We’ve hear rumours of an edge-to-edge screen on the Galaxy S8 for some time now, with Apple also said to be working on a similar design for the upcoming iPhone 8.
Now, a Samsung engineer has reportedly shed some light on Samsung’s display plans (via The Investor), revealing the S8 might come with an OLED display with a greater than 90% screen-to-body-ratio.
Speaking at last week’s iMiD 2016 display exhibition in Seoul, a Principal Engineer for Samsung Dislay Co., Park Won-sang, said the firm would introduce the larger screen next year, but did not confirm whether it would appear on the S8.
Related: Galaxy S8 – Everything we know
The engineer also unveiled concept designs for a version of the Galaxy S7 Edge with no bezels, demonstrating the company’s ambitions when it comes to producing handsets with larger, almost full-face screens.
Won-sang also said that Samsung could create a handset with a 99% screen-to-body ratio in the next few years – the current average ratio for smartphones on the market is about 80% according to the report.
The Korean firm has long-been rumoured to be working on a design for the S8 that will see the removal of the home button and a larger display.
This render was created based on such rumours, giving us an idea of what the phone could look like:
The removal of the home button would also mean the fingerprint scanner would have to be reworked, but with Apple patents hinting at new technology which can incoporate a scanner into the display itself, we could see something similar from Samsung.
Xiaomi, recently unveiled its Mi MIX handset with an almost full-face 1080p LCD display, which gives us a glimpse at what Samsung and Apple could have up their sleeves for 2017.
The phone uses some pretty neat technology to incorporate various features in new ways, such as an ultrasound sensor in place of the proximity sensor (a first for smartphones), which sits beneath the display, along with what the company calls a “piezoelectric ceramic actuator” to provide audible voice calls to your ears in place of the earpiece.
Related: Galaxy S7 Edge
Xiaomi’s Mi MIX comes with an almost full-face screen
And while Won-sang’s comments are far from confirmation that the S8 will arrive with similar tech, it’s nice to have some confirmation from the company that the edge-to-edge display design is at least something it’s working on.
Whether the S8 will resemble the Mi MIX remains to be seen, then, but all signs point to a very similar design, albeit with an OLED screen, rather than LCD.
When it comes to hardware, the S8 is expected to house a Qualcomm Snapdragon 830 chip or Samsung’s Exynos 8995, both of which are unannounced, as well as a 4K resolution for the new screen.
WATCH: Galaxy S8 – Everything we know so far
Let us know what you think Samsung is up to in the comments.
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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.
