Samsung Galaxy S8, S8 Plus’ Release Pushed To April, Note 8 In Second Half Of 2017?

After discontinuing the Galaxy Note 7 due to its faulty (and exploding) batteries, Samsung’s upcoming smartphone releases suddenly become even more interesting. Next year, the Korean tech manufacturer is expected to release its new flagship device, the Samsung Galaxy S8, alongside a bigger variant. A new Galaxy Note phone is also reported to arrive later in 2017.

Could these new flagship models clean up the tainted reputation of the Samsung Galaxy brand and make the tech world easily forget the widely talked about Note 7 debacle?

An effective market strategy will definitely help the Galaxy phone maker to bounce back quickly, and based on the recent grapevines, it looks like Samsung is cautiously planning for the marketing of the Galaxy S8, their next major smartphone release after the Note 7. Instead of following the usual launch pattern for its Galaxy S series (in time for the annual Mobile World Congress), Samsung is reportedly delaying the release of the Galaxy S8 to avoid the MWC 2017 hype and so they could showcase their new smartphone in a separate and dedicated event.

“The firm has allegedly made this decision so it can work with external agencies to execute plans to recover confidence from consumers before releasing a new product on the market,” Sam Mobile explained.

This latest release development, which apparently came from the participants of a worldwide strategy meeting held at Samsung’s main office in South Korea, revealed details that Samsung Galaxy S8’s grand launch will happen in New York in April. The likely change of launch schedule seems fitting especially since the Samsung Galaxy S8 is also expected to bring in radical design changes and improvements such as an enhanced AI-based digital assistant, elimination of the physical Home button, a rear-mounted fingerprint reader, adoption of Bluetooth 5.0 and more.

This might just be the best-looking Samsung Galaxy S8 concept yet https://t.co/F7ZS3zzURg pic.twitter.com/sFD4LklphL

— Trusted Reviews?? ? (@trustedreviews) December 20, 2016

Aside from the standard version of the Galaxy S8, a bigger variant is purportedly set for release as well in April. Currently referred to as the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus, GSM Arena noted that the phablet-sized phone will sport a 6-inch AMOLED panel and will “have a very similar overall footprint to the now-discontinued Galaxy Note 7, which had a 5.7-inch screen.” Explaining how Samsung could make the Galaxy S8 Plus sport nearly the same physical size as the Note 7, the report added the following.

“This will be achieved by cutting bezels even more, to the point where the screen really will take up almost all of the phablet’s front fascia.”

But even though the Galaxy S8 Plus could be marketed as a phablet because of its size, it will not arrive with Samsung’s Note phablet’s distinctive feature — the S Pen stylus. GSM Arena mentioned that the Korean tech giant has thought about this feasibility, but later on decided not to push through with it, which, consequently, could serve as a hint that a new Note model, the Galaxy Note 8, may also take the spotlight next year.

If the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus are slated for an early 2017 release, the Note 8 could have a later launch, possibly during the second half of next year. And according to reports, if Samsung will carry on with the Galaxy Note’s release tradition, the geekerati may have to wait until August for the 2017 phablet’s release as previous Galaxy Note models were launched during that month.

In the middle of all these release and specs rumors circulating online about the Galaxy S8, S8 Plus and Note 8, mobile business chief of Samsung Electronics, Koh Dong-jin recently sent an email to employees calling for a tightened and better security before the launch of their 2017 flagship smartphone. As he asks for caution over potential leakage of corporate information, he said, “I feel deeply regretful to hear news of the recent attempts at data breach and prototype leak.” As cited by local Korean news website, The Investor, the email further reads:

“Samsung had a bitter experience due to the leak of important data — on product design and business strategies — to China and consequently suffered damages in the past.”

The release details mentioned above will remain rumors until we hear official words from Samsung. Make sure to take all the Galaxy S8, S8 Plus and Note 8 details surfacing online with a hefty dose of salt.

[Featured Image by Drew Angerer/Getty Images]