Samsung looks to have reclaimed the “maker of the best Android handset” title with the new Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ handsets.
The phones are great-looking devices with top-end hardware, but strangeley, there’s very little difference between the standard model and the Plus version.
But it seems that very nearly wasn’t the case, with new images of an S8+ prototype showing Samsung had other plans for the larger of its flagship handsets.
Related: Galaxy S8 vs Galaxy S8+
Following earlier leaks of some shots of S8+ prototypes, the new photos (via SamMobile) show a version of the handset with a dual camera setup on the rear.
The final version of the S8+ comes with a 12-megapixel sensor, f/1.7 aperture, and optical image stabilisation (OIS), so it’s certainly no slouch in the camera department.
But the images show a device with vertically-stacked dual lenses – something that’s rumoured to appear on the upcoming iPhone 8.
What’s more, whereas the final design comes with a fingerprint scanner on the rear, below the camera, there doesn’t appear to be any such scanner on the rear of this particular prototype.
As SamMobile notes, Samsung reportedly spent a lot of money trying to develop a version of its fingerprint reader that sits in the display of the phone.
It apparently used another firm, Synaptics, to try to develop the tech, but it proved unsuccessful, forcing the company to move the sensor to the rear of the phone.
Whether this prototype features a working version of the in-display reader remains unclear, but there’s certainly no scanner on the rear of the phone in the new images.
There’s also no guarantee the photos are legitimate, so take this all with a pinch of salt.
For now, Samsung could be working on the in-display scanner for use in its upcoming Galaxy Note 8 handset, which is set to arrive later this year, so stay tuned.
Let us know what you think of the photo 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.
