Skip to main content

The Galaxy S8 may be Samsung’s only premium smartphone for 2017, report says

Samsung Galaxy Note 7
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
Samsung may be looking to revamp its smartphone lineup in the wake of the Galaxy Note 7 catastrophe that saw phones catching fire, as well as replacements for those recalled devices also exploding without warning. How much will it revamp its smartphone business? The Galaxy S8 may be the only premium phone Samsung sells in 2017.

For the past few years, Samsung has sold two premium phones each year — the Galaxy S and the Galaxy Note. According to new reports from the Korea Herald, however, Samsung is seriously considering cutting out the Galaxy Note range so it can ensure product quality is maintained across its smartphone lineup and not repeat the disaster of the Galaxy Note 7.

It is important to note that nothing is official yet — and it does not seem as though Samsung has notified suppliers of changes to its smartphone business just yet. It does, however, make sense. After the Galaxy Note 7 began catching fire, reports began surfacing suggesting Samsung rushed the Galaxy Note 7 into production to beat Apple’s iPhone 7 launch event. Samsung denied this, saying the release date for the device had always been planned.

If the reports turn out to be true and Samsung only releases the Galaxy S phone in 2017, there are two possible routes the company could take: ditch the Note line altogether, or alternate each year between the Galaxy S and the Note series. We are betting on the first option — after the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco, it would be hard for the company to convince customers to buy another Note phone and it might make more sense for there to be one flagship Samsung phone.

Reports indicate that the Galaxy S8 is already in development.

Editors' Recommendations

Christian de Looper
Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…
Samsung’s newest Android tablet is a perfect iPad alternative
A render of the front of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite 2024.

Samsung has just launched a refreshed Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2024) for the U.S. exclusively through Amazon. This comes after Samsung recently launched the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2024) internationally.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2024) is the latest entry in Samsung’s midrange tablet lineup that made its debut in 2020. This newest iteration has the same overall design, S Pen integration, screen, and just 4GB RAM. However, it now has a new Exynos processor and comes with Android 14 right out of the box.

Read more
5 phones you should buy instead of the Samsung Galaxy S24
Samsung Galaxy S24 in Marble Gray standing on park bench.

In the market for a new phone? You might be considering the latest offering from Samsung, which includes the Galaxy S24. It’s the entry level model for the S24 lineup, but still packs great performance and power with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip and 8GB RAM, a beautiful LTPO AMOLED display with up to 120Hz refresh rate and 2,600 nits peak brightness. And even though it’s a base model, you get a triple lens camera system.

But the Galaxy S24 isn’t the only option you have out there. Here are five great alternatives to consider if you’re thinking about the S24.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus
Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Read more
Have a Samsung Galaxy S23? Don’t update your phone to One UI 6.1
The pink Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus lying on a pillow.

Samsung started rolling out its One UI 6.1 update last week, bringing its Galaxy AI features to the Galaxy S23 series and other Galaxy phones and tablets. Unfortunately, it looks like the update is doing more harm than good.

Over the last couple of days, there have been seemingly endless reports of One UI 6.1 wreaking havoc for Galaxy S23 owners — including everything from unresponsive touchscreens, fingerprint sensors not working, and more.

Read more