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Galaxy S8 owners can upload 100,000 songs to Google Play Music
Samsung has historically been guilty of loading up its smartphones with apps that duplicate features already found in Android. The company's software game has definitely improved over the years, though, and Samsung appears to be focusing more on what it does best and leaving the software to others. To that end, Google just announced that its own Play Music service will be the default music player for the just-launched Galaxy S8. That's a smart move, as most customers will be better off with Google's player than things like the Milk Music service Samsung tried (and ultimately failed) to get Galaxy smartphone owners to use.
The Engadget Podcast Ep 37: Modern Things
On this episode senior editor Chris Velazco and social media manager Evan Rodgers join host Terrence O'Brien for the last ever video edition of The Engadget Podcast. From here on out the show is going audio only, which will allow the show to bring you a wider variety of guests from all over the country and the globe. But those aren't the only changes at the site. Engadget has a new editor chief and a renewed focus on doing what it does best: Bringing you the best and most important stories in tech. For example, on this week's show the panel discusses Facebook's ongoing problem with violent videos and livestreamed crimes. They'll even try to figure out who, ultimately, should be responsible for policing such content, if anyone. Then they'll dig deep... real deep on the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus. TL;DR: They're amazing phones that should be on your shortlist and might even make you forget about the Note 7 debacle.
Early Galaxy S8 owners complain of red-tinted screens
Samsung started shipping the Galaxy S8 to customers in South Korea who pre-ordered the flagship phone almost a full week ago. They were probably thinking of how lucky they were to get the phone early until some of them noticed something off about their screen. According to multiple reports posted on Korean forums like PPOMPPU and social networks like Instagram, some S8 units' displays have a very noticeable reddish tint. It's unclear how widespread the issue is, but it seems to be serious enough for "Galaxy S8 Red Screen" to be a trending search term on Korean search engine Naver.
The Morning After: Wednesday, April 19th 2017
Hey, good morning! This morning, we put Samsung's Galaxy S8 through its paces, finally seeing why Facebook bought VR company Oculus, and started replaying a 20-year-old game. (Because it's free.) Welcome to the Morning After.
Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus review: Redemption is here
Last year's Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge were excellent phones, and so was the Galaxy Note 7... until it started bursting into flames. While some within Samsung were tasked with figuring out what happened and how to prevent it from happening again, others were trying to build a phone that would make people move on. Meet the new Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus. The Note 7 won't disappear so easily from our collective memory, but I have to hand it to Samsung: The S8 siblings are impeccably built, thoughtfully designed devices. It's not hard to look at these smartphones as the first steps on a road to redemption, and after a week of testing, I can confidently say these are two of the best smartphones money can buy. I just wish its virtual assistant wasn't so half-baked.
Samsung's Galaxy S8 launch will happen without Bixby Voice
We're just days away from the launch of Samsung's latest flagship phones, but now the company says we'll have to wait for one of the highlight features of the Galaxy S8 / S8 Plus. While some features of its Bixby AI assistant, like Vision, Home and Reminder will be ready on April 21st, the company said in a statement that Bixby Voice will launch in the US "later this spring."
Here's the Galaxy S8+ you really want (but can't have)
It's only been one week since Samsung unveiled its new flagship phones, the Galaxy S8 and S8+, but there's already a beefier and better version on the way. A more powerful variant of the S8+ will offer 6GB RAM and 128GB storage, ETNews reports, but there's a catch -- it will only be available in South Korea and China (for now, anyway), and it will probably cost over one thousand dollars.
Assign other apps to the Galaxy S8's Bixby button, if you dare
One of the Galaxy S8's standout features is Samsung's Bixby assistant. It not only organizes your schedule and talks to you, but also helps translate and identify items around you via the phone's camera. It even talks to your SmartThings-compatible home appliances, and can quickly be summoned with a dedicated physical button on the S8's left edge. But if you don't plan on using Bixby very much, that piece of hardware becomes mostly redundant. Luckily for you rebels, the internet's inventive community has found a way to assign that physical button to any app you wish.
The Engadget Podcast Ep 34: Intergalactic
On this special all Samsung edition of the Engadget Podcast host Terrence O'Brien is joined by executive editor Dana Wollman and senior editor Chris Velazco. First all three will debate some of the most burning questions surrounding South Korea's biggest phone manufacturer. Should Samsung be using resources to build yet another virtual assistant? Is there anyone who wants to use their phone as a desktop? And, most importantly, can the Galaxy S8 save Samsung from itself? Then Chris Velazco will paint a picture of the event on the ground, before the crew dives deep on the finer point of the S8's design, interface and audio pedigree. Then, on The Wind Down, we discover that Dana failed to do her homework and Chris is contemplating picking up Dungeons & Dragons.
Microsoft has its own version of the Samsung Galaxy S8 (updated)
Samsung has been bundling Microsoft apps like Skype, OneDrive, OneNote and more on its phones and tablets for a while now. However, when it comes to the Galaxy S8, the two companies are taking their partnership a step further. Microsoft is selling a Samsung Galaxy S8 Microsoft Edition and it's accepting pre-orders starting today at its retail stores in the US ahead of the April 21st launch.
Samsung's Galaxy S8 is the first phone with Bluetooth 5.0
You didn't have to wait long to see the first phone packing Bluetooth 5.0 -- in fact, it's less than a month away. When Samsung posted the specs for its brand new Galaxy S8 line, it quietly let slip that the smartphones would use the bleeding edge wireless standard. To recap, 5.0 promises up to twice the speed of Bluetooth 4.2, and four times the range. You could connect to smartwatches that are more responsive and capable, for example, and connect to some smart home devices from a greater distance. Just don't expect to see the difference right away.
Watch Samsung's Galaxy S8 event in under nine minutes
After a 15-minute "you can still trust us" intro, endless inspired-by-your-dreams cliches and enough specs to benumb the most caffeinated tech blogger, Samsung actually unveiled two damn good phones, the Galaxy S8 and S8+. We wouldn't be so cruel as to put you through the hour-plus ordeal, though, dear reader. We've condensed the whole thing down to nine minutes, so you can catch all the highlights -- Bixby! Infinite displays! Super selfies! Flame-free! -- and none of the tedium. Enjoy.
The Galaxy S8+ vs. the competition: Big sibling battle
Samsung knows you like big phones. However, the Galaxy Note's gone MIA this year for understandable reasons, leaving the new Galaxy S8+ to step up with its 6.2-inch screen and curved edges. But the Galaxy S8 line isn't the only big-and-bigger handset duo out there right now, with Apple and Google already staking their claims with similar pairings. The screen of the S8+ certainly dwarfs those on the Pixel XL and the 7 Plus, but is that enough of an advantage? Check out the specs of these three larger flagships to get a better idea of the new phone's capabilities, and stay tuned for our full review of the S8+ in the coming weeks!
Samsung's Galaxy S8 UK pricing starts at £689
Samsung just unwrapped its latest flagship phone, the Galaxy S8, along with some all-important prices and release dates. If you live in the UK, here's what you need to know: The phone comes in two models, the S8 and S8+, and will be sold for £689 and £779 respectively. Both come with 64GB of storage as standard, so you just have to worry about the size and the color -- your options are black, silver, gold, blue or a purple-ish "orchid gray." The official release date is April 28th in Europe, however if you pre-order before April 19th there's a chance you'll get it up to eight days early.
The Galaxy S8 vs. the competition: Both beauty and beast
Samsung's had a rough year, but it's hoping that its new flagship phones can turn things around. In fact, the company's wants you to see the Galaxy S8 as a new type of handset: bigger and bolder in shape, with personal assistant Bixby and a desktop mode to sweeten the pot. But it's entering a market already full of swank devices like the Google Pixel (with its amazing camera) and the iPhone 7. While you'll have to wait for our full review to see how the S8 fares in the wild, we've lined up its specs against some of the competition to see if it's bringing the right tools to the field.
All the places you can buy the Galaxy S8 and S8+
If you're looking to make sure you're among the first to own Samsung's swanky new Galaxy S8 but don't want to line up outside a store on April 21st, you're in luck. Major and minor carriers alike have announced that they're running pre-order campaigns (with some hefty incentives) starting as early as tomorrow. Here's what each has planned:
Samsung's Galaxy S8 can sign into websites using your face
The Galaxy S8's face and fingerprint detection are about more than unlocking your phone: If Samsung has its way, you'll use them to sign into seemingly everything online. The company is expanding its Samsung Pass feature to use biometrics to sign into not only a wider array of financial services but also shopping (as rumored) and other websites. Yes, you could start shopping just by staring at your phone for a while. And if you're health conscious, the S8 might save you a trip to the clinic.
Samsung's Bixby AI assistant can see as well as talk
With its latest Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones, Samsung also launched its very own AI assistant, Bixby. We know what you're thinking: Do I really need yet another Android helper bot like Google Assistant or even Cortana vying for my attention? Actually, Bixby might prove to be more useful for Galaxy S8 owners than we expected, thanks to its tight integration with the smartphones' hardware.
Samsung's Galaxy S8 arrives April 21st
Now that the Galaxy S8 is finally official, the next most important piece of news is when you can buy it and how much it will cost. The new handset will be available in five colors -- of these, the Midnight Black, Orchid Gray and Arctic Blue options will be offered in the US when the phone arrives on April 21st. Major carriers, including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular and Verizon Wireless as well as low-cost options like Cricket Wireless and Straight Talk Wireless, will all start selling the device that day. If you want to make sure you're not left high and dry in the event those outlets run out of stock, you can pre-order the Galaxy S8 starting tomorrow.
Every Galaxy S8 comes with a pair of $99 AKG earbuds
Samsung's newly announced Galaxy S8 and S8+ will come with a pair of $99 AKG earbuds, the company revealed at its Unpacked event in New York City today. Although Samsung didn't say much beyond that, AKG is known for making products with great audio quality, so this should be an improvement over the earphones that have traditionally been included in the box with Galaxy phones. Indeed, audio was clearly a big focus for Samsung with its new flagship device: One of the best features of the S8 is that it can stream music to two headphones at a time, as long as you're using Bluetooth as the pairing method. It may not be something you use regularly, but at least you have the option to do so if you ever need to.
