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Even more Galaxy S8 leaks: batteries, US model branding, and gold version!
Do you prefer to be surprised by phone launches? It’s probably too late now, but if that’s the case, you should stop reading now.
Yes, we have more leaks of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus, the most thoroughly leaked devices in recent memory.
Gold version
As with many Galaxy S8 reports from the past weeks, we owe the images below to Evan Blass. The professional leaker recently revealed the black, grey, and silver versions of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus, and now he’s back with the beautiful golden version. Check it out below, along with two new press renders of the black and orchid grey versions.
Also, here’s another brief video showing a working Galaxy S8:
US model branding and retail box
The same Evan Blass also revealed an interesting, though minor detail that pertains to the way Samsung brands its devices in countries from around the world.
As you can see in the images above, global models lack the “Galaxy S8” text on the back of the device. Assuming Blass’ intel is correct, US versions – including, presumably, unlocked and carrier models – will have the “Galaxy S8” branding on the rear. We can only speculate about the rationale behind this small difference, though we’re sure Samsung has the market studies and focus groups to justify it.
As a piece of related trivia, Samsung does the opposite thing in Japan: The phones it sells there are branded “Galaxy” with no mention whatsoever of the Samsung name.
Out of China, here’s what the Galaxy S8 Plus’ retail box will look like:
Batteries: are they too small?
The last leak on our list is the most important, because it strongly affects user experience.
From several older rumors, we suspected that the Galaxy S8 would come with a 3,000-mAh battery, while the larger Galaxy S8 Plus would go up to 3,500-mAh. Now we have some actual evidence supporting these rumors, in the form of images showing the batteries that will likely power the two phones.
The images tell us that at least some of the batteries for the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus will be manufactured in Vietnam by Samsung SDI, the Samsung group affiliate that was initially blamed for the Note 7 recall. The actual problem turned out to rest in the design of the Note 7’s battery. According to several reports, Samsung tried to diversify its battery supply chain, in order to avoid overreliance on one manufacturer and another fiasco like the Note 7. Still, SDI will probably remain the main supplier for the Galaxy S8.
The capacities of the two batteries might raise concerns, as they bring no improvements over the Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, or Galaxy Note 7. In fact, the 3,500 mAh battery of the Galaxy S8 Plus is actually 100 mAh smaller than the Galaxy S7 Edge’s from last year.
Only time will tell if the concerns are warranted. Battery life depends on many more factors than battery capacity alone. For instance, the 10 nm Snapdragon 835 processor that will power the S8 and S8 Plus is said to be more efficient than its predecessors. Software optimization and tweaks like setting the default screen resolution to Full HD+ could also help improve battery life.
Let us know your thoughts!