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China-exclusive Galaxy S Light Luxury is the S8 Lite in all but name

Samsung launches streamlined Galaxy S8 lookalike exclusively in China priced at just over $600.
By
May 21, 2018
Samsung Galaxy S Light Luxury
TL;DR
  • Samsung launches Galaxy S Light Luxury exclusively in China.
  • ‘S8 Lite’ priced at 3,999 yuan (~$626), available in Burgundy Red and Midnight Black.
  • Infinity Display, Samsung Pay, Bixby, wireless charging, iris scanner, and overall design all mirror Samsung’s 2017 flagship.

The ‘Galaxy S8 Lite’ that recently popped up on Chinese social media has been made official with a new name and a very familiar look. Today, Samsung launched the Galaxy S Light Luxury exclusively in China priced at 3,999 yuan (~$626) in Burgundy Red and Midnight Black colorways.

While Samsung has dropped the Galaxy S8 moniker for the S Light Luxury, there’s no doubting that what we’re looking at here is essentially a cheaper version of the South Korean company’s 2017 flagship.

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The S Light features a 5.8-inch Infinity Display with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio and a 2,220 x 1,080 resolution — down from 2,960 x 1,440 on the S8.

It’s also less powerful than its premium sibling, packing a Snapdragon 660 SoC backed by 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and a 3,000mAh battery.

Samsung has also cut costs by ditching the heart rate sensor but does retain some features such as Samsung Pay, Bixby (and a Bixby button), wireless charging, an IP68 rating, and 4G LTE support (via SamMobile).

The S Light Luxury runs Android 8.0 Oreo out-of-the-box and sports a 16MP camera with a f/1.7 aperture lens on the rear and an 8MP selfie snapper. It also has a fingerprint sensor, facial recognition, and an iris scanner for unlocking the device.

Samsung Galaxy S Light Luxury

Consumers in China can pick up the S Light Luxury on June 1, with pre-orders open from today. As an added bonus, early buyers get a minor discount during the pre-order period, dropping the price down to 3,699 yuan (~$578).

It seems highly unlikely that Samsung’s streamlined S8 will ever see the light of day outside of China, especially with the A-series essentially fulfilling the same role in most regions, but notably not the U.S. (officially).

Let us know your thoughts on the S Light Luxury in the comments.