If you’ve been holding out patiently for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, Samsung’s newest flagship devices, then your wait may soon be over after the phones went on sale in an initial four markets.
Samsung is starting sales in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and Korea today (Friday), with expansions to other countries coming “in the weeks ahead,” it said.
In case you missed the reviews this week, TechCrunch’s Brian Heater described the devices as yet further evidence that Samsung produces the best Android smartphones on the planet, although he believes that the software side of the experience doesn’t match up to the hardware.
To recap, the 5.8-inch S8 is priced at $725 while the larger, 6.2 inch S8+ comes in at $825. For that money, customers will get an infinity display, next-gen processor and solid camera experience that keeps Samsung at the front of the Android handset race. That being said, neither models ships with Samsung’s Bixby smart assistant. The much-anticipated service, which Samsung put forward as one of the phone’s key selling points, will come to the S8 series via an update that is due out in the spring.
Initially readings look positive for Samsung, with the company selling a record one million pre-orders in Korea alone, although there are rumors of supply chain issues in the country. More wider, analysts have tipped global sales to reach at least 45 million units. Analyst firms remain divided over whether Galaxy S8 sales will exceed last year’s Galaxy S7 series, which reached an estimated 48 million units worldwide. Nonetheless, Samsung is looking at a 50 percent year-on-year profit jump when it reports its next earnings this month — that’s primarily down its memory chip business, but a good selling flagship would be another welcome addition for the company.
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