, an upgraded selfie snapper, an iris scanner and 'Smart Glow' features are other possible inclusions for the Samsung Galaxy S8.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 was almost everything we hoped for, with improvements throughout leading it to be one of the most powerful, stylish and all round accomplished smartphones on the market.

But there's still room for improvement and it's low on innovation, so we have a wish list for what we want to see from the Samsung Galaxy S8. We'd also love to hear what you think, so let us know in the comments below and we'll furiously email them to Samsung.

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The phone won't be launching for a long time yet, but that just means Samsung should have time to implement some of our suggestions. Here's hoping it listens.

We're also collecting all the rumors and news about the phone, along with our own educated guesses, so read on for all the latest on Samsung's upcoming flagship.

• What we hope to see on the Samsung Galaxy S8 Edge and Galaxy Note 6

Cut to the chase

• What is it? Samsung's next flagship smartphone
• When is it out? Early 2017
• What will it cost? It's going to be expensive

Samsung Galaxy S8 release date

It's too early to get too specific about release dates, but the Samsung Galaxy S8 is certain to launch in early 2017, since the beginning of the year is typically when Samsung rolls out its new flagships.

The last couple of years the brand has shown off the phone the day before Mobile World Congress starts, with MWC 2017 set to kick off on 27 February... meaning a Galaxy S8 release date of February 26.

In terms of when you'll be able to fondle it for the first time, expect a two week wait - so March 13 is our best guess there.

• We got bored of waiting for that so we spent some time creating our own video render - here's how it should look:

Samsung Galaxy S8 news and rumors

The trickle of information on the Samsung Galaxy S8 is slowly growing into a stream, but we're still waiting for strong rumors on what actual components and design we might see - but we're able to take a very good guess.

We've divided our thoughts up into sections below, but likely highlights include a 4K screen, a Snapdragon 830 processor, 6GB of RAM and a massively improved camera.

There's even a chance that the Samsung Galaxy S8 will have an iris scanner or a foldable screen, though the latter is somewhat less likely.

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Samsung Galaxy S8 screen

Industry sources have reported Samsung may make two versions of the Galaxy S8 next year, but both will come with curved screens.

SamMobile is reporting the models are codenamed Dream and Dream 2. One with a 5.1-inch screen and another with a 5.5-inch display.

Samsung is making a big push into VR with its Gear VR headset and one thing it really needs to make the most of that is sharp screens on its phones.

QHD, as we have on the Samsung Galaxy S7, is more than sharp enough for using it as a phone but it's not quite up to scratch for VR, so it's likely Samsung will push the resolution up for the Samsung Galaxy S8, perhaps as high as 4K.

Even without the lure of VR a sharper screen wouldn't be surprising, as a couple of generations of Galaxy devices have now had QHD ones, so Samsung is likely to want to push the resolution up further for the Galaxy S8 - and show it's MUCH more sharp than the 720p iPhone 7.

In fact, the company has already shown off a 5.5-inch 2160 x 3840 screen, which comes in at a pin sharp 806 pixels per inch. There's no guarantee the Samsung Galaxy S8 will get this screen, but it's clearly been designed for premium mobile devices and phones don't get much more premium than the S8.

Not only has Samsung developed such a screen, but according to Chinese sources speaking to WCCF Tech, the company specifically plans to equip the Galaxy S8 with a UHD display. They don't specify who the source is though, so take this with a pinch of salt.

Samsung is also putting a lot of work into curved screens, and a recent commentfrom Samsung Mobile President Dong-jin Koh claimed: "Samsung has considered that it would make the edge display the identity of the Galaxy S smartphone lineup."

So that sound like we might not actually get the Samsung Galaxy S8 Edge at all, and the Galaxy S8 will be a single curved variant only.

More recently we've heard rumors that Samsung has started sourcing curved display panels, but that it will be making curved versions in both 5.1-inch and 5.5-inch sizes. Apparently whether or not there's also a flat screen model will come down to how many curved screens Samsung can source in time.

But the company might even go one further and give us a foldable phone, especially as prototypes and patents for such a device already exist. In fact, it's rumored that Samsung will launch a folding phone in 2017, but it's unlikely to risk attaching the untested tech to its flagship - unless that's what the new S8 Edge becomes.

The screen size could also change. While Samsung won't want to encroach on its Galaxy Note phablet range the 5.1-inch Galaxy S7 is one of the smaller flagships around right now and significantly smaller than even the 5.5-inch Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge which launched alongside it.

Given that it recently showed off a 5.5-inch 4K display that could be the size the S8 comes in.

There's also the Always On Display (AOD), a feature that debuted with the Galaxy Note 7. This feature has been hugely improved on the new Note, with more pictures added to the mix and a richer display hanging about on the phone when it's turned off.

Future updates to the AOD mean that it should become even richer for the Galaxy S8, with third parties able to add their own widgets to the screen.

Samsung recently added a music player onto this area, so it's highly likely third parties like Spotify will be able to do the same thing by February next year. Also, if you look at what's been offered on the Galaxy Note 7, with the icons pictured above, you'll realize there's more to come from the AOD from Samsung.

Samsung Galaxy S8 design

Samsung is on to something with the design of the Galaxy S6 and now the Galaxy S7. Its melding of metal and glass has led to one of the most attractive handsets around, so we don't expect huge changes there.

On the other hand, people like to see changes, so at the very least the design will probably be refined. Samsung slightly curved the back edge of the Galaxy S7, so perhaps it will make the Galaxy S8 even more curved, so it sits even more comfortably in the hand, like the HTC One M9. Or maybe it will focus on making the phone thinner.

And a completely new design is always possible, but if it does have one it could take almost any form. Well, any form that's basically a rectangle anyway.

Samsung Galaxy S8 camera and battery

Samsung is said to be working on a new camera, which will be between 18 and 24MP and have a wide f/1.4 aperture, where the Samsung Galaxy S7 has a narrower f/1.7 one.

That extra width could allow more light in and the jump in megapixel count could allow for more detailed images, though while Samsung is apparently working on this camera it hasn't been specifically linked to the Galaxy S8 yet.

Another rumor, this time from Chinese sources speaking to WCCF Tech, points to a dual-lens camera. It's not clear what role the second lens would play, but the sources claim it's being built by Samsung Motors (Semco).

That rumor has popped up again, with a Weibo poster claiming that one lens will be 12MP, while the other is 13MP and that lens-crafting duties will be split between Samsung and Sony.

It's too early to say how accurate these rumors are, but with the Huawei P9, LG G5and possibly the iPhone 7 Plus packing dual cameras it's seemingly the latest trend, so wouldn't be surprising.

The front facing camera could also be in for a change, with the same Weibo source claiming that the Galaxy S8 will have an 8MP camera on the front, up from 5MP on the Galaxy S7.

Samsung has also built a 'Smart Glow' feature, which takes the form of a ring of LEDs around the rear camera, which can flash in different colors for different types of notifications and even light up when they detect your face, so you can more easily take a selfie with the main camera.

So far the feature is only available on the Samsung Galaxy J2, but there's a chance Samsung will use it in the Galaxy S8 as well.

There's no word on what size battery the Samsung Galaxy S8 will have, but hopefully the company won't reverse the good work it's done on the S7, which has better life than the S6 before it.

The Galaxy S7 has a 3000mAh juice pack and with any luck the battery in the S8 will be even larger, or at least more efficient. It might need to be if Samsung pushes the screen resolution up.

Samsung Galaxy S8 OS and power

The Snapdragon 830 isn't official yet, but it has been rumored and is the likely name for the next major flagship smartphone chip from Qualcomm. It's likely to be faster, smaller and more efficient than the Snapdragon 820 - or at least those are all areas Qualcomm will probably try and improve.

That said, Samsung also makes its own Exynos chips and with the Galaxy S7 some regions got those and others got the Snapdragon 820, so the same is likely to happen with the Galaxy S8, but whatever chip it comes with you can be sure it will be cutting edge, as the company usually puts the best tech in its flagships.

In fact, we've now heard rumors from SamMobile that not only is Samsung working on new mobile processors, but that it's in talks with both Nvidia and AMD to build the GPUs (in place of ARM, which currently builds them).

With Nvidia behind some of the most powerful processors around and AMD's architecture at the heart of the PS4 Pro, a move to either of these companies could give flagship Exynos chips a performance boost.

That extra power will really come in handy if Samsung plans to put a 4K screen on the Galaxy S8 or use it for high-end VR content - our betting is that both Samsung's and Qualcomm's chips will be heavily focused around making VR the best experience it can possibly be, which will be a boon for Gear VR wearers.

If we take the Galaxy Note 7 as an example, we'll certainly be seeing 4GB of RAM in there - although whether or not the 6GB variant lands in China could influence whether the Samsung Galaxy S8 will have mega amounts of RAM too.

Samsung Galaxy S8 other features

We could also see an iris scanner on the phone, as the company has stuck one on the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 and the feature has since been rumored for the Galaxy S8, but its inclusion isn't guaranteed, as it doesn't really add a lot beyond a 'hyper' level of security that some people would need on the Note 7, given it's part enterprise device.

That 'Smart Glow' feature has popped up again, with additional functions such as heart rate readings and lighting up in different colors to represent different weather conditions apparently likely to be added to later versions of it.

Other than those features, a reversible USB Type-C connector is likely now it's appeared in the Galaxy Note 7, and Samsung is likely to continue offering the features its flagships are known for, like a fingerprint scanner, an always-on screen (with enhancements), a microSD card slot and a waterproof body.