Kendria Haley
MC Practicum/Staff
Samsung will release its highly anticipated Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus on April 21 and promises while the features are hot, the phone will not burn up this time.
The Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus have the tech community buzzing. Jackson State University students and android fans flocked to YouTube for the unboxing event last week to see the next big thing for Samsung.
“This phone with its sleek and futuristic design will usher in a new age of smart phones and the way we look at them,” said Zachariah Givens, a senior psychology major from Chicago, Ill.
According to Samsung.com, the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus has the world’s first infinity screen. They packed a lot of screen in a very small amount of space. The S8 has a 5.8” screen and the S8 Plus has a whopping 6.2” screen, beating out major competitors like Apple.
“This is going to be the best phone of the year,” said Givens.
The infinity screen is not the only cosmetic changes being made to this year’s model. The physical home button has been removed to make way for the larger screen.
Some students think this is an awesome way to make the screen larger but also keeping the option for one handed use. For others, removing the home button was a deal breaker.
Benjamin Nowacki, a sophomore engineering major from Flowood, Miss. said, “I need a physical home button, it’s a weird future where Apple has the most physical buttons on a phone.”
Other features include longer battery life, an enhanced camera to take amazing photos in low lighting, as well as a Siri like interface called Bixby, which helps make this phone able to stand with the best.
“I think Samsung finally woke up from the Note 7 nightmare with the Galaxy S8. The company continues to push the boundaries of mobile phone technology and revolutionize the industry,” said Charity Hicks, a junior English education major from Gautier, Miss.
With last year’s issues with the battery on the Note 7, Samsung has reassured its customers that the new devices will be safe to use. According to CNET.com, an 8-point battery safety check was initiated. The checks involve putting the batteries through extreme testing.
Some students think that this new phone is a step in the right direction for the comeback of the company.
“The idea isn’t a surprise. People have a short memory and if you’re just anti-Apple, you’ll still get it anyway. It was a smart play by Samsung though, to put out a new product so everyone would forget the flaws and fallbacks of the previous design’s error. I don’t condemn nor approve of the S8. Let’s just say it was a smooth business move,” said Johnathan Adam, a graduate student from Clinton, Miss.
Both phones are now available to preorder in an assortment of colors. Many companies are offering free gifts with the phone to give an incentive to preorder. Some of those items include the new Gear VR headset as well as wireless ear buds.
“I like how easy and fast they made preordering the phone. There are some awesome free items being given away at the launch too,” said Hicks.
For more information on the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, visit www.samsung.com.
