We’ve known that Samsung is working on a low-cost version of its flagship smartphone of 2017, the Galaxy S8, for a while – and now the upcoming handset has surfaced in a batch of leaked promotional material.
The so-called Galaxy S8 Lite is identical to the Galaxy S8 from a design perspective. There’s a single-sensor camera on the rear, with a fingerprint reader mounted to the right of the lens – not beneath, where it’s located on the Galaxy S9.
And that’s because it’s built using the exact same shell; the Lite branding isn’t indicating that it’s smaller or more compact. In fact, you’d have a tough time telling the Galaxy S8 Lite from the Galaxy S8 if the two were in the same room.
This news comes courtesy of an esteemed tipster, who shared a batch of renders highlighting the Burgundy Red and Midnight Black colour variants of the device, as well as details surrounding the handset’s launch, on Weibo on May 9.
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So what’s different? Samsung stripped most of the high-end internals out of the Galaxy S8 to make the Galaxy S8 Lite, replacing the Snapdragon 835 CPU with a Snapdragon 660 and the high-resolution screen with a low-resolution one.
The rest is much the same. There’s 4GB of RAM, 64GB of expandable internal storage and a 3000mAh non-removable battery under the hood, as well as the usual slew of connectivity options, including Near Field Communication (NFC).
At least, that’s what information taken from a series of filings documenting the Galaxy S8 Lite’s recent trip to the offices of communications regulators in both China (TENAA) and the United States (FCC) would have you believe.
Samsung is expected to announce the Galaxy S8 Lite in China on May 21. There’s no word on whether the unit will make its way to other regions, but seeing as it’s been cleared for sale in the States, it’s likely an expansion is on the cards.
Do you think releasing a toned-down version of the Galaxy S8 is a good idea? Or should Samsung be focusing its attention on a Lite model of the Galaxy S9? Let us know over on Twitter @TrustedReview.
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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.
