- Three new models including two minor "S" upgrades plus an all-new iPhone 8
- Display : 4.7, 5.5 and 5.8in 2436x1125 Curved OLED
- Storage : 32GB, 128GB, and 256GB
- CPU and RAM : A11 processor, 3-4GB RAM
- Front Camera : 8MP
- Rear Camera : 12MP dual-lens, dual-OIS, 4K video recording
- Extras : Iris scanner, Wireless charging, Fingerprint reader, Bluetooth 5.0
- Curved, edge-to-edge OLED display with True Tone technology and/or Ion-X glass
- Virtual home button with integrated Touch ID
- Touch ID alternative via iris scanning and/or facial recognition
- "Wireless" charging (inductive/magnetic charging, as with the Apple Watch)
- Dual-lens camera, possibly in a vertical configuration
- AR capabilities featuring rear-facing 3D laser for enhanced depth perception
- Support for the Apple Pencil
- Stainless steel and glass body
- Four or more colors including a reflective, mirror-like option
- Upgraded storage and memory, possibly starting at 64GB and 3GB of RAM
- Intel or Qualcomm modem
- iOS 11 (preview)
- Superfast charging via USB-C connection
- Enhanced water resistance or waterproofing
- Higher quality earpiece for louder, clearer audio
- Apple's next-generation processor (the A10X or A11)
- List price around $1,000 to $1,200
Samsung Galaxy S8 - Announced
- Display : 5.8 and 6.2in 2960x1440 Super AMOLED Display
- Storage : 64GB internal, 256GB expandable
- CPU and RAM : Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 / Exynos 8895 Processor, 4GB RAM
- Front Camera : 8MP with autofocus
- Rear Camera : 12MP, 4K video recording, optical image stabilization.
- Extras : Iris scanner, Wireless charging, Fingerprint reader, Bluetooth 5.0
CPU and Memory
Apple's iPhone 8 is rumored to be powered by the new A11 processor and M11 motion-coprocessor. How does that compare to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 or Samsung Exynos 8895 processor in the Galaxy S8?
TSMC is reportedly making Apple’s 10-nanometer chipset. Production is rumored to start this spring. The new chipset Apple and may boast a 20% speed gain and 40% power reduction compared to the older 16-nanometer technology.
Both phones are expected to be evenly matched when it comes to RAM - 4GB each. The iPhone 8 is expected to have more internal RAM (256GB) but the S8, with its built-in 64GB RAM can match and even exceed the iPhone 8, once external memory is included because it can support up to a 256GB mini SD card.
Display
The new iPhone 8's screen may come in three sizes - 4.7, 5.5, and 5.8 inches. However, only the high end model may have the curved OLED screen, like the current Samsung S7 Edge but the new S8 and S8 Plus have the curved, Super AMOLED screen with a resolution of 2960 x 1440.
Camera
Both Apple iPhone 8 and Samsung S8 models will have a 8MP front camera but the S8 has autofocus. The rear camera will have a 12MP resolution but the iPhone 8 is rumored to have the 12MP dual lens. Apple is planning to take the crown in the area of smartphone photography.
Extra Features
The iPhone 8 is expected to have an iris scanner, fingerprint reader and wireless charging but the S8, with its own iris scanner, plans to take biometrics to an even higher level.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
With the acquisition of Viv Labs and the original creators of Siri under Samsung's umbrella, the S8's will come with the new AI Digital Assistant, Bixby.
Bixby will soon be introudced into all of Samsung's HDTVs, watches, tablets, etc. It is Samsung’s answer to Siri, Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa.
Who will have the Lead?
With the debacle of the Galaxy Note 7 in the rear view mirror, Samsung is determined to reverse its fortune with the S8 and S8 Plus. With its impressive phone shipping this month, they will have an approximate 6 months lead ahead of Apple.
The Apple iPhone 8's announcement may be delayed due to challenges around its 3-D sensing technology, difficulties with embedding the fingerprint reader on the front of the phone and shortage of OLED screens but still in time for the all important Christmas holidays. In the meantime, Apple is relying on the iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus to keep customers from switching to Samsung.
Samsung is salivating about converting some of the current Apple iPhone 7 users to their new phone. When the iPhone 8 debuts some time in Q4, Samsung will already have the new Galaxy Note 8 (debut August 23) to challenge Apple again.
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| Samsung Galaxy Note 8 with dual cameras |
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 possible specs
- IP68 water and dust certification, like all recent premium Galaxy smartphones
- Massive 6.3-inch ‘SuperAMOLED’ Infinity Display with minimal bezels
- New 18.5:9 aspect ratio with 1440 x 2960 (2K) native resolution
- Design will be more “squared off” (incl. display corners) compared to Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus
- Device dimensions of 162.5mm x 74.6mm x 8.5mm
- Globally it ships with the Exynos 8895 chipset with exception of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 in the US
- 6GB RAM as standard versus 4GB in Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus (some limited 6GB editions were Asia-only exclusives)
- 64GB of internal storage
- MicroSD expansion slot retained
- Rear dual cameras: 12 megapixel, f/1.7 aperture, dual pixel and 12 megapixel, f/2.4 aperture with 2x optical zoom. Optical image stabilisation on both modules
- Front camera - 8 megapixel, f1.7 aperture
- 3300mAh battery
- Quick Charging and Wireless Charging via USB Type-C
- Midnight Black, Maple Gold, Orchid Grey and Deep Sea Blue color options
- European pricing around €1,000. About $1,000+ in the U.S.
Some observers say with the advent of ever smarter phones and their built-in cameras, they may even threaten the survival of point-n-shoot and DSLR cameras. Take a look at the video above to see some of the best smartphone cameras on the market now.
Read my earlier post on this thought.
