Samsung unveiled the duo of its latest flagship Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones in New York over a month ago. These phones have gathered much attention and media hype around the world, since Samsung has promised to deliver the best after the Note 7 fiasco.
The Korean electronics giant did a successful pre-order campaign around the world including Pakistan that crushed the company’s earlier pre-sales record. The phones are now available in Pakistan at the base prices of Rs. 87,000 and 97,000.
To mark the launch of these phones, Samsung convoked a gathering of fans, tech enthusiasts, retailers, media persons and celebrities at the mesmerizing Hazuri bagh, a Mughal era garden in Lahore, bounded by the Lahore Fort and Badshahi Mosque.
The event was hosted by TV artist, Juggun Kazim and renowned music artists Noori and Mesha Shafi performed at the event to entertain the audience as well. Samsung also gave away 20 free Galaxy S8’s to audience through lucky draw.
Live Demo Section was Disastrous:
Samsung spent a fortune on making this launch event a success by getting this prestigious location, however the live demo section was terrible, it was badly lit and the phones available there was all smudgy and some of them didn’t even work. It seems like they were test units and not the actual Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus as I struggled to get the touch screen working on a phone.
Galaxy S8 and S8+ at a Glance:
Galaxy S8 and S8+ borrows the all-glass body and a metal frame from Galaxy S7 edge, however the design is quite unusual which make the smartphone a bit long. Samsung says that they have decided to reduce distractions and provide an all screen experience for users. This new design is called the infinity display, that also removes the signature “Home” button from the front side.
Galaxy S8 has a 5.8-inch screen, whereas S8+ ups the display to 6.20 inches. Both of the phones have Super AMOLED screens with 18.5:9 ratio and 1,440px x 2,960px resolution.
The Galaxy S8 and S8+ features a Exynos 8895 processer, coupled with 4GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage and the support for microSDXC up to 256GB. Samsung that some regions will get a special version with 6GB of RAM and 128GB internal storage.
Same Galaxy S7 Camera but Improved Software:
The Galaxy S8 and S8+ packs an 8-Megapixel F1.7 “smart autofocus” front camera and 12-Megapixel F1.7 Dual Pixel rear camera. This is the same camera used in S7, but with new software Samsung claims that it gives best low-light, zoom and anti-blur photos with enhanced image processing.
Galaxy S8 features a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner right next to the camera and in terms of connectivity it offers USB-C charging port, headphone jack, NFC, MST Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi g/n/a.
Samsung has also built in a new iris/facial recognition feature that according to company claims is much secure than a regular fingerprint scanner.
S8 and S8+ are IP68 dust- and water-resistance and offer wireless charging and fast-charging capabilities. The S8 has a 3000mAh battery and there’s a 3500mAh battery on the S8+.
These new devices run on Android 7.0 Nougat with a special user interface design for the infinity display. It offers new aesthetic transitions, colorful logos and quick navigation options.
These devices feature Bixby, its digital assistant and intelligent interface, which can be accessed through a dedicated button on each device. Bixby doesn’t only answer voice queries but also learns about the user behavior. It can also scan objects and provide information about them, without using voice or written commands.
The Galaxy S8 and S8+ also support DeX, a Windows Continuum like feature which allows users to connect their devices to a monitor, mouse and keyboard via a dock.
