THE Samsung, Apple's main competitor in the mobile world, today launched its newest high-end devices: the Galaxy S8 it's the S8 +.
https://www.youtube/watch?v=D8Ert5yjMV4
Design / canvas
In fact, we are talking about two devices, one with a 5.8 inch screen (S8) and the other with a 6.2 inch screen (S8 + yes, with Plus in the name), which undoubtedly have very interesting news.
Starting, obviously, with the new design that prioritizes the screen (what the Korean calls “Infinite Display”), getting rid of the “unnecessary” margins that are still present in many of the devices flagship, like the iPhone 7 and Google Pixel.
Both the front and the back of the devices feature Gorilla Glass 5, from Corning.
Although it has a 5.8 ″ screen, the model smaller has a slightly stretched screen format (18.5: 9) and can have dimensions very close to the Galaxy S7 (which has a 5.1 ″ screen) while the S8 has 148.9 × 68.1 × 8 , 0mm and 155g, the S8 + has 159.5 × 73.4 × 8.1mm and 173g.
Cameras, one of the main features of any smartphone today, have also been improved.
The front went from 5 to 8 megapixels and gained an f / 1.7 aperture with intelligent auto focus; the rear has remained the same (still with 12 megapixels and f / 1.7 aperture), but Samsung said that the optimizations in the post-processing of the images are even better.
The new devices remain resistant to water and dust (with IP68 seal), have support for microSD cards up to 256GB, always on screen, and fast and wireless charging capacity.
As we can see from the images, there is no longer a front button as was the custom on Samsung phones; the button is now integrated into the screen and sensitive to pressure.
Virtual Assistant
Samsung is betting heavily on Bixby, the company's new virtual assistant.
So much so that she dedicated a physical button on the new devices for her.
Bixby has been described by the Korean as "a smart interface that will help users get more out of their phone".
Through the button, users will be able to conveniently access Bixby and browse the services and applications through simple voice, touch and text commands.
The wizard integrated with various native applications and features, such as the camera, contacts, photo and video gallery, messages and settings obviously, Samsung’s plan to further expand Bixby’s access to the system as a whole, including third-party apps.
Also according to Samsung, the contextual awareness capabilities allow the assistant to offer much more and in a personalized way based on what she learns about the user's interests, situation and location.
Users can also shop, search for images and get details on nearby locations with Bixby's image recognition technology.
Specifications
The specifications of Samsung's top-of-the-line smartphones have always been very tough, and this was repeated in the S8 / S8 + pair.
They have a processor octa-core (2.3GHz quad + 1.7GHz quad; or 1.35GHz quad + 1.9GHz quad depending on the market) 64 bits and manufactured in a 10 nanometer process, 64GB of storage space, 4GB of RAM, 5.8 ″ and 6.2 ″ screens (both with 2960 × 1440 pixels, which results in densities 570ppp and 529ppp, respectively), 3,000mAh and 3,500mhA batteries, 802.11a / b / g / n / ac Wi-Fi (2.4GHz and 5GHz), new Bluetooth 5.0 standard, NFC and MST payment system , a USB-C port, headphone output, various sensors for location (GPS, Galileo, GLONASS and BeiDou), in addition to accelerometer, barometer, fingerprint sensor, gyroscope, geomagnetic sensor, heart rate, proximity, RGB, iris, pressure light and more.
The iris sensor, moreover (already existing in Note7), serves as a complement to the fingerprint reader (now located on the back of the device, as in many Android smartphones).
He can "read" his eyes even in the dark thanks to the help of an infrared camera and can confirm his identity, whether to just unlock the device or to make payments using Samsung Pay.
Accessories
In addition to new cases (of the most varied), a physical keyboard that you can plug into the device, a powerbank, an wireless charging station (in which you can place the phone either lying down or standing) and a new camera Gear 360 (with support for iPhones, live video and 4K resolution captures), the accessory that caught my attention the most was the DeX.
The idea is not new, but I see it with very good eyes.
It is a dock that allows you to connect the S8 / S8 + to an external monitor and control everything with the help of the dual keyboard / mouse.
Basically, you turn your smartphone into a PC.
The accessory allows you to run several apps at the same time and has integrated cooling, USB ports and even an Ethernet.
It is also worth noting that, in the box of the new devices, Samsung placed a pair of AKG headphones (brand acquired with the purchase of Harman).
According to the Sammy, the headphones have better noise cancellation and have a wire that does not wrap.
Release
The S8 and S8 + will be released on April 21, in five different colors: midnight black, orchid gray, coral blue, arctic silver and maple gold; official prices have not yet been released.
Outside, the pre-sale will start on March 30, and whoever buys one will also win a Gear VR with controller and some games.
Apple, it's with you!
undeniable that Samsung today launched a beautiful device.
Even though he doesn't have any "jaw-dropping" features, by adding all the details to the futuristic design and, mainly, to the power to implement a large screen in a relatively small body, the South Korean managed to present a smartphone with a visual promising and quite appealing.
In my view, it is increasingly difficult for smartphone manufacturers to launch something totally disjunctive, to blow up their heads.
Although the rumors are simmering because the iPhone completes ten years of existence in 2017, I think it is very difficult for Apple to be able to release as many news as everyone is waiting for.
What I hope, however, is at least one device with a large borderless screen (something that not only Samsung is betting on, but the industry as a whole) and one-off innovations that make Apple be Apple (like the implementation of a Touch ID on the screen itself, without the need to "throw" the fingerprint sensor to the back of the device).
We still have to wait a bit, but without a doubt, the ball now and the attention of the industry as a whole is with Apple.
(via Tecnoblog, The Verge)
