The Korean smartphone makers are aggressively gearing up to release their flagship devices to the masses in the coming weeks. We’ve already received enough leaks about the features each of these devices, namely LG G6 and Samsung Galaxy S8, will pack but we might now know the exact global launch dates for these devices.
A report in Korean publication ETNews suggests that both LG and Samsung have finalised the launch date for their upcoming flagship devices. Post a grand unveiling at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week, the LG G6 will become available across the globe on March 10. It also plans to allow users to pre-book their devices between March 2 to March 9.
On the other hand, Samsung is not planning to unveil its flagship smartphone Galaxy S8 at the MWC trade show this time around. The Korean giant is planning to reveal the scheduled date for the event along with the trailer at the tablet-focused launch event instead. It’s being speculated that the exclusive Galaxy S8 event will happen on March 29 in New York. Thus, this flagship device will be available to users worldwide on April 21. There are currently no details available for their pre-order timeline.
While previous reports suggest that LG G6 was scheduled to launch on March 9 and Galaxy S8 some time earlier in April, but ETNews has uncovered a different schedule. And this has been explained by the publication saying that it was most likely true as Samsung was planning to unveil their flagship device on April 14, with presales scheduled from April 6. But, it is now planning to wait and observe the sales of LG G6 before making their device available globally. With regards to the same, a high-ranking official says,
If initial responses towards G6 are positive, there is a chance that Samsung Electronics will open up preorder for Galaxy S8 earlier than expected.
LG planned on unveiling their flagship earlier than Samsung to be able to boost sales and create hype about the new features packed in their product. But, it seems to be playing out the other way round. The said schedule will give Samsung an upper hand as it will be able to understand the sales pattern and demand for the LG G6. Thus, it will be able to mould its strategy according to the same.
As for features for each smartphone, LG G6 is expected to include a metal unibody construction sporting a 5.7-inch QuadHD+ ‘Full Vision’ display. It will have an unusual screen aspect ratio of 2:1, which the company plans to utilise through their new UX changes, which have already been detailed. It will possibly include a Snapdragon 821 processor, 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of internal storage, dual-camera setup and 32-bit Quad DAC audio.
The Galaxy S8, on the other hand, is expected to be unveiled with massive bezel-free displays, particularly 5.7-inch and 6.2-inch. There is going to be a certain lack of the prominent home button, which is being replaced by on-screen navigation buttons. The smartphone will be powered by the latest Snapdragon 835 chip, and why not, because it is hogging all the supply. It is also expected to include a 3.5 mm audio jack and physical fingerprint sensor (not embedded in the screen). It will also be dust and water resistant, something we’ve come to expect from the Korean giant. And the highlight of the phone will be the Viv-powered AI voice assistant that might be present across all first-party apps.
