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What To Expect From Samsung Galaxy S8 Launch Today

After the Note7 debacle, consumers will be looking for a stellar device.
Evan Blass

All eyes will be on Samsung today as it unveils the new Galaxy S8 smartphone, its first flagship launch after the Galaxy Note7 flame out. The event will be live streamed on Samsung's website from 9:30 PM IST. Here is what we can expect from the smartphone.

Just as last year, Samsung is likely to launch two version of the phone, namely Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. Dropping of the word 'edge' from the moniker is probably because of the discontinuation of the flat panel version.

Thanks to the leaks, it is almost confirmed that the Korean smartphone giant is indeed removing the iconic front home-button. The fingerprint sensor will now be on the back and the smartphone will feature advanced IRIS scan that was introduced in the Note7.

Instead, Samsung is opting for a near bezel-less design that can already be seen in Xiaomi's Mi Mix and the LG G6. The display will have a rather unusual 18.5:9 aspect ratio making it quite tall. The Galaxy S8 is expected to have a 5.8-inch display and the Galaxy S8+ is expected to have a 6.2-inch display. Both screens will have Samsung's own QHD AMOLED panels.

Galaxy S8 in black, grey...and gold. pic.twitter.com/q0I6QnhC0x

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) March 22, 2017

Internally, the flagship phone will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 835. However, outside the US and especially in India, the variant is likely to sport Samsung's Exynos chip. Samsung is expected to stick with 4 GB of RAM even though many of its Chinese rivals such as OnePlus are opting for 6 GB of RAM.

A recent leak by SlashLeaks revealed that the Galaxy S8 will be powered by a 3,000 mAh battery and the Galaxy S8+ by a 3,500 mAh battery. The phones are expected to have fast-charging capability. Also, Samsung would have thoroughly tested the batteries, and then some, to avoid a repeat of the Note7 global recall that was on account of the batteries spontaneously catching fire. The phonemaker is also sticking with the headphone jack as of now.

Many leaks have also suggested that the new smartphones will have a 12 MP rear camera and 8 MP front camera. A recent report by the Sun also suggests that the rear lens might have 3D capabilities.

Among the more anticipated features of the phone will be Samsung's new personal assistant, Bixby. The company claims that it is very different from other AI bots such as Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa. Over time, Samsung is aiming to complement and replace touch action in the phones by commands through Bixby.

Evan Blass, the veteran leaker of information about phones and other gadgets, has released the rumored pricing figures of the phones and the new Gear VR headset.

There is a fair amount of buzz around one of the most important phone launches of the year. Samsung has to keep in mind that they have a competitor in Google now at the top of the Android tree. Expectations are high and, yeah, expect a lot of 'fire' jokes on the Internet.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.