The Innovation Daily - All Things Samsung S8

Samsung's Galaxy S8 and S8+ are now on sale, after a splashy reveal last month. The new flagship smartphone from Apple's biggest rival looks like almost one big, continuous display and it's definitely a design tour de force.

Samsung’s Galaxy S8 is now on sale in the U.S., Canada and Korea with more launches to come

If you’ve been holding out patiently for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, Samsung’s newest flagship devices, then your wait may soon be over after the phones went on sale in an initial four markets.

Samsung is starting sales in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and Korea today (Friday), with expansions to other countries coming “in the weeks ahead,” it said.

In case you missed the reviews this week, TechCrunch’s Brian Heater described the devices as yet further evidence that Samsung produces the best Android smartphones on the planet, although he believes that the software side of the experience doesn’t match up to the hardware. Read more...

VIDEO: Samsung Galaxy S8: The best Tips, Tricks and Hidden Features

There's a lot the Samsung Galaxy S8 can do. Enough to make you spin in circles trying to figure it all out. But two things: 1) Not all the features are useful, and 2) Stop trying to figure it all out and read this guide instead. Read more...

Samsung Galaxy S8 Is Monstrously Expensive To Produce

When Samsung announced the S6 and S6 Edge a while ago a lot of us were surprised that the company didn't push the Edge model more. But the reality was that this device was more complicated to build and generated less profit for the firm than its "flat" S6 varient. Now Samsung has got rid of the standard device, and offers only phones with a curved edge - and it's clearly going to affect profitability.

According to data from IHS Markit and published by Statista, the Samsung Galaxy S8 costs $307.50 per unit. That's a jump from last year's Galaxy S7 Edge which costs $271.20 to produce. By way of comparison, the iPhone 7 costs just $224.80 to produce, $82.70 less. The Samsung Galaxy S8 is the most expensive phone to produce currently on the market. Read more...

Samsung Galaxy S8 Review: The Prettiest Phone Wins

With the exploding Note 7 battery fiasco, Samsung inadvertently did something that’s increasingly difficult these days: It made smartphones interesting for a flickering moment. Super interesting in fact. Besides the intriguing mournful saga of the Note 7, whose embarrassing recall cost the company billions, Samsung also set up a dramatic release narrative for the Galaxy S8. This wasn’t just another smartphone—this was a make-or-break device charged with saving a company in the throes of an existential crisis. A smartphone that screams at the void—yikes! Read more...

The Samsung S8 Makes This The Best Time To Switch To An Android Phone

It’s not quite like learning a new language or how to ride a bike, but at times it does feel a little bit like both.

After nearly ten years of faithful Apple consumption — listening to iTunes, watching an Apple TV, reading iBooks — I did something completely unexpected this month, even to myself, I made the leap from the neatly walled garden of Apple’s smartphone, smart watch and tablet and into the wilds of the loosely-controlled world of Android gadgets.

I could blame the change on a variety of must-need wearable, quasi-smart technododas, or virtual reality or even an edge-to-edge screened smartphone that looks like you’re carrying a piece of the sky around in your pocket. But the real culprit for my leap of consumer faith isn’t one single Samsung product; it was an ecosystem of them. Read more...

Samsung’s Galaxy S8 Is An iPhone Replacement—Sometimes

In the world of big-screen smartphones, there's only room for two—maybe.

Earlier this week, the Galaxy S8+ I ordered finally arrived on my doorstep. A long-time iPhone user, I wasn't sure what to expect, but thought now was as good a time as any to complement my Apple (AAPL, -0.12%) lifestyle with something from the Korean conglomerate.

After all, when Samsung (SSNLF, +23.33%) unveiled its Galaxy S8 last month, I was impressed by what it offered. A high-end Qualcomm (QCOM, -0.30%) Snapdragon 835 processor could deliver better-than-iPhone performance, I thought. And the Galaxy S8's design, featuring a curved screen and impossibly small bezels that forced the company to eliminate a physical home button in favor of a virtual option, got me excited. After living with only modest iPhone upgrades over the last few years, it was refreshing to see something so different. Read more...

The Galaxy S8 Is Cheaper Than It Should Be, Thanks To Samsung’s Screw-up

Unless you’re Samsung, you should be happy the Galaxy Note 7 exploded last year. Not only was Samsung able to find some serious quality control issues and hopefully eliminate the risk of exploding batteries, but the brand new Galaxy S8 phone, available on Friday in stores, is probably a lot cheaper than it could have been.

Pricing starts at $720 for a phone that’s miles better than its predecessor, and most of its competitors made so far this year, even though the handset cost $40 more to make than the Galaxy S7.

A new research note from IHS says the Galaxy S8 costs $307.50 to make, with $5.90 of that paying for basic manufacturing. Read more...

Which Galaxy S8 Unlock Option Is The Most Secure?

ou can use up to three different methods to unlock your Galaxy S8 phone using nothing more than your body. The front-facing camera can scan and identify your face, or you can use the embedded iris scanner to read your eyes like a fingerprint. Oh, and of course there's an oddly placed fingerprint sensor on the back of the phone.

All three work, and are fun to show off with to friends and family members. But which method(s) should you use, and which should you avoid? Read more...

Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ Update To Come Next Week To Fix The ‘Red Tint’ Problem

Although the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ were not officially available until today, that didn’t stop some carriers mailing out handsets a little early. While most users appear to be happy with their brand new smartphones, some people noticed that the display has a slightly red tint. Samsung now plans on pushing out an update next week to address these complaints…

Shortly after complaints started to roll in, Samsung released a statement to the Korean Herald that stated the rent tint was not a screen defect, but was actually an issue that could be fixed by simply manually recalibrating the display.

Now, Samsung has released another statement saying that the company will begin rolling out updates to all Galaxy S8 devices next week. This update will purportedly address the red tint problem being reported by some users as well as increase the color range currently supported by the S8’s display. Read more...

Samsung’s New S8 Feels Rushed, But Consumers Unconcerned About Battery Safety

Survey data shows moderate excitement about the phone despite a major design flaw and some not-ready-for-prime-time software.

Part of the reason for Samsung’s Note 7 exploding battery crisis was that the company was in a big hurry to get the phone to market before Apple could announce its new iPhone 7. The batteries had design flaws, and quality assurance was lacking in their manufacture.

Samsung’s first post-Note 7 phone—the S8/S8+—goes on sale today, and while we know of no quality assurance problems, some aspects of the device—particularly the implementation of the fingerprint reader and the Bixby personal assistant—suggest that Samsung is still rushing new devices to market before they’re fully baked.

Those considering buying an S8 in the next few days should be aware of this, even if doesn’t end up being a deal-breaker. The S8 is arguably the strongest smartphone in the world right now; what it gets right it gets very right, and lots of people will like it. That makes it all the more confounding that Samsung would release the device with such glaring shortcomings. Read more...

Some additional information you might find useful:

Samsung Profits Rise as Galaxy S8 Hits Stores

Asharq Al-awsat

Samsung Electronics' profits were on the rise in wake of its unveiling of the new Galaxy S8 smartphone, which went on sale over the counter. The world's biggest smartphone maker added more than $1 billion to its market capitalization Friday as ...

Here's How Much the New Samsung Galaxy S8 Costs to Make

TheStreet.com

"The higher total BOM [bill of materials] costs for the Galaxy S8 seem to be part of a trend that reflects something of an arms race in features among Apple, Samsung and other phone manufacturers, as they all try to ad new and distinguishing hardware ...

First Test Results: Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

ConsumerReports.org

The first Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones reached consumers this week, and Consumer Reports has purchased eight of them (four of each model). Those phones are in our labs, and we have results on the camera performance, display quality, and ...

Phone Comparisons: Samsung Galaxy S8 vs Huawei Mate 9

Android Headlines

Do we have a good one for you today – The new Samsung Galaxy S8 takes on the Huawei Mate 9. The Galaxy S8 with its Infinity Display and all-glass backing takes on the large displayed, all-metal Mate 9. Does the new Galaxy S8 have what it takes to ...

Samsung Galaxy S8 first look: Consumer Reports

WSYR

Eventually Samsung pulled the smartphone from the market, but now it's trying to get back in the game with the launch of the Galaxy S8. The new smartphone just hit store shelves, and Consumer Reports reveals how it stacks up against the competition.

Samsung's Galaxy S8 has a big design flaw

ZDNet

Read any review of Samsung's new Galaxy S8 and there's one consistent theme that appears: The position of the fingerprint sensor is seriously flawed. Must read: Apple's big $1,000+ iPhone gamble. Let's take a look at what the reviewers have been saying.