Previously we'd reported that Samsung's Galaxy S8 launch would take place, as it usually does, around MWC in Barcelona - specifically in 2017 the rumours pointed to Samsung hosting a launch event on February 26, a day before MWC kicks off on February 27; the same trick Sammy has pulled the last couple of years running. HOWEVER, word has now emerged that Samsung may delay the launch by at least a month, with the firm allegedly holding back until April to host a dedicated event in New York.
The reasons for the delay are not exactly clear, apparently Samsung has held a recent global strategy meeting at its Korea HQ which may have produced the decision to wait until April and to host the event in the United States. Logical conclusions can be drawn though, and it's plausible Samsung is worried following the Galaxy Note 7 meltdown, deciding to spend a bit of extra time making sure everything is absolutely perfect before releasing the hotly anticipated Galaxy S8 flagship to the watchful eyes of the public.
Typically Samsung handsets land in the hands of pre-order customers about a month after the launch event - previously mid-to-late February Galaxy S flagship launches have seen consumers picking up a handset inside March, meaning it's likely that an April launch will see the Galaxy S8 hitting the market proper in May 2017. So, we do have a fair old wait ahead of us, it seems!
In other Galaxy S8 related news, a report claims the Galaxy S8 will be a fair bit more expensive than the Galaxy S7 - an increase of around 20%, allegedly. As usual on the subject of Samsung details, the info comes via Korean news sources, but also via reports from Goldman Sachs, which gives an estimate of a 15-20% price hike. According to Goldman Sachs Samsung's new digital AI assistant (variously named Viv or Bixby, depending on which reports you believe) is largely responsible for the price increase, somehow, the reports assert, this integration of AI will drive up production and raw material costs for Samsung which will be passed onto consumers. Off the top of our heads we can only assume the inclusion of complex AI will require the use of faster processors and more complex circuitry; meaning more metals and other materials like silicon will be necessary in the production.
Goldman Sachs' report did not elaborate further, but it's reasonable to suspect that Samsung's use of curved OLED displays (whether 4K or otherwise), possibly covering more of the phone's fascia, will also drive prices up. What's more, we wouldn't be surprised if the simple desire to recover some of the money lost on the Galaxy Note 7 would cause Samsung to give the price a little bump if it thought it could get away with it - which clearly it does.
To put the price hike in some kind of real terms, the Galaxy S7 EDGE launched with an RRP of $799 for the base model (the EDGE variant cost a little more than the regular flat-screen Galaxy S7, but as rumours suggest ALL Galaxy S8 models will have EDGE displays we can conclude the price will reflect that in the base model); from here, a 20% price hike bumps that up to $950. Higher capacity storage versions, and the larger screened editions, will likely cost a good deal more than this already high price.
