6 Reasons To Get Your Wallets Ready For The Samsung Galaxy S8

If you’re someone who needs the latest and greatest phone on the market, allow us to guide your credit card in the right direction. And that direction is your nearest Samsung Store on 11 April.

That’s because the Samsung S8 and S8+ will be open for booking and without a doubt, it’s going to be better than anything else that came before.

Sure, there are a couple of features that just haven’t broken any new ground. The 3000 and 3500 mAh batteries are good, but not the highest we’ve seen by long shot. But after the Note 7 fiasco, we’re sure Samsung were purposefully careful with this.

The main camera’s also a carry over from the S7, but of course with software and processing improvements.

Having said that, the S8 is unlike anything else the company has ever done before. And here’s why you should probably get ready to buy one.

1. The only phone that looks like it’s from the future

Before we even get into just how cool this display is, let’s take a second to consider its size. The S8 comes in with a 5.8” behemoth. But if that isn’t large enough, there’s also the S8+ with a 6.2” display. The ONLY differences between the two phones are the display size and battery capacity.

With that out of the way, have you seen anything so pretty? The Infinity Display seen here is no longer a gimmick or experiment. It’s an essential part of the S8’s character and design. For years, smartphone makers have been looking to eliminate bezels, and with the S8, it feels like we’re finally at that point. The ‘forehead’ and ‘chin’ are minimal, allowing for a phone that’s narrow and tall. Not only is it easier to grip, but it’s also easy on the eyes.

What’s more, some apps, like YouTube, will be able to go into fullscreen mode. As in edge-to-edge full screen with zero black bars. It’ll be like holding a video in your hands! If this is what the future of the smartphone looks like, we’re very excited.

2. A virtual assistant that sees the world through your camera

First, there was Siri. Then, Android users got Google Assistant. But Samsung, the major player that it is, have decided to go for their own virtual assistant. It’s called Bixby, and boy, have they gone all in with this fella. They’re so confident in it that they’ve even given it its own physical button!

Whether or not Bixby will be useful in everyday tasks remains to be seen. And Samsung has made miscalculations about new features in the past. But early reviews have noted that Bixby’s actually quite unique.

For example, you can easily open up the camera app and point the phone at something you want to buy or know more about. Bixby will identify what’s in the image and look it up for you. This kind of integration between the physical and virtual world is definitely a little unsettling but there’s not stopping progress!

3. On-screen buttons - the Samsung way!

Samsung has been really stubborn with letting go of dedicated Android navigation buttons. A bit strange considering even Blackberry made the jump with the DTEK50.

With the S8, we finally see a departure from tradition. But in true Samsung fashion, they’ve made it better than stock. First of all, the virtual buttons are configurable. So those not accustomed to having the ‘Back’ button on the right side can have that sorted.

Plus, most early looks at the phone note that the home button is pressure sensitive, so even if an app goes full screen and the navigation buttons disappear, a long, slightly hard press on the bottom-centre of the screen will bring you home.

4. It knows your FACE!

Admittedly, this feature isn’t exactly new. But just like anything else on a phone, it’s the implementation that matters. With the Galaxy S8, the number of ways you can unlock your phone is just excessive.

The typical password/pin is still here, but so is a super-quick fingerprint sensor. On top of that, you’ve got an iris scanner and face detection. Thanks to a new 8-megapixel front-facing camera, this is super fast to use. The moment you hold the screen up to your face, it just knows it’s you. How cool is that?

5. An Integrated GIF creation tool!

You might think that we’re pulling at straws here, but this built-in feature is something a lot of millennials have been waiting for. Emojis are too bland. Videos aren’t instant enough. GIF combines emotions in the digital medium better than anything.

But instead of being that one friend who keeps spamming old memes, you’ll be an actual meme creator! With an integrated GIF tool, you can make any video into a moving picture in the built-in gallery app.

6. Bluetooth 5 before anyone else

One of the biggest innovations on the S8 is the inclusion of Bluetooth 5. No other smartphone has been here yet, so it’s definitely worth talking about. Just looking at how it stacks up against version 4.2 is quite mind blowing.

Two times the SPEED. Four times the RANGE. Eight times the BANDWIDTH. Plus, you can pair multiple devices with it at once. Want to have audio going totwo completely different speakers in your home? No prob. Of course, the real advantages of Bluetooth 5 will only be seen later in the year, when new accessories start to take advantage of it.

According to Low Yat, the pre-order for both S8 an S8+ will open on 11 April in Malaysia, so you have exactly 12 days to save up.