The rumoured Samsung Galaxy S8 Lite smartphone has been officially announced in China as the fancier-sounding Samsung Galaxy S Light Luxury.
It’s not clear whether the handset will be released outside of China yet, but it is, as expected, a handset with all of the design hallmarks of the best-selling S8.
However, the company is toning down the spec sheet somewhat. The 5.8-inch Infinity display remains, but there’s only a full HD resolution, compared with the Quad HD offering on the S8.
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It is powered by a Snapdragon 660 processor with 4G of RAM and 64GB of storage. It also retains the IP68 water and dust resistance offered by the original, as well as the Bixby button. Given there’s no Google Assistant in China, Samsung’s personal assistant my be more appreciated by the Chinese audience.
The company has even kept the unpopular positioning of the fingerprint sensor, which was adjusted on the S9.
Samsung is also including a 16-megapixel rear camera sensor. Although that’s higher than the 12-megapixel sensor used in the S8, it is of lower quality overall. The front facing camera is 8-megapixels (via Neowin).
The company will offer its luxurious mid-ranger in Burgundy Red or Midnight Black for the cost of ¥3999 (around $626 / £466). If the device is pre-ordered from June 1, buyers can net a small saving.
It appears from today’s limited launch that a release outside other territories is less likely. Samsung could decide to release the phone in Europe and the United States if there’s demand, but the firm may be hoping buyers opt for devices like the Galaxy A8 (2018) if they don’t pick up a Galaxy S8, S9 or Note 8 flagship.
Would you buy the Galaxy S Light Luxury if it makes an appearance in the UK? Let us know @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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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.
