Samsung will reportedly deploy the Galaxy S8 (and S8 Plus) no later than April 28 or at least five months ahead if indeed Apple's release date plans for the iPhone 8 will allow for a commercial debut as early as September 2017. Still, the next iPhone will outsell its closest Android flagship rival.
That's according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-chi Kuo, saying in his latest research note that even as the iPhone 8 will debut much later it will prove more appealing than the Galaxy S8 and even Apple's 2016 flagship - the duo of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. Kuo noted the GS8 is generating considerable interests as leaked details practically confirmed that the handset will beat the next iPhone to the race - it will be the first to unbox with an all-screen profile.
But Kuo said, per the report from Business Insider, the GS8 actually "lacks sufficiently attractive selling points." In comparison, the analyst predicts of a massive migration to the iPhone 8 and the main draw will be the handset's OLED display that will stretch 5.8-inch.
The analyst, however, did not factor in the recent rumor that suggested the OLED implementation on the next iPhone is really flat and not the curved render mentioned in earlier speculations.
The KGI report said that in comparison, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge in 2016 will enjoy a better momentum when pitted against the total shipment numbers that the Galaxy S8 will register by the end of 2017. Kuo forecasts a high only of 45 million units shipped compared to the 52 million GS7s shipped out in 2016.
Another advantage to tip in favor of the iPhone 8 is the supposed embedding of the Touch ID fingerprint sensor with the device's OLED all-screen display. This will prove as the new killer feature for the next iPhone, which the Galaxy S8 will be unable to match this 2017.
South Korea's The Investor reported that Samsung made giant attempts to match the iPhone 8's plethora of killer features but its technology partner on the project failed to deliver. "Samsung poured resources into Synaptics' fledgling (fingerprint sensor) technology last year, but the results were frustrating," the report said.
As a result, the Asian tech giant was forced to revise its original design for the Galaxy S8. The fingerprint reader has been relocated from the display screen to the back plate of the device, The Investor said.
Introduction of the Samsung Galaxy S8 is set to happen on March 29 with the actual release date expected on April 21. But speculations are rife there will be a slight delay on the GS8's commercial debut, at least outside of South Korea.