The OnePlus 2 launch event is promised to be a grand affair. The Chinese company is gearing up for the launch of the OnePlus 2 in a very different way than most of its competitors. The live streaming of the event will take place in Virtual Reality, starting at 7 pm PDT on 27th July. For this occasion, OnePlus has engineered its own ‘cardboard’ VR headgears that allow you to slip in your mobile handset inside of the little box.
There were two ways of obtaining the cardboard VR headset; one was to participate, and the winners would be chosen at random, whose results are yet to be revealed, and the other was to purchase them from Amazon for a cheap price of Rs 99. Basically, you are being charged only for the delivery, not the headgear.
The VR headgear is up for sale on Amazon from today. The cardboard has been perfectly tailored to fit the OnePlus 2 smartphone and can be assembled quickly.
Most of the spec details will be revealed at the launch event. Till then, as per the revelation by the company CEO Liu Zuohu, OnePlus 2 will run on Snapdragon 810 chipset along with 4GB RAM. A 5.5-inch 2K display will improve the viewing experience of the user. The OnePlus 2 will also have a USB C-Type, the first in a flagship device by a major manufacturer.
The company has already announced that the price of the OnePlus 2 will not be above Rs 28,500. With the launch next month, there is a huge possibility that users will, again, be required to have an invite to buy the phone. But this time, the company says it is ready to meet the demands.
Update:
The VR headsets are currently sold out on Amazon. We will keep you updated as soon as it is back in stock.
Last week, OnePlus announced the OnePlus Two’s launch date, after almost a year of rumours and speculations. The company said the OnePlus Two will be revealed officially on 27th July, which was earlier speculated to be 17th April.
The company also decided to launch the handset in a not-so-common way. The live streaming of the event will take place in Virtual Reality, starting at 7 pm PDT on 27th July. For this occasion, OnePlus has engineered its own ‘cardboard’ VR headgears that allow you to slip in your mobile handset inside the little box.
This is not just a product; it’s an initiative. We aren’t making any money by offering OnePlus Cardboard. In fact, we are losing money with each one. There will come a day in which we will be able to travel the world and immerse ourselves in amazing things without ever leaving the comfort of our homes. OnePlus Cardboard exists to drive this idea forward.
To get the OnePlus Cardboard, the description said users could sign up and participate in a contest that closes today.
Sign Up & Participate
OnePlus is giving away a plethora of headsets to our fans for free, along with shipping. To win a headset, users simply have to sign up on OnePlus Cardboard Giveaway, and the winners will be decided at random. The contest closes on July 3. Winners will be announced on OnePlus’s social media pages as well. The contest winners will be contacted by the company, post the draw.
Buy it on Amazon India
The OnePlus Cardboards will go on sale from the third week of July at a price of Rs. 99 (shipping terms will be as per standard Amazon India policy). The exact sale date on the platform will be announced on OnePlus’s social media channels soon.
Most of the spec details will be unveiled at the launch event. Till then, as per the revelation by the company CEO Liu Zuohu, OnePlus Two will run on Snapdragon 810 chipset along with 4GB RAM. A 5.5-inch 2K display will improve the viewing experience of the user. The OnePlus Two will also have a USB C-Type, the first in a flagship device by a major manufacturer.
The company has already announced that the price of the OnePlus 2 will be above $322 (Approx. Rs .20,485). With the launch next month, there is an enormous possibility that users will, again, be required to have an invite to purchase the phone. But this time, the company says it is prepared to meet the demands.
Watch the video below where co-founder Carl Pei demonstrates how he is charging his MacBook with the phone’s USB Type-C charging cable.
The ongoing E3 gaming show is not just about high-profile games launching for Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Game developers are making more and more titles cross-platform, announcing their arrival on older consoles such as Play Station 3, Xbox 360, and also PC. Microsoft made a surprise announcement in its press conference stating that Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, along with Killer Instinct will now run on PC. Both the titles came into existence in the same E3 show in 2013.
Little tidbits of information were made public at the event. The Coalition’s Rod Fergusson mentioned that the PC version of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition will have unlimited refresh rates along with 4K displays support, contrasting console’s 1080p limit. The two will come with support for a mouse, keyboard, and wireless controller, along with Xbox Live and game DVR support. Regardless of the platform, all players will be able to play the game online. There is no information of when these titles will show up.
Microsoft’s mind change from being Xbox One exclusive to making them accessible to every gaming enthusiast will boost demand of its games. This in turn will help Microsoft in the long run, manifesting its decision into multiplying profits.
Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge back in September 2014. As an icing on the cake, the Korean company in collaboration with Oculus revealed the Gear VR, a virtual reality headgear developed to work along with the Note 4. A year after, Samsung released its latest flagship devices, the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge in April 2015. The company also announced that a similar VR set will accompany the handsets soon, but no such headset were up for purchase.
Today, Samsung made this device available for purchase. The device, named as Gear VR Innovator Edition for Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, is a smaller and lighter version of the Note 4 Gear VR. It comes with a redesigned strap and a built-in fan to help in air-flow. According to Samsung, the Octa-Core Exynos 7420 chipset, which is the powerhouse of S6 and S6 Edge handsets, and the high PPI display will provide its users with better and smoother virtual reality experience. The other side of the coin would be the smaller screen of the S6 and S6 Edge devices, which may result in a narrow field of view.
This device is available at Samsung’s official website and BestBuy. This device can be purchased for $199.99 (Rs 12,741) and is available only for its US customers right now. No other details about its price and availability in India has been disclosed.
Virtual reality is the newest trend in the market that every firm wants to foster. Samsung and Facebook are already making headlines with their offerings in virtual reality space. Now, Apple is attempting to jump into the battleground to make a space way for itself in this budding market.
Today, the Cupertino based tech giant has been granted a patent titled ‘Head-Mounted Display Apparatus for Retaining a Portable Electronic Device with Display.’ The patent describes a Samsung’s Gear VR-like portable electronic device, which will be powered by the high definition screen of the iPhones. The patent was first filed back in September 2008 and the company is now awarded the same after five years.
According to images registered with the patents, the iPhone will be placed within the headset frame, and its screen will act as the primary display for viewing the virtual reality content. The pictures also depict a remote that could be used to control the content on screen.
Electronic headset concept is not new as Samsung and Google have gone far ahead in VR headset game. Samsung Gear VR is a commendable product which is compatible with Galaxy Note 4 and the new Galaxy A7 for now. The company is also exploring the virtual reality space with Project Beyond, which is a 360-degree camera for recording VR content.
Meanwhile, besides a VR headset, the patents speak of one more feature called picture-in-picture (PIP). This tool will aid users in keeping an eye on the real world when the headset is on. A total of 41 patents have been granted to Apple on Tuesday, which came to light today. These patents are related to optics, design and accessories. So, users can expect a pinch of new innovation with Apple’s VR headset.
Virtual Reality headsets are the new tech every firm is betting on. But as it tuns out, none of them are available at a budget price – except one. At a mere $20, Google VR is super economical but it’s made out of cardboard. Quality would be no issue with the new VR headset by LG. The South Korean company has made a plastic version of the Google Cardboard that would be low in price. Called VR for G3, the headset will give virtual reality experience using the phone’s internal hardware.
Based on Google Cardboard VR, the VR for G3 is a mere shell with lenses. The LG VR headset has three pieces which come assembled. A ring magnet like in the Cardboard VR headset sits on the left to select menu. A cutout on the back of the device reaches the volume rockers. Also, there are small cutouts for flash, laser autofocus, and speaker. The two slots are seen at the either ends, which can be used for a head strap.
Just strap your phone in the headset and it will send you right in the virtual world. As its plastic, it will cost low, but it is speculated that it may be available for free. Meanwhile, there is no word about its availability and price, and users have to wait till the next announcement.
Samsung released a Gear VR headset last year, but it costs $199. Not only this, one need to buy a Galaxy Note 4 as it is compatible with the Note 4 only.
The VR for G3 is definitely a good step to encourage the virtual reality concept to come into the mainstream.
In the year 2014 Virtual Reality(VR) took a giant leap. From the hands of a limited few, the technology has now seeped into the consumer market. Oculus can be credited for bringing the technology to the mainstream. Taking cues from Oculus, several new devices have arrived in the market. Sony got its Project Morpheus and Samsung got the Gear VR headsets. There were also some independent attempts into making VR headsets including Google’s Cardboard project. The question remains – is this just a mere fad or is this technology here to stay? We delve into the past, present and future of VR Headsets today.
What is Virtual Reality?
According to a popular online encyclopedia, virtual reality is a computer simulated environment that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world or imagined worlds. It, in essence, creates a world that creates the perception of being in a whole new place. Using various other techniques, VR can create sensory perceptions of touch, smell, sounds and even taste.
The Journey to Now…
It’s not really a recent phenomenon in any sense of the word. There have been efforts to create an artificial environment for manipulating the senses since the 1800s. In 1860’s there were art installations that used a 360-degree panoramic mural to create an artificial reality. One of the most prominent examples of this is Sala delle Prospettive by Baldassare Peruzzi.
Since then, there have been multiple efforts to artistically take the audience into a perceived reality. But in 1968 the first computer artificial reality headsets came to become a reality. Dubbed the Sword of Damocles that was created by computer scientists Ivan Sutherland. It was archaic in every sense of the word. It only displayed wire-frame models and was so heavy that it needed to be suspended from the ceiling, thus getting its name.
Sword of Damocles was the first computer aided VR headset.
In 1991, Sega arrived with the first VR headsets for the consumers. Though it got a tepid response from the press, and there were fears that they could spoil the eyesight of children, this prevented it from getting to the shelves.
Nintendo tried its hand at VR headsets when it came out with the Virtual Boy in 1995. This device too was a commercial failure, and the users faced discomforts like dizziness, nausea, and headaches after extended use. The device was also lamented for the lack of a head tracking feature and color graphics.
Virtual Boy by Nintendo released in 1995
Fast forward to 2014, and we see a return with a vengeance of the VR technology. Aided by high processing power of modern day devices and the phenomenal breakthroughs in the mobile technology, it seems like VR has finally found its moment in time. The race was intensified with the purchase of Oculus VR by Facebook. Sony and Samsung soon followed with their own designs. Google tried to bring the technology in the grasps of everyone with the cardboard project, a DIY project through which you can create a stereoscopic VR headsets using cheap ingredients which costs just about $20.
How do VR Headsets work?
VR headsets pretty much use the concept of 3D glasses. On the displays, there are two images, one for each eye. These images, when viewed through a stereoscopic lens system, gives a perception of depth in the images. The brain brings together the two images as one and that creates the depth that immerses the user into the artificial world. Advanced VR systems like the Oculus have motion tracking system that responds to the user’s movement. Using hardware like the Omni treadmill, you feel like you are really moving around in the virtual environment.
The emergence of mobile-based portable headsets has made it a lot easier to access the technology. Devices like the Gear VR, Google cardboard, and ANTVR make it a lot easier to use. These even allow you to look at your movies with a perception of watching them on a big screen. This could possibly mean the end of movie theaters and the expensive popcorn that comes with it.
The other potential uses of the technology
There are a wide range of uses of VR technology.
Virtual Reality is not just limited to providing quality entertainment and gaming, it has many real world applications too. It can come in handy in multiple fields such as:
Virtual field Trips
The best way to learn about a new place is to go there and travel around. It can often be educational to travel. But if you cannot afford the trip, you have virtual reality to your rescue. The virtual tour can show you around the place and using complementary technologies like haptic mediums; you can get to touch and smell your new environment too. It can be a complete immersive experience that you wouldn’t want to come out of.
Education
Learning by doing is the best way to acquire knowledge. Using the tools provided by gaming advancements in VR, students can learn to interact with their future workplace. For example, an architect can learn to create buildings and manipulate it in real time, almost like Ariadne in Inception. It can even come handy to school children to bring lessons to them in a more interactive immersive fashion.
Training
Several military professionals are trained on VR surfaces. It is a lot more economical than creating real world environments and also decreases the chance of injury while training. It gives the chance to practice their lessons as many times as needed. Pilots are also trained on simulators that actively recreate the flying environment. VR can come handy to train drivers who work in specialized environments such as high terrains or ice roads.
Medicine
The technology can be used to train doctors.
Doctors can benefit from some virtual simulations too. Specialized surgeries that require immense precision require constant practice. In an artificially created environment, the surgeon can constantly train on the simulated body to perfect his/her skills that could someday come handy to save real lives.
Challenges with VR Devices
VR though has been in development for quite a while, but there are some limitations to the technology to make it more palatable to a mass audience. The confines of graphics and the tracking systems even in the best headsets results in various discomfort for the users. The industry needs to really work on the VR tracking systems.
The audio too is an important element of an immersive experience. The disconnect between the audio and visuals or low quality audio can also lead to motion sickness and other discomforts. The audio industry is being encouraged to fix the gap to create a more natural environment for the users.
There are also some issues with the content that can be created for consumption in the virtual world. Some psychologists say that the VR can create a generation of sociopaths who have gotten so used to first person violence that they are desensitized to it. To counter this, there is a need for regulation and codification of content meant for VR headsets. There should also be instruction and education on how to use the technology right so that it benefits all.
Virtual Reality has come a long way, but there still is long way ahead for the technology to grow.
A Long journey begins now.
With the processing power up to the mark and graphical interfaces replicating reality better than ever, this is the right time for VR to come out of its cocoon. The smartphone revolution has brought the VR technology in the grasps of everyone. Google’s cardboard project literally makes this technology universal. There is a long way to go with the potential applications of the technology, but its mainstream visibility will speed up its adoption in various fields. There is a lot the technology can offer us, and it’s just the beginning of the access to the virtual world. The immense potential of the technology is still up for unlocking. We’re excited about the prospects of VR, are you?
Unlike Google’s Cardboard and Samsung Gear VR, which use a smartphone, Facebook and Oculus VR are aiming at a much more sophisticated, independent and ultra-high-res experience with their new VR prototype codenamed as Crescent Bay.
The company revealed the new prototype, which is an upgraded version DK2 Headset, at the recent Oculus connect conference. “It’s as big of a leap as we made from DK1 to DK2,” says Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe, referring to the first two versions of the Rift development kit. The new headset comes with 360-degree tracking, letting the Rift’s external camera track the back of the headset as well as the front, making it easier for people to move without feeling constrained by staying in the camera’s range.
The first Oculus Rift VR headsets were shipped in the spring of 2013, but a consumer version has not yet been announced. According to the company so far, over 100,000 Rift development kits have been shipped to 130 countries, and the company is still filling pre-orders for its second-generation model. The Crescent Bay prototype follows “Crystal Cove,” which was first shown off at CES 2014 in January — the DK2, which is based on it, came out a couple of months later.
Oculus and Samsung announced their Gear VR mobile headset earlier this month, and it is believed mobile and desktop VR will ultimately complement each other in coming time. Oculus created its first real in-headset user interface for the Gear VR, and it’s now said that it will be releasing a mobile app for VR games.
According to a report by Top Gear, famous and defunct British automaker TVR is back from the dead. Former Russian owner Nikolai Smolenski had announced plans to use the company’s production facilities to start churning out wind turbines instead of sports cars. Thankfully, before such plans could materialise, Britisher Les Edgar swooped in and purchased TVR from Smolenski in its entirety. Smolenski bought TVR in 2004 for around 15 million pounds, but never got around to producing a vehicle under the brand’s name. Les Edgar won’t say exactly how much he paid for TVR due to non-disclosure agreements, but he has made it clear he has big plans for the brand, and that past mistakes will not be repeated.
You can’t let these great brands disappear or go abroad. The starting point was ‘let’s get it back’. There’s a huge amount of passion with the TVR brand. You’d be hard-pushed to find a British car brand that generates so much passion.
– Les Edgar
Edgar, a Surrey-based entrepreneur best known for developing video games also played a part in reintroducing Aston Martin to GT racing. Although Edgar could not confirm when we will see the next TVR and what it may look like, he is determined to maintain the brand’s heritage and make sure it stays true to its British roots. We hope for more information about the revival of the very charismatic automaker soon, keep checking this space for updates.
The Skoda Octavia vRS is back and its better than ever. The third generation of the Octavia vRS is the fastest production Octavia ever and it ticks all the right boxes with distinct styling and a range of fuel-efficient engines. It will be available both in sedan and station wagon ‘Combi’ bodystyles.
The 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine is the same as that used in the international Volkswagen Golf GTI, and puts out 217 bhp. It will allow the Octavia vRS to sprint for 0 to 100 kmph in 6.8 seconds and will hit 248 kmph flat out. Another option is the 2.0-litre TDI diesel unit from the Volkswagen Golf GTD, tuned to produce 182 bhp and 280 lb-ft of torque. It will hit 100 kmph in 8.2 seconds and go on to touch a top speed of 232 kmph. All these figures will apply to the standard six-speed manual gearbox, and a six-speed dual clutch transmission with paddle shifters will be on the options list. Skoda claims both engines are up to 19% more fuel efficient than the outgoing fast Octavias.
The new Octavia vRS comes with sports suspension and front wheel drive, with an electronic XDS differential equipped as standard to help improve traction and reduce understeer. Also featuring is a retuned steering set-up to require less steering angles on more challenging roads.
The vRS can be easily distinguished from standard Octavias due to a host of external modifications, most prominent of which is a new bodykit. Alloy wheels can be ordered in sizes of 17, 18 or 19 inches diameter, and add to the sporty feel of the car. Red brake calipers and bi-xenon lights with integrated LEDs are standard on the Octavia vRS. Compared to the standard model, it rides 12mm lower (13mm in the case of the Combi), has a new front bumper with a bigger air dam featuring a honeycomb grille and sleeker fog lamps as well as a rear diffuser flanked by chrome exhaust pipes on either side. Traditional vRS badges all around ensure that nobody mistakes it for a standard Octavia.
Sports seats, a leather-wrapped sports steering wheel, stainless steel pedals and a new instrument panel can be found inside. The new Skoda Octavia is expected to launch in India later this year, while the Octavia vRS will hopefully follow suit soon after.
Arguably, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is one of the most anticipated smartphones by Samsung in 2018. Scheduled for 9th August 2018, Samsung could unveil the Galaxy Note 9 at the Unpacked event. There are other rumours which suggest there could also be a Galaxy Tab S4 unveiling at the event. So, before the smartphone and possibly the tablet unveils at the event, we have decided to round up everything we know about the Galaxy Note 9 so far.
Samsung unveiled the first phablet smartphone in October 2011, people were sceptical about a device with such a large screen. Later, in December 2011, that the Galaxy Note had sold 1 million units in two months. Clearly, the smartphone was a great success for the company. Samsung went on to release 8 versions of the Galaxy Note lineup. In 2016, Samsung launched the Note 7 which the company had to eventually recall due to issues with the battery. This led to severe damage to Samsung’s reputation and sales. In the year of 2017 however, despite several rumours of Samsung not continuing with the Note series, Samsung launched the Galaxy Note 8 which went on to become one of the most popular smartphones from the company. Samsung soon caught up in the race with a 20.5% market share in the first quarter of 2018. Now, the company is ready to unveil the 9th edition of the Note lineup; the Galaxy Note 9.
Galaxy Note 7
[section label=”Specification”]
Specifications
Rendered images of the Galaxy Note 9 revealed that it will feature a rear-facing fingerprint sensor. Also, through these renders, we got a rough idea about the smartphone’s design. This smartphone could share a lot in common with its predecessor, Galaxy Note 8. There is only one noticeable difference between the Note 8 and the “alleged” Samsung Galaxy Note 9. The fingerprint sensor on the Note 8 is alongside the cameras, whereas, the Galaxy Note 9 features the fingerprint sensor below its camera setup.
Galaxy Note 9 Render
The display on the Galaxy Note 9 could be a 6.3-inch Super AMOLED panel with 2960 x 1440 px resolution. While there is no notch on the display, Samsung’s “Infinity Display” could make for an 18.5:9 aspect ratio. Since the Corning Gorilla Glass 6 is already unveiled, we expect Samsung to use it for its front and rear panels. As Corning allows design-customizability, we expect there to be a special edition smartphone featuring such a panel.
Galaxy Note 9
Samsung debuted the company’s first smartphone with a dual rear-facing camera with the Galaxy Note 8. The smartphone featured a triple-camera setup. The primary camera had a 12 MP sensor with f/1.7 aperture and a 12 MP sensor with f/2.4 aperture. This time around as well, the Galaxy Note 9 could have a 12MP wide-angle sensor along with a 12MP telephoto lens.
Galaxy Note 8 Camera
Under the hood, the smartphone could run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset for the US and South Korean markets. For the rest of the markets, the smartphone might run on the Exynos 9810 chipset which is a Samsung SoC. There may be three variants of the smartphone with 6GB of RAM along with either 64GB/128GB/256GB storage which will be expandable via microSD card. Samsung has also released a teaser video suggesting that the smartphone could sport a massive storage, further confirming the rumours. The most exciting news yet, is that the smartphone may feature a vapour chamber heat pipe. This is a cooling system, which was also featured in the Asus ROG Gaming Phone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16i8TH6lxmo
Samsung recently posted a video on YouTube which hinted at a possibly large battery for the Galaxy Note 9. So, we expect that the smartphone will have a 4,000 mAh battery with QuickCharge 4.0 support. Out of the box, the device could run on Android 8.1 Oreo with Samsung’s Experience 9.0 UI on top.
[section label=”Pricing And Availability”]
Price And Availability
The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 could start at a price of US $1,228 (Rs. 84652.18 approx) for the 128GB variant. This is quite close to the price of the iPhone X, which was launched in 2017. As previously mentioned, there could be three storage variants of the device and price may vary accordingly. However, leaks suggest that the 64GB and 256GB variants will not be sold in the European market. The 512GB variant of the smartphone may have a price tag of $1,465 (Rs.1,01,004.43 approx).
[section label=”New Features”]
New Features
Samsung also plans to launch the Galaxy Note 9 bundled with month-long exclusive rights for Fortnite on Android. So this means that smartphone could be marketed as a gaming oriented device. This also means that the smartphone could support Samsung Gear VR, which is the company’s virtual reality headset to offer VR-gaming with the smartphone. We will be closely covering the further leaks of the smartphone, so stay tuned. Meanwhile, you can go back to our first look and unboxing of the Galaxy Note 8.
A new leak out of china shows the front panel of the upcoming Galaxy Note 8 phone from Samsung. The phone which was rumored to be killed due to the massive failure of the Note 7 thanks to its battery issues, lives to see the light of day.
The new leak goes in line with previous rumors of a 6.3/ 6.4 inch display on the next Note phone. With technology catching up, reports of the Note 8 with a 6.4-inch 4K Super AMOLED display increased. This would mean that Samsung may launch an upgraded Gear VR to match the phones performance.
Samsung is reportedly added dual cameras at the back of the phone to match up with current day demands. The phone will still run on the Snapdragon 835/ Exynos 8895 depending on market, but will launch with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of Storage.
It may seem that Samsung will be able to embed the fingerprint sensor under the front of the glass hence removing the need for a rear sensor. The Galaxy Note 7 will continue to hold an S-Pen and a 3.5 mm headphone jack, according to leaked schematics.
The layout of the camera is expected to be a wide and tele, along with a 1.7 aperture on both cameras. The phone despite the large size will be comfortable to hold in the hand by the looks of it.
Will Samsung get it right with the Note 8, considering that they have already recovered most of their market with the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus.
Samsung may be hard at work readying their next big smartphone/s but the world can hardly wait. These are possibly the most leaked Samsung smartphones till date, and whether one agrees or not, Samsung has some serious flagships getting ready to face the world. If leaks have told us anything, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+, will both have impressive displays, cameras and internal hardware. Let’s quickly do a roundup of everything we know so far.
Two Phones
It is known that Samsung is launching two phones, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8+. While the Galaxy S8 will have a 5.8 inch display with a QuadHD+ resolution, the larger Samsung Galaxy S8+ will have a 6.2 inch display with the same resolution. Apart from the difference in sizes and battery the two phones may not offer up any additional differences.
Design
Samsung has taken a new approach towards design this year, while the aesthetic of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+ will remain identical to the edge variant of the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, the phones will be dominated by the display. Samsung has had to remove the physical button from the front of the phones, which also means that the fingerprint sensor will be removed from the ideal front location to a rear location next to the camera module. Samsung will most likely retain the IP68 aspect of the Galaxy S7 on the Galaxy S8 and S8 plus, which was one of the biggest reasons for Samsung’s success with the Galaxy S7.
Display
The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ will both have curved edge displays, with a QuadHD+ resolution. However, the screen to body ratio on the new phones will be more than 85%, letting the display rule the front of the phone, eliminating unnecessary bezels and including from the top and bottom of the phone.
We also know from leaks that the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 plus will have curved corners of the display. We have already seen this with the LG G6, where the company claims the rounded edges make the display survive better in cases of drops and prevents it from cracking at the corner.
Samsung is also said to be working on a 3D Touch type of technology that will allow the user to press down on the display to mimic the home button or open contextual menus. The displays of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus are also expected to support S-Pen input, so the Galaxy Note fans don’t have to wait for the company to launch the Galaxy Note 8.
Cameras
Looks like there is no special magic trick this time around. While Samsung had one of the best cameras on smartphones in 2016, the company may not make big changes to the cameras on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 plus . Both the phones will be fitted with 12 MP sensor equipped main cameras with a Dual Pixel technology and the ability to shoot 4k video.
Hardware
Despite the fact that Samsung has an impressive chipset, the Exynos 9, which is capable of heavy multitasking and shooting 4k video at upto 120 fps while supporting a 4k display. Samsung may just save all that power for the Note 8 and since the South Korean tech giant has placed the largest order of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, it is highly unlikely that Samsung will have an Exynos variant going out to market. There are also no leaks or reports that suggest otherwise.
Samsung will also stick to 4GB of RAM and not jump the gun with 6 GB which at this moment seems like overkill by all standards, despite the fact the OnePlus 3/3t have it, there is not much use for it in real world applications.
Battery Safety and Charging
Samsung has learned a lot from the Galaxy Note 7 battery failures, and even though the company just shrugged off the cause and problem of the batteries in the Note 7 devices. Samsung has designed a new 8-point program to ensure battery safety. What Samsung will also do is a leave space around the batteries themselves allowing for certain expansions, which would print a battery puncture, that may be caused by hitting some other component inside the phones.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Chipsets support the latest Quick Charge 4 which is capable of offering 5 hours of usage in just 5 minutes of charge. Samsung may not leverage this feature for their upcoming Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 plus as rapid charging degrades the battery, and Samsung cannot afford another battery fiasco. Samsung may stick to adaptive fast charge offered by Galaxy S7 which is more in like with Quick Charge 3.0 standards.
The Galaxy S8 and S8+ will also support wireless charging with the Qi standard, and wireless fast charge using Samsung proprietary charging pads.
Virtual Home and Bixby
Since Samsung will remove the physical home button from the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+, a virtual home button will take palace on the front around the center of the bottom portion of the display. If the phones do support a 3D Touch type interface, the virtual button could simply be a placeholder for the press point to go back to home.
Samsung is also working on a new virtual assistant called Bixby, said to launch with the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 plus. Leaks have also shown off an additional physical button on the sides of the phones, which remains different from the power and volume button. This is possibly a direct launch button for the Bixby assistant. However the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ will support the Google Assistant out of the box, which would cause confusion as to which assistant you should use on your phone.
USB C, Headphone Jack and Iris Scans
The Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+ will have a USB C port of charging and syncing and will also retain the 3.5 mm headphone jack. Samsung may not be ready yet to explore removing the audio port as a large audience of it’s buyers may not be ready for the switch. Leaks also suggest that the audio will be tuned by AKG, and there is a high possibility that the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ with come bundled with AKG earphones as well.
Samsung will also retain the Iris Scanner seen in the Galaxy Note 7 as a new security standard in the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. meaning users will be able to lock certain files, folders and apps, along with their phones with a simple retinal scan.
Operating System
The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ will most likely launch with Android 7.1 along with Samsung’s own layer of Touch Wiz type interface which will allow for things like Briefing to sit on the left of the home screen. This will also allow for Samsung Knox security, S-Pay and the whole array of Samsung Apps to work with the phone. Samsung has cleaned up the UI in the past and the Galaxy S8 is expected to launch with a slight redesign to the look making it cleaner and more minimal.
Launch Date
Samsung has confirmed that it is holding a launch event on the 29th of March in New York city, it is traditionally where Samsung launches the Galaxy S series phones. Samsung may also however launch other products at its event, like the improved Gear VR headset designed to work with the new smartphones, which does come with a new controller and a new design.
In markets like India Samsung will hold launches as early as second week of April, to launch and announce the phones.
Networks and SIM cards
Samsung will retail two models of Both the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, for markets like US and Canada Samsung will sell a single SIM card variant with a second slot for micro SD card expansion of the storage. The second variant will allow for two SIM cards on a hybrid setup, i.e. it will either accept two SIM cards or one SIM card and one microSD card.
Availability and Price
Initially Samsung was supposed to start selling the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 plus mid April, the date has now been shifted to April 29th and may further be shifted to early may. Reports indicate that Samsung wants to run additional tests before launching this phone to prevent any Galaxy Note 7 type failures.
Pricing pundits are pricing the Galaxy S8 starting € 799 ( approx Rs. 56000 ) and Galaxy S8+ at € 899 ( approx Rs. 63000) as a starting price for the 64 GB variant, Samsung may also launch 128 GB variants of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ which will be priced higher by €100.
In India the Galaxy S8 is expected to start at Rs, 59,990 for the Galaxy S8 and both the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are expected to go on sale early May.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 will be an important phone not only for Samsung fans, but also for Samsung. The company has had a bad half year, with the Note 7 blowout, barely in the rear view mirror for the South Korean company, the word looks on to the S8 and S8+’s arrival.
According to new reports Samsung will launch the phone on March 29 and the Samsung Galaxy S8 along with supposedly the larger Samsung Galaxy S8+ will go on sale on April 21st in certain parts of the world including the US market, UK and UAE. The Indian counterpart is expected to arrive early may according to our Samsung sources.
Samsung has put in motion a large marketing plan and their largest push promo budget yet, to make the Galaxy S8 a success. In India, the company will finally look for Brand Ambassadors for the flagship phone, signing on celebrities that target the youth.
The news report from a Korean publication suggests that Samsung will have ample supplies of the phone to have sales steady by May – June 2017. The company has reportedly invested large sums of capital in battery design and management making the phone safe, which will be explicitly demonstrated during their global launch. Samsung’s new phones have also raked in the largest order of Snapdragon 835 chips from Qualcomm limiting supplies for other brands like LG and HTC.
Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ with different screen sizes – 5.7-inches and 6.2-inches respectively. The phones may feature their new Assistant Bixby and 6GB of RAM as standard. The S8 and S8 plus will also be available with upto 256 GB of storage and microSD expandability like the S7 edge, along with IP68 or better water resistance. Wireless charging and new wireless charging accessories are also expected.
A new leak has also shown off the New Gear VR from Samsung which comes with a remote controller built into the body. The Gear VR is expected to be priced at US $ 199 in India retailing for Rs. 14999.
LG will try to one up the Samsung Galaxy S8 by launching the LG G6 as early as 26th Feb at MWC in Barcelona with the phone hitting the markets by 10 March. The company has already teased some features of the LG G6 including an all new design, QuadDAC support FullVision display and the LG UX 6.0 running Android 7.1.
Tipster Evan Blass also recently leaked the image shown above, which are from case manufacturer Speck showing both the LG G6 and Samsung Galaxy S8 in their full render glory.
Samsung is working on making the next Galaxy Note phone, after the tragic end of possibly the best phone of the year. The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is said to be rocking the big comeback in 2017 with a 4k Super AMOLED display apparently to improve VR capabilities with a new Gear VR they are expected to launch alongside the Note 8.
Samsung has always considered the Note series it’s flagship and it appears that the company will not let go of it easily. The Note 7 had serious battery issues that caused consumers to doubt the reliability of Samsung products in general. Samsung will launch the Note 8 in Summer of 2017 in a bad up before the Apple iPhone gets a rumoured OLED overhaul.
Reports of the new assistant Bixby, launching with the Galaxy S8 expected in coming months will be another highlight of the Galaxy Note 8 smartphone.
Samsung will also reveal investigations into the Galaxy Note 7 fires and why they happened by the end of January, finally and hopefully putting an end to the whole scenario.
