New Galaxy S8 rumors: April 21 launch date, rear-mounted fingerprint sensor and more

Now that Samsung has officially moved on from the disastrous Galaxy Note 7 launch, the rumors about the company’s next smartphone, the Galaxy S8, seem to be picking up speed. The latest such report comes from The Guardian, which repeats a number of rumors about the phone along with adding a few new ones as well.

The report, which cites unnamed sources, claims the phone could go on sale on or around April 21, a few days later than previous launch date reports that targeted April 18. While Samsung has yet to officially confirm a launch date for its next flagship, we can expect the device to be unveiled in the mid- to late-April timeframe.

The Guardian’s report agrees with previous rumors, renders and display shell photo leaks that show the Galaxy S8 will come in two sizes. Still, there’s no specific word on how large they will be; only that the phones will be between 5 and 6 inches, according to the report (pretty descriptive, right?). Both versions will feature edge-to-edge screens with almost no bezel, too.

A few other hardware details in this report: the phone will (thankfully) keep the 3.5mm headphone jack, and also sport the same iris scanner that was found on the Note 7. The rear camera on the S8 will supposedly be only an incremental upgrade from the S7’s camera, as well. That’s not really a bad thing, though, as the S7’s camera has been one of the best on the market since its launch.

The report also claims that we can expect a new version of Samsung’s Gear VR headset and a new Gear 360 camera to launch alongside the Galaxy S8. Samsung might also launch new “DeX” accessories, such as a dock, that could turn the phone into a Android desktop PC when the dock is also connected to a keyboard, mouse and monitor. The article repeats rumors about the phone’s alleged Bixby digital assistant, and seems to believe the phone will come with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor inside. Indeed, another rumor claims that Samsung has managed to corner the early market for this processor, which means the Galaxy S8 may be the first to have it inside.

Of course, all of these reports have yet to be officially confirmed by Samsung, and it’s possible that the company’s plans may chance for the Galaxy S8 between now and launch time. One thing is for sure – because of the failed launch of the Note 7, the release of the Galaxy S8 could be the most important product launch in Samsung’s history, and you can bet they will take great pains to make sure it goes off without a hitch.

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