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Samsung’s carrier partners in the United States have confirmed that they will open pre-orders for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ by tomorrow and will release the handset on April 21 . However, what about the customers who want a factory unlocked unit? They will be delighted to know that this time around, they won’t have to wait for too long. It took three months for the unlocked Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge to become available in the United States after the carrier-locked versions were released. With the Galaxy S8, customers will only have to wait for a few weeks. Best Buy has confirmed that it’s going to start selling unlocked units of Samsung’s new flagship in May. It has already put up listings on its online store for both variants, asking $724.99 for the Galaxy S8 and $824.99 for the Galaxy S8+. It remains to be seen though how many customers actually decide to purchase the unlocked model given Samsung’s poor track record of providing timely updates for the unlocked Galaxy S7

The newly announced Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ feature 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch dual-edge curved Super AMOLED displays, respectively. Moreover, these QHD+ (2960 x 1440 pixels) displays have an aspect ratio of 18.5:9 compared to 16:9 aspect ratio on previous Galaxy smartphones from Samsung. It is now being reported that the Galaxy S8 and S8+ displays are set to Full HD+ resolution by default. Samsung moved to a default screen resolution of Full HD on the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge when it released the Android 7.0 update for the smartphones, and it looks like the company will continue with a similar resolution for its newly announced flagship smartphones. Dropping the resolution to Full HD+ (2220 x 1080 pixels) might decrease the strain on the processor, thereby possibly increasing battery life. However, the screen resolution might change to QHD+ while using the smartphones with the new Gear VR  virtual reality headset for sharper visuals. Of course, you can manually change the screen resolut

If past sales are any indication, a few million folks will be buying the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ after the devices go on sale. For many, especially those coming from a Samsung device, will have to get used to the new software navigation keys on the S8/S8+. Samsung has made the home button pressure sensitive to ease the transition for consumers, and it turns out the company has also added the ability to customize the software keys. Samsung isn’t one to shy away from offering as many customization options as possible, and this applies to the new software keys as well. First, you can set a custom color for the black bar behind the keys. Second, you can switch between right and left placement for the back and overview (recent apps) keys. This will be welcomed by fans of stock Android, which has the back key on the left. Samsung has always kept the back button the right (something we agree with when it comes to one-hand usage), but with the S8 and S8+ having narrow displays, it makes sens

You must have already read a lot about the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ by now and would rather want to see the devices in action. Samsung knows that too which is why the company has posted ten official hands-on videos of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ on its official YouTube channel. These shorts videos will walk you through some of the biggest changes that Samsung has made with this flagship series. You’ll take a look at the hardware design, user experience design, the artificial intelligence-powered Bixby assistant , the camera, multiple biometric authentication features , Samsung’s Desktop eXperience , Samsung Connect, the Galaxy S8′s Infinity Display and more. The entire playlist is now up on Samsung’s official YouTube channel but for your convenience, we’ve embedded it down below. Click on the icon in the upper left-hand corner of the video box to open the playlist or just play the first video and let it roll on its own.

The Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+ , which were announced earlier today , are the first commercial smartphones in the world to feature Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity. It’s a huge connectivity upgrade over Galaxy S7 and S7 edge’s Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity. Bluetooth 5.0 offers substantial gains in speed, range, and music quality. The new version of Bluetooth theoretically offers twice the speed and four times the range. However, that’s not the only new thing in the Galaxy S8 and S8+. These smartphones can also stream audio wirelessly to two Bluetooth speakers or headphones simultaneously, also allowing users to control volume on both the headphones separately.

HDR or High Dynamic Range is all the rage these days, popping up on devices like TVs and gaming consoles. Without getting too technical, HDR basically promises a more vivid viewing experience with colors that pop to provide a more true-to-life experience. You obviously need compatible content and display to take advantage of HDR. Samsung pointed out during its presentation today that the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ have been awarded the Mobile HDR Premium certification by the UHD alliance. This certification signifies the ability of the Galaxy S8′s impressive Infinity Display to support HDR content. The company has inked partnerships with the likes of Amazon Video and others to bring their HDR content to its latest flagship device. More information about these content partnerships will be provided once the handset goes on sale next month .

Samsung confirmed before it had even unveiled the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ that the upcoming flagship will come with a new artificial intelligence-powered assistant called Bixby . During its presentation today, Samsung provided more details about what Bixby can do on the Galaxy S8. Samsung claims that Bixby can do almost everything in response to a voice command that the user can do by tapping on the display. That’s a tall claim. So basically, Bixby can help you share information or content inside an app with a friend. For example, if you’re looking at a photo inside the gallery you can press on the dedicated Bixby button and tell it to “Send this to Cindy.” It will then present you with a list of contacts named Cindy in your phone if there are more than one. Bixby knows when to ask for more information so it will prompt you to tell it which the correct contact is and what service you want to use to share the photo through. Bixby is also deeply integrated into native apps like the

Even though Samsung has increased the screen sizes of the Galaxy S8 and S8+ compared to that of the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, battery capacities haven’t been increased accordingly. Is Samsung too confident in the power efficiency of its new processor and display used in the Galaxy S8? Well, Samsung has an interesting explanation to the questionably small battery capacities inside the Galaxy S8 and S8+. According to a new report from Android Police , Samsung claims that the new-generation batteries that are used in the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+ would lose substantially less effective capacities over the same amount of time compared to the batteries used in the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge . The company said that a typical year’s worth of usage leaves the Galaxy S7 with just 80% of its original battery capacity. In comparison, the Galaxy S8 would preserve about 95% of its original battery capacity. Samsung didn’t explain as to how it managed to accomplish this impressive feat, but it could

The Galaxy S8 has the unique distinction of being one of the very first smartphones on the market that’s capable of hitting gigabit LTE speeds. This has been confirmed in a video published online by T-Mobile which shows the Galaxy S8 hitting some enviable LTE speeds, however, the test is being conducted in a lab and isn’t necessarily indicative of real-world conditions. This isn’t surprising, though, given that it has been known for a while now that Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor has the company’s X16 LTE modem that’s theoretically capable of hitting gigabit LTE speeds. Samsung appears to have dibs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 at least for a few months which means that the Galaxy S8 will claim this distinction all to itself until a rival flagship comes out with a Snapdragon 835-powered device. Samsung’s own Exynos 8895 processor which will be found in some variants of the Galaxy S8 is also capable of hitting gigabit LTE speeds so this isn’t a claim to fame that will be excl

At the Mobile World Congress 2017 in Barcelona last month, Samsung unveiled the new Gear VR with Controller . As the name suggests, it comes with a wireless controller. The headset supports both microUSB and USB Type-C ports so it’s compatible with the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S6 series as well as the Galaxy Note 5. There’s nothing really new about the headset itself aside from some minor tweaks. It’s the wireless controller that demands attention. The controller has a clickable touchpad, volume keys, navigation buttons and a trigger button. The touchpad makes it very easy to navigate the user interface and interact with VR games and apps. Samsung didn’t really confirm last month when the new headset with controller is going to be released and how much it’s going to cost. A representative from Oculus, which has partnered with Samsung on the Gear VR, confirmed today that the new Gear VR with Controller is going to be released in April for $129.

Samsung today confirmed the official release date of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ . The new flagship smartphones have been unveiled today and it goes without saying that many are interested in finding out when they will be able to get their hands on one. The company has confirmed that the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ will go on sale starting April 21. If history is any indication, this is going to be the release date for markets like South Korea and the United States. It will arrive in other markets later. Pre-orders should open in the coming days but that’s certainly going to vary by market, carrier and retailer. More information to follow in the coming days.

Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ today , going into the details of all of the new features that the flagship provides. It has officially confirmed today that the Galaxy S8 features an iris scanner which brings yet another way to secure access to the device. It’s interesting to note that the Galaxy S8 offers five security features with which you can protect your device, that’s more than what any other device offers right now. The first is the iris scanner which creates an eyeprint of the user to control access to the device. Then there’s the fingerprint sensor which now resides at the back of the device. Samsung’s new flagship even has facial recognition which quickly provides access to the device when the user picks up the phone. It retains the conventional Android security features such as pattern and password which can also be used to control access to the phone. So the Galaxy S8 offers Iris, Face, Fingerprint, Pattern and Password features for access control. Tha

The Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus have just been made official, and they bring improvements in quite a few areas, including the display, performance, and connectivity. However, as per the specifications, there doesn’t seem to be a significant upgrade in terms of the rear-facing camera. As opposed to Apple, Huawei, LG, and Honor, Samsung still hasn’t started utilizing dual-camera setups in its smartphones even though the Exynos 8895 processor supports such camera configurations . The Galaxy S8 duo feature 12-megapixel rear-facing cameras with F1.7 aperture, OIS and Dual Pixel phase-detection autofocus. Even though these specifications appear similar to that of the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge , there’s a slight difference. As opposed to last year, System LSI (a Samsung arm) is said to be the sole manufacturer of  Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus camera sensors. However, we won’t count on that information just yet. As always, there’s a chance that Samsung might source at least some units from Son

Apart from the Galaxy S8 and S8+ , Samsung also announced its first mesh Wi-Fi router: Samsung Connect Home. However, we’re talking about Samsung here, which is known to push the boundaries. Samsung Connect Home can also act as a SmartThings Hub, so buyers can use it to control SmartThings -compatible IoT products. The Connect Home is a small puck that can replace your big and unwieldy Wi-Fi router. Since it’s a mesh Wi-Fi router, you can add more modules as and when necessary and place them in spots where the Wi-Fi signal isn’t strong. Multiple Connect Home modules (each offering an Ethernet in and an Ethernet out ports) work together to create a mesh, which offers a superior and more stable Wi-Fi signal everywhere in your home. Samsung’s new mesh Wi-Fi router can also act as a SmartThings Hub, so you can control hundreds of smart IoT and connected home products that are compatible with Samsung’s IoT platform. This includes Amazon Echo speakers, Bose speakers, Google Home, Leviton p

Unbox Your Phone. The Next Galaxy will be revealed at Unpacked on March 29th. Watch it live from New York on http://www.samsung.com From: Samsung Mobile

Samsung took the wraps off the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ today, which means we published a lot more stories than usual. Most of the coverage took place as our readers in the US (and other regions) were waking up — so, like usual, we’ve created a daily recap to help fill you in on everything you need to know. In the list below, you’ll find the stories that went live today. We understand that you’re not going to be interested in all of them, so to help you find what’s important to you, we’ve split them into their respective categories. If you want to see the latest Galaxy S8 news, for example, locate the Phones  subheading. Camera New Samsung Gear 360 shoots true 4K video in 360-degrees Deals Daily Deal: Take 10% off a SmartThings Hub Firmware News European Galaxy S6 edge+ Nougat firmware now available online Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ gets Nougat in India and Sri Lanka Phones Hands-on with the Samsung DeX accessory for the Galaxy S8 Here are the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+

When you look at the spec sheet for the new Galaxy S8 or S8+, you’ll likely be left wondering why Samsung hasn’t made any changes to the 12-megapixel rear camera that debuted on the Galaxy S7. The specs for the camera are the same: a 12-megapixel sensor with F1.7 aperture, optical image stabilization, and Dual Pixel autofocus mechanism. So how will the Galaxy S8 offer improved image quality in the photos that it captures? Well, it comes down to the use of the new multi-frame processor inside the device. What the multi-frame processor will do is take different images of a scene, and then use data from all of those frames to create the final image, resulting in reduced noise and sharper detail. This isn’t an industry-first thing, mind you: The Google Pixel and Pixel XL also use a similar method to achieve great photos, and that is without the presence of features like Dual Pixel focus, high aperture (at least not as high as Samsung’s cameras), or even optical image stabilization. The S8

Welcome to the latest edition of  Wallpaper Wednesday . This week we’re focusing our attention on five backgrounds featuring sunsets. All of the images are available in a suitable resolution for the  Galaxy S7 ,  Galaxy S7 edge  and just about any other smartphone (or even tablet) on the market. If any of the following images float your boat and you want to download and set one as your wallpaper, simply tap on a photo to maximise it, then click and hold to save it. Once the picture is stored locally, open up  Settings , locate and select  Wallpaper , then just tap the image to set it as your background. Alternatively, you can download a ZIP file containing all of this week’s backdrops by hitting the  Download  button at the very bottom of this post. Bridge Coffee Mountain Range Road Stars Download Note:  We’ve tried our best to identify the creators of all of the wallpapers featured in this week’s column. However, the images appear to lack copyright information, art

Providing users with an unconfined mobile experience, the new Galaxy S8 and S8+ feature a refined, ‘unboxed’ design, enhanced security with new biometric technologies, robust entertainment capabilities and an intelligent new interface to enhance the way people interact with their phone.     Refined Design   The Galaxy S8 builds on Samsung’s design heritage with a large Infinity Display, a bezel-less, dual-edge display that takes up more than 80 percent of the phone’s front screen. Visually obtrusive elements are minimal, resulting in more tangible screen space. An invisible Home button embedded underneath the screen functions just like a physical button while Recent and Back buttons are now customizable soft keys.   The Galaxy S8’s subtle curvature flows from the front of the device to the back to create a more ergonomic grip ideal for one-handed operation. The phone’s camera, fingerprint scanner and heart rate sensor have been incorporated on the back of the device in a way th