Despite rampant speculation that the Samsung Galaxy S8 will feature a dual-camera configuration, we might only get a single camera after all.
A new report out of China suggests that Samsung has scrapped plans for a dual-camera on the Galaxy S8, and will retain the old single-module style seen on the Galaxy S7. The news comes courtesy of prolific mobile leaker Ice Universe, who regularly provides tips to specialist Samsung blog Sammobile – which has a generally accurate track record.
After Apple introduced a dual-camera module on the iPhone 7 Plus in September, it was generally assumed that Samsung would follow suit. Even other rival brands like LG and Huawei showed off dual-camera phones, so there’s a chance it may become a must-have feature in 2017.
But the new report suggests that the main Galaxy S8 model won’t feature the snap-happy technology – although the report also notes that a variant of the phone may still get it.
Earlier this year, Lee Jae-yong, Samsung’s Vice Chairman, said that the Galaxy S8 would feature an “improved camera”, although he didn’t specify exactly what upgrades would be made. Adding a secondary camera on the back would be an obvious improvement, and had been heavily rumoured up until this point. But the Galaxy S7 camera was impressive enough anyway, featuring ‘DualPixel’ technology that allowed for significantly faster autofocus.
In any case, the pressure is on for Samsung to turn out a seriously impressive flagship phone in early 2017. After the mass recall and manufacturing halt that afflicted the Galaxy Note 7 this autumn, Samsung will be keen to win back affected customers.
We’re expecting Samsung to announce its next handset in February or March next year. Most rumours point to a February 26 launch, which would put the phone’s debut just one day before Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress technology tradeshow kicks off.
That’s still a way off, so we’d recommend taking this latest report with due caution. We have no way of verifying the single-camera rumour, and the Galaxy S8’s design and specs may still be subject to change, in any case.
Related: CES 2017
Watch: iPhone 7 Plus video review
What would you like to see from the Galaxy S8? Let us know 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.
