Galaxy S8 Release Date, News, and Update: Samsung to Scrap Home Button on S8

The failure of Galaxy Note 7 is such a loss for the Korean tech giant that it would take a long time before the company can fully recover from the blow. Now, Samsung is betting on its Galaxy S8 to reverse things for them.

The Upcoming Galaxy S8

Samsung is hard at work in developing the Galaxy S8. According to the latest information, the phone could be launched on April 2017. This is contrary to initial reports which stated that the phone would be launched at the MWC 2017, which is scheduled from February 27 to March 2, 2017. The delay could be a sign that Samsung is not taking any chances this time and that they want their latest smartphone to be the best model that they can come up with.

Samsung is supposed to receive the first batch of parts for the new phone by January of next year so they can assemble the first prototypes for testing. By February, more refined prototypes should be ready for tests.

Samsung is sure to conduct more rigorous tests so there would be no more repeats of the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco. If all goes well with the testing, then mass production should start by March. That is, if Samsung is targeting an April launch for the model.

There is still no word yet if Samsung has finally figured out what went wrong with the Galaxy Note 7 battery. That's why it is not be surprising if they pushed back the launch of their latest smartphone to ensure that the problem with Galaxy Note 7 would not be repeated.

The S8 Features

There are rumors going around about the features of the S8, like the 5.1" QHD screen and the iris scanner. There is talk that the home button would be scrapped altogether. This would be a major departure from the past design principles followed in past Samsung models.

There are those who believe that the S8 would use an all-glass front. That would mean that the   ultrasonic fingerprint scanner would have to be placed underneath the glass. Perhaps Samsung will be trying to achieve the all-screen look that has already been seen on Mi MIX, which is a model from Xiaomi. The ultrasonic sensor from Qualcomm is supposed to be more accurate than the usual biometric readers that are in use today. Supposedly, it can read prints even when fingers are wet.