Can The Galaxy S8 Save Samsung, And The Smartphone Industry In General?

Samsung is set to formally introduce its latest Galaxy offering -- the Galaxy S8 -- this week, and like any smartphone release from the South Korean phone maker, this one is burdened with high expectations. 

But it is possible that this time around, the stakes are higher. The tech giant, after all, is still trying to erase the memory of its disastrous Galaxy Note 7 phablet, once and for all, from consumers’ minds, and the release of the Galaxy S8 would give it an opportunity to wipe the slate clean, and in so doing, regain the public’s trust (if it has not yet), and then get back to being the king of the world.

Some industry watchers believe that it is not just about Samsung and its bid for redemption. The global smartphone industry has stalled in the last few years, and analysts and even the consumers believe that smartphones just do not bring that much excitement anymore. One can hardly blame mobile users -- after all, they have grown to expect amazing things every year, but it appears that the latest smartphone offerings recently do not quite offer something that truly blows everybody’s minds. 

Sure, smartphone devices are getting better in terms of processing, camera specs, and display screens, but are those not givens these days? Interestingly, during this year’s Mobile World Congress (held in the beautiful city of Barcelona in Spain), the phone that turned the most heads was the reimagining of a classic -- the Nokia 3310. Have we become so blase to new releases that we actually pay more attention to a reboot?

For last year, the worldwide smartphone market managed to post growth of only 7 percent -- around half of what was registered during the previous year. Many analysts believe that the market has started to mature, and the only areas recording tremendous growth are those in the Asia/Pacific region.

But 2017 could get a much needed injection of excitement, courtesy of the upcoming Galaxy S8. Based on rumors, Samsung has made a lot of changes to its flagship offering. For instance, the device could be saying goodbye to the physical home button, and saying hello to a bigger display screen that could span edge to edge. There is speculation that the smaller Galaxy S8 will offer a 5.8 inch display, while the bigger one will have a screen measuring a gargantuan 6.2 inches. Samsung is also putting a brand new digital assistant, the Bixby, on the Galaxy S8. Artificial intelligence driven assistants are all the rage these days, and the South Korean phone maker obviously wants to join in on the fun. 

Can the Galaxy S8 save the industry? That remains to be seen, but with Samsung’s efforts to offer a truly new Galaxy device, the company is really aiming higher than usual. And if its Galaxy S8 manages to make us excited about smartphones again, then may it start a trend for more innovative things to come.