A new leaked image has appeared online and it allegedly shows off this year’s Samsung Galaxy S8 inside a protective case. As with many previous leaks, today’s one once again points towards the removal of the physical home button, which appears to have also resulted in the moving of the fingerprint scanner from the front to the rear. As well as this, it appears Samsung will be sticking with the glass build it has used over the past two years, as well as a dual-edge display with extremely thin bezels.
Just like the Galaxy S6 marked a change in direction in terms of design language for Samsung, the Galaxy S8 is expected to mark another big change for the company. After seven generations of smartphones featuring their signature home button, Samsung is expected to finally go through with the removal of the button, with this year’s flagship model expected to feature on-screen buttons. Considering there are still no smartphones on the market that feature a fingerprint scanner integrated into the display, the tech is still relatively untested, so it’s no surprise Samsung appears to have stuck with a less risky option by moving the sensor to the rear, especially after the Galaxy Note 7 ordeal. There is a positive to this, though, with users now more likely to try out the new iris scanner on the front of the device in order to avoid reaching for the fingerprint scanner. The South Korean company is also said to have developed their own Siri and Google Assistant competitor, which is expected to be called “Bixby” and come deeply integrated into the device’s software.
Last year, Samsung opted to announce its flagship duo, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge, at MWC in Barcelona. This year, though, it appears Samsung is opting to skip the event, in favor of holding its own separate event a matter of weeks afterwards. While there is speculation on why Samsung has chosen to do this, it may well be a move designed to perfect this year’s Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ and ensure there are no issues once the device does become widely available.