Samsung has just announced the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, its latest flagship smartphones that will be up for the competition this year. The design is certainly eye-catching as they boast of thin bezels after ditching the physical home button. But is it the most suitable phone upgrade?

Samsung Galaxy S8 Price

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According to TechRadar, the Samsung Galaxy S8 retails at $720 while the S8 Plus can be purchased for $850. Both are about $100 more expensive than their predecessors, so mobile enthusiasts expect that they will offer a better experience to justify its high price. For comparison, the iPhone 7 32GB model is sold at $649, and the 7 Plus 32GB variant costs $769.

Samsung Galaxy S8 Specs

For those prices, consumers get the Galaxy S8 or S8 Plus base model that features 64GB internal storage. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 is paired with 4GB of RAM. The cameras did not receive much of an upgrade with 12 megapixels at the back and 8 megapixels at the front. However, their capabilities are still current-gen.

Samsung Galaxy S8 Features

First of all, the 3.5mm headphone jack is still intact, so the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus have that going for them. Next, the most noticeable feature is the 5.8-inch Infinity Display crammed into the usual phone dimensions.

Samsung also took a page from Apple by incorporating its version of 3D Touch called Force Touch. The Verge noted that it only works on the bottom half of the screen and it allows users to experience haptic feedback when pressing the virtual home button.

Samsung Galaxy S8 Game Changers

Another feature that could make Samsung win the flagship game is the face scanner. The Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus now have facial recognition as a means of unlocking the phone as a supplement to the awkward placement of the fingerprint sensor at the back, beside the camera.

The newest feature, however, that still needs some work is Bixby - Samsung's own AI. Siri has evolved throughout the years, but Bixby is still a baby. It shows potential, although it may not be enough for users to prefer using it.

Overall, the Samsung Galaxy S8 looks like it is worth the price, but as it has not officially released yet, it is too early to tell. Customers in the U.S. can mark on April 21 on their calendars for its launch.