The Galaxy S7 may only be a couple of months old but the rumour mill is already churning out Galaxy S8 speculation in abundance.
And one of the most persistent rumours we keep hearing is that Samsung is planning to release one version of the handset next year, rather than the usual standard and Edge models.
But a new report from SamMobile suggests we could indeed see two new phones next year, as the code names for each handset have seemingly been revealed.
Citing ‘insiders’, the report claims the new models are referred to as Dream and Dream2 within the company, and have been assigned model numbers SM-G950 and SMG955 respectively.
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Samsung usually launches two versions of its flagship handset
That certainly seems to suggest we’ll see the usual standard and Edge models when the S8 launches next year, but, as the report points out, there’s more to the story.
The Galaxy S7’s model number is SM-G930, and Samsung usually adds 10 to the number when it comes time to launch a new phone.
But this time it seems the South Korean firm has added 20 to both model numbers, which the report claims is down to Tetraphobia.
The practice of associating the number four with bad luck, Tetraphobia is evidently quite widespread in South Korea.
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According to SamMobile, buildings use the letter ‘F’ in place of the number four to denote the fourth floor and the number is not used in reference to the country’s hospitals.
Samsung has previously demonstrated its Tetraphobia in the case of the Galaxy S4’s model number, which jumped from GT-I9300 on the S3 to GT-I9500 on the S4.
Either way, it looks like the company is currently testing two models, but there’s nothing to say one won’t be dropped before the phone’s official debut.
There’s also no way to confirm today’s report, and obviously no word from Samsung, so take the news with due caution.
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Let us know what you make of the report 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.
