Arguably, the two largest players in the smartphone market are Apple and Samsung. And while they have definitely cemented their names in the tech world, both companies suffered losses this year. The Cupertino-based company saw a dip in sales and plenty of online backlash for the lacking redesign in the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Meanwhile, Samsung suffered from the issues surrounding its Galaxy Note 7 units.
This is exactly why the iPhone 8 and Galaxy S8 are so sought after. Apple's slated to release the best handheld it has in recent history, especially because it will be the company's 10th anniversary release. Meanwhile, Samsung is looking for redemption, after two recalls of its last release.
According to Tech Times, the iPhone 8 will be released in a 4.7 inch variant and a 5.5 inch option. And while there will be small differences between the units, both are still expected to arrive at the market with Apple innovations. One of the most talked of which, is a bezel-less design.
Reportedly, Apple will release the iPhone 8 without a home button. Instead, the same will be incorporated entirely into the screen, thus creating an edge-to-edge display. Furthermore, this display is said to be an OLED one - at least for the iPhone 8 Plus. As Indian Express adds, Apple is relying on Samsung to supply these OLED screens. The idea of an iris scanner has also been thrown around.
Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy S8 has been discussed and codenamed Dream in various reports. Unlike its direct predecessor - the Galaxy S7 - the upcoming handheld will only be available in a curved display. Nevertheless, it is slated to sport several updates, which cover display improvements and upgraded specifications.
For instance, the smartphone is estimated to sport a 4K display and a pixel density of 806 pixels per inch. The Galaxy S8 is also expected to arrive to the market with a Exynos 8895 SoC, a Mali-G71 GPU from ARM and a new and improved camera. But other than these, Samsung is also expected to include more features in the unit. One of the features is Force Touch and a new assistant called Bixby.
Just like the iPhone 8, however, the Galaxy S8 is also expected to come without the standard home button. The upcoming device from the Korean tech giant might also come with an optical fingerprint embedded into the home screen. As the device is likely to make an appearance at the MWC this February 2017, all rumors will soon be confirmed and/or corrected.
The future of the smartphone market seems to be going in one direction in terms of design. The bezel-less aesthetic is a growing trend, which was first introduced by Xiaomi in its Mi Mix handheld. 2017 seems shaping up to be the year from all other smartphone manufacturers to follow suit.
Huawei is another big player that is expected to release a bezel-less device in 2017. Not only will the upcoming unit sport an edge-to-edge screen, but will also be curved on all four corners. Welcome to the future of smartphones.
