iPhone 8, Samsung Galaxy S8, And Microsoft Surface Smartphones Will Debut In 2017
According to most, 2016 was a boring year for smartphone innovation, but that is likely to change in 2017. Apple, Samsung, and Microsoft all have phones coming out that appear to be groundbreaking. Let’s take a look at what we have in store for smartphones in 2017.
iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus
The iPhone 7 series wasn’t a big upgrade from the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, but the iPhone 8 series upgrade is going to be huge. According to 9to5Mac, we may see 4.7-inch to 5.8-inch curved OLED displays, an all-glass design with new colors, wireless charging, an embedded (into the screen) home button, and something that has to do with augmented reality.
BGR describes how Apple may incorporate augmented reality with their next smartphone in 2017.
“The way Apple envisions implementing augmented reality into the iPhone is multi-faceted. For instance, Apple envisions iPhone users being able to point their cameras at any number of objects and have the device itself recognize what’s in frame.”
The article adds that as another example, Apple could build functionality that would allow the iPhone camera to completely manipulate faces. This has caused a lot of excitement in the smartphone world.
Samsung Galaxy S8
The Galaxy Note 7 recall was the most damaging debacle in smartphone history, so Samsung needs to earn back some of its good will in 2017. According to Tech Radar, the Galaxy S8 is shaping up to be a huge upgrade from the S7 and S7 Edge.
“Likely highlights include a 4K screen, a Snapdragon 830 processor, 6GB of RAM and a massively improved camera. There’s even a chance that the Samsung Galaxy S8 will have an iris scanner or a foldable screen, though the latter is somewhat less likely.”
The article adds that there could be two different versions of the S8, and both will come with curved screens. One could be a 5.7-inch regular version, and the other, the one that would have the 4K screen, will be 6.1 inches. The S8 could also have a 30MP dual-lens rear camera, an 8MP front camera, and a 4200mAh battery.
Despite the Galaxy Note 7 mess, there is still a lot of excitement for the Galaxy S8 on Twitter.
Can't wait for next year's release of the Samsung Galaxy S8? Here's a roundup of what insiders have hinted so far! https://t.co/pLF4GY8sdi
— MobileOneLLC (@MobileOneLLC) December 12, 2016
All of these Samsung Galaxy S8 rumors are getting me more and more excited for it's launch!! https://t.co/Hq5r1Jycpo
— Stephanie Carls (@stephelisecarls) December 21, 2016
Samsung Galaxy S devices usually come out in March, but there have been some rumors that the S8 smartphone will come out in April of 2017. Perhaps Samsung wants to do some major quality control so they don’t run into the same mess they did with the Galaxy Note 7.
Microsoft Surface Phone
This could be the most unique smartphone in 2017. The smartphone, which will likely run a full desktop version of Windows 10, will be aimed mostly at business users. According to the Express, Microsoft’s new smartphone could come with a stylus as well. However, the same source says the smartphone may actually not look all that unique since it will take design cues from Apple and Samsung. (Hopefully, there will be no lawsuits.)
As Trusted Reviews notes, Microsoft is under a lot of pressure to deliver. They have teamed up with Qualcomm to build the device, which may include a high-powered Snapdragon processor. However, putting a full Windows operating system on a very small device certainly didn’t work out 10 years ago with the Ultra Mobile PC series. Perhaps Microsoft has found a way to put their own smartphone operating system on top of Windows 10. They would also have to find a way to provide several hours of battery life.
Judging by all the rumors, which smartphone are you most excited by — the Surface Phone, the Galaxy S8, or the iPhone 8? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
[Featured Image by Julio Cortez/AP Images]
