The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ have only just been announced by the South Korean company in New York with global availability set for 21st April 2017. However, we didn’t get news on when the beautiful new device will come to Malaysian shores. That changes with an announcement made earlier today. The Malaysian Preorder dates were announced by Mr Lee Jui Siang, the Vice President of Samsung Malaysia’s IT and Mobile Business Unit. The preorders for the Galaxy S8 and S8+ will begin on the 11th of April and end on the 13th April 2017. More details will be revealed closer to the date.
Samsung Switches Paradigms with the Galaxy S8 & S8+
Samsung has become a powerhouse and driving force in the mobile industry with their Galaxy S series since its first iteration in 2008. They’ve been at the forefront of providing consumers with the best, bleeding edge technology. They succeeded in doing so with the Galaxy S series. However, some of their early iterations left their users wanting more. This changed with the introduction of the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge and continued with the S7 and S7 edge. With the Galaxy S8 and S8+ though, the way they approach their smartphones has changed. Instead of driving the most bleeding edge technology, they’ve turned their focus to the user.
While the main focus is on the beautiful “Infinity Display” that embellishes the sexy curved glass of the Galaxy S8 and S8+, the main driving force behind their paradigm shift is centred on Bixby, their new A.I. and voice agent. Bixby marks the death of S Voice. Samsung instead replaces it with an A.I. voice agent capable of learning and customising the user experience. The new voice agent will be able to execute actions based on contextual commands and cues learnt from interactions with the user. While other voice assistants are capable of driving interaction with preset cues, Bixby sets out to provide a seamless user experience bridging the gap between voice interactions, touch and contextual information. This brings a new focus to A.I. technology in providing the best user experience across the whole Samsung “Galaxy”.
In addition to Bixby, the South Korean company is gearing the new Galaxy S8 and S8+ for productivity with the introduction of their new DeX accessory. DeX takes aim at Windows Continuum and offers a full Desktop experience to complement Samsung’s take on Android. The DeX takes advantage of Samsung’s many business partnerships to offer a more versatile and productivity centred experience for both enterprise and the normal joe. One of the main partnerships highlighted was Microsoft and their Office 365 productivity suite. With the focus on the user, the new user experience is looking much more compelling.
Remember, preorders for the sexy, new flagship Galaxy S8 and S8+ start on the 11th of April. Pricing details will undoubtedly be released closer to the date.
