Shane
Samsung has now introduced to the world, the Galaxy S8 and S8+, a smartphone that pushes the boundaries of traditional smartphones with its seamless hardware design and a variety of new service offerings. With the launch of multiple services and apps, as well as a stunning Infinity Display for immersive viewing experiences, the Galaxy S8 and S8+ brings a new level of functionality and convenience, opening up a galaxy of possibilities.
“The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ usher in a new era of smartphone design and fantastic new services, opening up new ways to experience the world,” said DJ Koh, President of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics. “The Galaxy S8 and S8+ are our testament to regaining your trust by redefining what’s possible in safety and marks a new milestone in Samsung’s smartphone legacy.”
“We are always trying to bring to market the best innovations that help Kiwis get the most out of their smartphone experience. The screen is what you interact most with on your device, and the Galaxy S8 and S8+’s Infinity Display takes the smartphone screen to the next level. The result is the most immersive screen on a mobile device of this size – something we’ve achieved without needing to increase the devices footprint,” said Todd Selwyn, Head of Mobile Portfolio for Samsung Electronics New Zealand.
The Galaxy S8 builds on Samsung’s heritage of creating stunning designs and functional devices. Available in 5.8-inch Galaxy S8 and 6.2-inch Galaxy S8+, the Infinity Display and bezel-less design form a smooth, continuous surface with no buttons or harsh angles. The result is a truly immersive viewing experience without distractions and makes multi-tasking more convenient. The Galaxy S8’s compact design enables comfortable one-handed operation and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on both the front and back for both durability and a high-quality finish.
In addition to the new design innovations, Samsung continues to deliver cutting-edge technology including an advanced camera, enhanced performance and more to the devices that users love, including:
- Premium Camera: The Galaxy S8 and S8+ are equipped with an advanced 8MP F1.7 Smart Autofocus front camera and 12MP F1.7 Dual Pixel rear camera for great low-light, zoom and anti-blur photos with enhanced image processing.
- Powerful Performance: Packing powerful performance and connectivity, the Galaxy S8 and S8+ feature the industry’s first 10nm processor, enabling heightened speed and efficiency. It is also gigabit LTE and gigabit Wi-Fi ready with support for up to 1 GBPS so users can quickly download files, regardless of the file size.
- Global Standard in Mobile Security: The Galaxy S8 and S8+ are built on Samsung Knox, a defense-grade security platform. In addition, the Galaxy S8 and S8+ will offer a wide selection of biometric technologies including a fingerprint scanner, iris scanner and facial recognition so users can select a secure biometric authentication method that works best for them.
The Galaxy S8 and S8+ will also come with the foundational Galaxy features that our customers have come to love, including:
- Water resistance to a maximum depth of 1.5m for up to 30 minutes and dust resistance
- MicroSD support up to 256GB
- Always-on display so you can check the time or view important notes without waking up the device
- Fast and wireless charging capabilities
- Simultaneous device-to-device tethering and Wi-Fi connectivity
Bixby is an intelligent interface that will help users get more out of their phone. With the new Bixby button, you will be able to conveniently access Bixby and navigate through services and apps with simple voice, touch and text commands. At launch, Bixby’s Voice function will integrate with several Samsung native apps and features including Camera, Contacts, Gallery, Messages and Settings, with the plan to expand its capabilities to include more Samsung and third-party apps in the near future. Contextual awareness capabilities enable Bixby to offer personalized help based on what it continues to learn about the user’s interests, situation and location.
Users can also search for images and get details about nearby places with Bixby’s image recognition technology. As the Bixby ecosystem grows, it will connect across devices, apps and services as a ubiquitous interface, and open up new experiences and scenarios to simplify life.
The Galaxy S8 and S8+ offers a robust portfolio of additional products, elevating the Galaxy S8 and S8+ experience for best in class mobile productivity and connectivity.
The Galaxy S8 and S8+ unlocks the new Gear VR with Controller, powered by Oculus. Enabling convenient one-handed control and navigation, the controller provides better motion interaction when accessing interactive VR content. The Galaxy S8 and S8+ will also connect to the new Gear 360 to create 4K 360-degree videos and 15MP photos.
Leveraging the processing power of the Galaxy S8 and S8+ for enhanced productivity, Samsung DeX is a unique solution that transforms your smartphone into a desktop by providing a secure desktop-like experience. With Samsung DeX, users can easily display and edit data from their phone, making working from a smartphone faster and smarter.
New high-performance earphones tuned by AKG by Harman, offering uncompromised audio for unbeatable sound quality, will come as an in-box accessory. These earphones will have a comfortable hybrid canal fit for better noise cancellation and will be made from anti-tangle metal-fabric material.
Pre-orders in New Zealand for the Galaxy S8 and S8+ will be available from 9am on the 20th of April 2017. The Galaxy S8 and S8+ will officially be on sale nationwide at 9am from the 5th of May 2017, through Vodafone, Spark, 2 Degrees, selected retailers and Samsung’s online store. Both devices will be offered in a colour palette including Midnight Black, Orchid Grey and Maple Gold.