Galaxy S8 Revealed: Biggest Leak Yet Confirms Headphone Jack, 5.8- And 6.2-Inch Screen, And Disappointing RAM

Details about the Samsung Galaxy S8 are being revealed in a steady stream of leaks. With the device’s official unveiling speculated for March 29, and with the upcoming flagship expected to be Samsung’s best mobile device yet, the hype surrounding the upcoming flagship smartphone is at an all-time high. Recently, a leak from a reputable source has been released, providing the very first official photos of the Galaxy S8, as well as some of the device’s specifics.

The recent and most legitimate leaks came from the ever-reliable Evan Blass, who announced his findings in a VentureBeat report. From what could be determined from the leaked images so far, it appears that Samsung has really dug deep this time around to release a flagship that would be a worthy follow-up to the ill-fated Note 7. Safe, feature-ridden, and rocking a fresh design, the Galaxy S8 appears to be yet another trailblazer.

According to Blass, the Galaxy S8 would be launching with two variants, one with a 5.8-inch screen and another with a 6.2-inch QHD Super AMOLED display. Both units are also said to feature a unique 18:5:9 aspect ratio, which is the first of its kind in a market saturated with 16:9 displays. The screen sizes are quite a surprise for many, since previous speculations have stated that the larger Galaxy S8 would be the one equipped with a 5.8-inch screen. True to previous rumors, both variants of the Galaxy S8 would come with Samsung’s Edge display.

One thing that Samsung fans immediately noticed from Blass’ images was the fact that the Galaxy S8 is equipped with something that its rival, the upcoming iPhone 8, would most certainly not have — a 3.5mm headphone jack. Apple has made waves in 2016 for ditching the headphone jack with the iPhone 7, much to numerous users’ chagrin. With the iPhone 8 most certainly not having the feature, it seems that Samsung is attempting to win some customers over with its decision to keep the classic jack.

Another particularly interesting feature in Blass’ recent Samsung Galaxy S8 leak was the fingerprint sensor on the device. Rumors have long been abounding that Samsung would be repositioning the security sensor in the Galaxy S8. From the leaked images, it appears that the fingerprint reader would be moved to the back of the device, though Blass also noted that its position right beside the main camera might prove to be a bit uncomfortable for users.

The recent Galaxy S8 leak from Blass also confirmed numerous other rumors about the device. For one, the Galaxy S8 would, regardless of the region it would be released, be equipped with a 10nm chip. Just like before, however, Samsung would be releasing the Galaxy S8 with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chip in some regions and a homegrown Exynos processor in others. Both the Snapdragon 835 and the Exynos chip are said to make the Galaxy S8 11 percent faster and 20 percent more energy efficient than the outgoing Galaxy S7.

Not all is good news about the recent Galaxy S8 leak, however, as Blass also noted that Samsung’s upcoming flagship would feature only 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, together with a microSD card slot that could support up to 256GB, according to The Verge. Considering that the 4GB/64GB combination is pretty much the industry standard for capable phones in the current market, it is quite disappointing to see that Samsung seems to be cost-cutting on the Galaxy S8’s memory and internal storage.

While 4GB of RAM and the 256GB-capable microSD slot are enough for daily tasks, the Galaxy S8 has always been expected to be a device that is far more than an ample smartphone. Prior to Blass’ leaks, speculations were high that the Galaxy S8 would feature more than 4GB of RAM, considering that more affordable rivals in the smartphone market such as the OnePlus 3 and the Zenfone 3 Deluxe already come equipped with 6GB of RAM, for a significantly cheaper price. Apart from this, the mobile world’s thrust towards mobile VR requires more processing power than ever. Thus, it would have made a lot more sense for Samsung if it equipped the Galaxy S8 with memory and storage that is at least a little bit more future-proof.

After all, the Galaxy S8 is not expected to be an affordable device. The actual pricing of the Galaxy S8 remains unknown, but Blass has stated that the upcoming flagship would start at around $850 for the 5.8-inch model and around $950 for the 6.2-inch variant. That places the devices well into flagship territory, and even far beyond the prices of its biggest rivals, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Then again, Samsung has a very loyal fanbase comparable to that of Apple. Thus, even if the Galaxy S8 fails to impress in some areas, the device would still, undoubtedly, be a runaway hit.

[Featured Image by David Ramos/Getty Images]