Last month it was announced Samsung had acquired connected car tech firm Harman in a deal worth $8 billion.
And while many were intrigued to see whether the company’s phones would benefit from the deal, a recent report from The Investor seemed to put an end to such speculation, claiming Harman tech wouldn’t make it into a Samsung phone until 2018.
But the speculation isn’t quite over yet, as a new report from FoneArena claims the South Korean firm could well be using Harman tech on the upcoming Galaxy S8.
Related: Galaxy S8 – Everything we know
Specifically, the report claims the new flagship handset will come with dual speakers and stereo sound – a significant upgrade over the S7’s mediocre speaker setup.
While it is claimed the next in the Galaxy S line will come with Harman branding on its speakers, the report doesn’t state just how significant the Harman element of the rumoured new setup will be.
It also remains unclear where the speakers will be mounted on the phone, as
Either way, we’re inclined to doubt this latest report, as Park Jong-hwan, Senior Vice President and head of Samsung’s car parts division, told The Investor recently: “It will take time for the acquisition process to be completed, including the planned shareholders’ vote. After that, we could ramp up efforts for business synergies.
“If we are to adopt Harman’s high-end audio technology for the Galaxy S series phone, the first model could come in 2018.”
Related: CES 2017
Still, it was unclear at the time, and remains unclear, just how much the head of the car parts division knows about the firm’s mobile plans – so there is a chance FoneArena is on the money with this one.
Samsung is expected to unveil the S8 at MWC in February next year, so we should find out soon just what the company has in-store for the phone, which will reportedly arrive with a slick new design.
Other mooted features include a new, almost full-face 4K screen, a Snapdragon 830 chip, and a new USB Type-C port. Stay tuned for more in the coming months.
WATCH: Galaxy S8: Everything We Know So Far
Let us know what you think of the latest rumours in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
