Samsung Unveils Galaxy S8 and S8+ With Iris and Facial Recognition, No Home Button

[mdriftmeyer]

Sorry but the Ecosystem, System Performance and Quality Control guarantees Apple has my money.
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What's this about an always-on screen, and why is it just mentioned in a throwaway comment as if it's not big deal?! Sounds far more interesting than smaller bezels, to me.

It's a byproduct of the OLED.

 

[mudflap]

The front isn't bad but the back is still ugly as sin.

 

[LoveToMacRumors]

Still runs Android though.

What's your point? Did you expect it to run with iOS?

 

[4jasontv]

Not sure if i'm the only one bothered by this, but why on earth are the corners of the display rounded? will everything have letterboxing around it? or will it just cut off corners of things? this isn't the 70's. displays have hard corners for a reason....

Steve would say rounded corners are eveywhere.

 

[DNichter]

Yes it does.

Note the chart posted above.

Apple created this segment when they were run by a visionary.

Now they are run by an accountant and they gave up almost everything they used to dominate to the copycats.

Nobody sees any downside to that?

Where can I get some reality distortion kool aid. That stuff really seems to work!

I am not sure why market share is so important. I'd think revenue and sales would be. And Apple took 90% of smartphone profits in 2016 and their year old 6s sold more than all the Samsung phones combined. The 7 came out 6 months after the S7 and it sold more in 2016. Seems like Apple is doing something right.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Not sure if i'm the only one bothered by this, but why on earth are the corners of the display rounded? will everything have letterboxing around it? or will it just cut off corners of things? this isn't the 70's. displays have hard corners for a reason....

You can adjust the settings in apps to fit the screen. This is also a feature on the LG G6.

 

[ijordano]

How does the iris scanner work??

 

[richsw]

What's your point? Did you expect it to run with iOS?

I should have worded it differently. The weak point of this phone is it runs Android.

 

[applepuree]

Love how the implement Apple Rumours. Lets invent a rumour for iPhone9 and see if Samsung implements it. How about a 3D hologram projector ?

 

[Shanghaichica]

I am not sure why market share is so important. I'd think revenue and sales would be. And Apple took 90% of smartphone profits in 2016 and their year old 6s sold more than all the Samsung phones combined. The 7 came out 6 months after the S7 and it sold more in 2016. Seems like Apple is doing something right.

It didn't selll more than all of the Samsung phones combined. More than their flagships but when you factored in the entire range of Samsung phones including their flagships, mid range and bargain basement devices Samsung were the top smartphone seller of 2016.

 

[paul4339]

Now THIS is how to make a futuristic looking smartphone. The older Galaxy S models left a bad taste in my mouth, but this is (physically) what the iPhone 8 should be. Gorgeous ultra-wide AMOLED screen, sleek slender bezels, on-screen navigation buttons... what's not to love. It makes my iPhone SE look dated by comparison.

The phone looks nice with the stock wallpaper... look at the four round corners of the visible display. How would an app with square corners look on this display?

It would either have to wrap around the curve of the screen (creating a distortion like the Galaxy 7 and 6) Or
it would have wasted space if the app stays on the flat surface (which defeats the purpose of a larger screen).


.

 

[mdriftmeyer]

Steve would say rounded corners are eveywhere.

On a 2D screen. He would be far more hesitant agreeing to rounded beveling in 3D for how well it grips ergonomically in your hand; he would also make sure the UI doesn't distort or roll of the screen partially.

 

[flyinmac]

Beautiful phone! The issue with Samsung phones is that they reduplicate all of Google's efforts. Now you will have two "assistants" on the phone to go with your two email clients, your two web browsers, your two calendars, etc.

On the plus side, you have a choice.

From what I've read over the past year, it sounds like Siri's original developers have made some impressive improvements that Apple would have benefited from having if they had kept them on the project.

So it would be interesting if iPhone users had the benefit of those improvements.

I don't mind having options. I prefer using the gmail app. So I already have 2 email programs. If I could uninstall the Apple versions of apps, I would.

So having 2 apps that do the same thing is common on the iPhone already, because you can't always remove the app that Apple wants you to use.

 

[The Game 161]

Apple already wins with software. Lets be honest, Apple is gonna reveal a beautiful device...And if the past is any indication, it's gonna be better built. Apple knows what's at stake here. if they miss even a little bit, it's gonna hurt bad. Apple has something bigger then big waiting for sept. You can bet the house on it.

Just a damn shame about the 5.1 inch usable screen crap.

sorry big phone user thoughts here

 

[4jasontv]

I should have worded it differently. The weak point of this phone is it runs Android.

There is nothing wrong with Android. Some are willing to give up optimization for customization. All that matters is productivity. It's the hypocracy when "the end user can customize it how they like" is blended with bloatware you can't unistall that bothers me.

 

[theelysium]

Until the iPhone 8 copies this 6 month old design and even the biggest Apple fans love it and still pointing to Samsung they are coping Apple. The copy thing is getting old, even for the competition. At least the competition is moving ahead where Apple keeps sitting in their 'originals'.

Samsung is Copying Apple. They do it through trolling their patients, sharing the desisgn between Samsungs hardare division and via rummors. Samsung purpsoly copies and then jumps the gun to try to out do them. Apple problem is their lock step upgrade process. Any other tech cokmpnay can try to out do them just before they do their product release like clock work.

That curved screen was from Apple's patent several years ago. 2 years after their beta patent for a curved edge phone Samsung releases their copy cat.

Just just cuz they were "first" does not mean they are relevent or that they came up with it. Bein first to markt does not mean it is original.

 

[Dirtfarmer]

What just happened? You started by admitting that you should have an iPhone, because it would make your life easier, then you claim the Note's are more reliable. Then you say you bought a Note 4 after admitting that the Note 1 wasn't very good. I kind of understand. I guess. You owned all music? What does that have to do with anything? What does being a shareholder have to do with everything?

You are not seeking to convert people to the mac with your words. This means you are not a mac evangelist.

Nope.

I stated that a large group of people I socialize with is locked into the proprietary and closed iMessage.

Having access to iMessage would be good for me socially but I have never been able to justify the high cost, low functionality, and relatively poor reliability of iOS hardware or the non-Mac ecosystem. Especially since I need my phone for work.

Android has been killing iOS in the segment that Apple invented for many years. In hardware, software, and ecosystem. And price! And sales! And penetration!! Why does that not worry anyone?

I don't personally see that trend reversing until Apple takes every accountant who is milking Steve's ideas for profit and puts them on the 10, 5, and 2 program. (Take 10 minutes to tell them they have 5 minutes to pack 2 boxes and GTFO.)

I mentioned the other factoids to let you know that I actually an OG supporter of Apple: I have nearly 20 years of either believing in the company and platform or (more recently) wanting to believe in it.

 

[rohanparekh]

AAPL gained $$ after this announcement. What does it mean?

 

[Beenblacklisted]

Apple better have a good answer to this. Looks fantastic.

Yes, the iphone 7S. Sorry.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Thank you. I swear, you'd think Samsung had reinvented the wheel with this. It's pretty much what I expected. They were under the gun to have a hit with this after the exploding phones last year. And, it looks a good deal like the front of all the renders based on iPhone leaks we've seen.

The back looks different and I've never cared for those centered cameras, but that's a Samsung thing and if they moved it, they'd really look like they were copying Apple's iPhone designs, so they won't.

It's a phone, not a cure for ebola.

I expect iPhone to look similar.

Just more Apple-y.

Oh dear are we really going to try the Samsung are copying a device Apple hasn't even brought out yet.

Shall we just forget about the evolution of Samsung phone design from the S6 onwards which this latest phone is clearly evolved from. Let's just shout copy.

 

[drewyboy]

I am not sure why market share is so important. I'd think revenue and sales would be. And Apple took 90% of smartphone profits in 2016 and their year old 6s sold more than all the Samsung phones combined. The 7 came out 6 months after the S7 and it sold more in 2016. Seems like Apple is doing something right.

Profits should only matter if you're a stock holder. If they have a smaller amount of market share and the vast majority of profits, that tells you they're over charging you strictly from a consumers point of view.

 

[DNichter]

It didn't selll more than all of the Samsung phones combined. More than their flagships but when you factored in the entire range of Samsung phones including their flagships, mid range and bargain basement devices Samsung were the top smartphone seller of 2016.

You're right, not just the 6s. The 6s sold more than any single Samsung phone, including their flagships. Here is where it shows this info. Being generous and giving the 5 Samsung phones listed 25M each puts it at 125M for the year. Apple (with 4 phones listed) looks to have sold about 160M. Still, having your year old phone still outsell any one of your flagship phones is pretty impressive.

 

[DudeDad]

It comes with an asbestos case...

 

[Dirtfarmer]

Sorry but the Ecosystem, System Performance and Quality Control guarantees Apple has my money.

Weird.

The paucity of those three things has guaranteed that I don't give Apple a red cent for the last 7 years.

But then again I support Mac and iOS for work and iOS personally, so I have had sufficient exposure to the platform to realize that the emperor has no clothes.

 

[theelysium]

you can't be serious?

how can they be copying something that isn't even out yet or even copy plans when samsung were clearly planning this design since the S7 was out.

If anything apple are copying android with OLED/Wireless charging/iris scanning

I love all my apple products but the amount of comments from people who can only see out of their apple glasses is embarrassing.

What do you mean? You don't copy a company ater a product is released. You copy through patent trolling, sharing designes between hardware division and phone division. You copy through rumors. If the rumor is Apple is realeasing a bezeless phone... Well jump them and do it first. Most of the rumors are turn. Take a look at patently apple and you will see how easy it woudl be just to go... Hmm lets copy this idea nd go for it. Pay attention to THIS website you are on which has been 80% correct on all rumors. All you have to do 6 months ago is follow Apple and get an idea of what they are doing and then jump in the market. It is not that hard to do, man.