Skip to main content

The Galaxy S8 may be Samsung’s only premium smartphone for 2017, report says

Samsung Galaxy Note 7
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
Samsung may be looking to revamp its smartphone lineup in the wake of the Galaxy Note 7 catastrophe that saw phones catching fire, as well as replacements for those recalled devices also exploding without warning. How much will it revamp its smartphone business? The Galaxy S8 may be the only premium phone Samsung sells in 2017.

For the past few years, Samsung has sold two premium phones each year — the Galaxy S and the Galaxy Note. According to new reports from the Korea Herald, however, Samsung is seriously considering cutting out the Galaxy Note range so it can ensure product quality is maintained across its smartphone lineup and not repeat the disaster of the Galaxy Note 7.

It is important to note that nothing is official yet — and it does not seem as though Samsung has notified suppliers of changes to its smartphone business just yet. It does, however, make sense. After the Galaxy Note 7 began catching fire, reports began surfacing suggesting Samsung rushed the Galaxy Note 7 into production to beat Apple’s iPhone 7 launch event. Samsung denied this, saying the release date for the device had always been planned.

If the reports turn out to be true and Samsung only releases the Galaxy S phone in 2017, there are two possible routes the company could take: ditch the Note line altogether, or alternate each year between the Galaxy S and the Note series. We are betting on the first option — after the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco, it would be hard for the company to convince customers to buy another Note phone and it might make more sense for there to be one flagship Samsung phone.

Reports indicate that the Galaxy S8 is already in development.

Christian de Looper
Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…
Here’s our very first look at the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Plus
Galaxy Tab S9+ leaked images

Samsung’s existing slate of Android tablets is one of the finest hardware of its kind, and it appears that the company doesn’t want to stray from the winning formula any time soon. Leaker @OnLeaks has shared renders of the Galaxy S9 Plus, and they bear a striking similarity to its Galaxy Tab S8 series predecessor.

The sleek metallic build with sharp edges is here to stay, and so is the contrasting magnetic strip at the back. The bezel size also remains familiar, while the horizontally positioned selfie camera is once again positioned at the same spot.

Read more
Here’s how fast 5G on your Samsung Galaxy S23 really is
Samsung Galaxy S23 cameras against greenery

If you’ve been on the fence about picking up one of the latest Galaxy S23 phones, some new research from Ookla may help tip the scales in Samsung’s favor.

In a new speed test report, Ookla tcompared the 5G performance specs of the Galaxy S23 models to last year’s Galaxy S22 in several countries — with some surprising results across the board.
A worthwhile 5G upgrade

Read more
Samsung may have just killed the Galaxy S10
Galaxy S10 Plus.

The Samsung Galaxy S10 was an excellent addition to Samsung's hardware lineup in 2019, but it seems like it's finally being sunset by the company after one final update.

According to Droid Life, this week saw what's likely to be the Galaxy S10's final security update before its official support ends. While it's not confirmed that S10 owners won't see another update if something major needs to be patched, it seems like this might be it for the smartphone line in terms of regularly scheduled updates.

Read more