Galaxy S8 Release Date Tipped, May Cost 20% More than Galaxy S7

Following tough time with company’s latest Galaxy Note 7 which ended up by getting back home, the fans of the Korean phone maker may face a significant price increase of the upcoming Galaxy S8, only if the reports coming through are to be believed.

Hinting of a price increase up to 20 percent, as came from the multinational finance company, Goldman Sachs advised the investors that Samsung’s upcoming flagship smartphone Galaxy S8 may cost more than the company’s previous smartphone from the lineup. “We expect raw material prices to rise 15-20% compared to the Galaxy S7.” – predicted Goldman Sachs in a report.

Goldman Sachs has also clarified in the report that the primary reason of the price increase will be Viv integration. FYI, Samsung acquired Viv Labs a couple of months ago, an AI specialist company started by the creator of Apple’s Siri, which instantly initiated rumors that the Galaxy S8 may feature in-home built AI assistant by the Korean smartphone maker. Now according to Goldman Sachs, Viv integration will result in increased raw material prices which are very unlikely to be subsidised by the company and instead will have to be paid by the customers.

The report also tried to suggest the amount figure of Galaxy S8 that could start from approximately $950 after considering the Galaxy S7 Edge’s starting price of $800.

Well, companies usually pass the manufacturing cost on to the end-users while keeping their profits. All above stance can technically be true but acquiring another company doesn’t necessarily mean the whole transaction amount will be taken from the consumers. It’s just the integration cost that might be added to the product value. But still in current case, where the company has lost around $3 billion for its Note 7 failure and the customers’ trust as well, it’s also unlikely the Koren tech giant would make their next release questionable unless they actually believe their fans are really the loyal ones.

Apart from the price factor, other reports also suggest that skipping the upcoming Mobile World Congress scheduled for February 27th next year, Samsung may officially launch its next flagship Galaxy S8 later in March or earlier in April.

Galaxy S8 Specifications (Rumored/Unofficial)

  • Display: QHD Resolution, 2560 x 1440 pixel Super AMOLED
  • Processor:
    • Exynos SoC (international),
    • Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (USA)
  • RAM: 6GB
  • Internal Storage: 32, 64, 128GB.
  • MicroSD card slot: Yes, up to 256GB
  • Home Button: In display
  • Fingerprint Scanner: On back
  • Primary Camera: 16MP, 4K video, 24, 30, 60fps
  • Front Camera: 8MP, 1080p video 60fps