Samsung Galaxy S8: Specs of 2017 flagship could feature 5.5-inch 4K display

A recently showcased 4K display from Samsung may feature in one of its future smartphones for 2017, most likely the Samsung Galaxy S8. At the Display Week conference in San Francisco, the company showcased a number of next generation displays among which featured the 5.5-inch 4K display which it said is as a step towards better VR viewing.

The specs of the display are as follows:

Size: 5.5-inch
Resolution: 3840 x 2160 – 4K
Pixel Density: 806 PPI
Visible-light intensity: 350nit brightness
Range of colours: 97% colour gamut

The prototype, which was bright with excellent contrast and colour, was shown outside of a headset or a device. This leads to speculation about which device the display could actually feature on. However, the size of the display gives us a major hint, and it treads towards a smartphone display, that too a particular one.

The company claims the display is aimed at making the VR experience better. We know that VR Gears do not have display screens of their own and depend on the accompanying device, the smartphone. Samsung has two main flagship series - the S series and the Note series. While the former is their older and first of its kind flagship series, the latter is relatively new and treads more towards the phablet category.

While many rumours earlier claimed that the unreleased Galaxy Note 6 could pack the kind of 4K screen as showcased, it may not materialise. Samsung says it will still be a while before something like this can go into production so it does not fit with the Note 6 release which is due for the July-August period. Moreover, the Galaxy Note 5, the Note 6's predecessor known to be a phablet, has a 5-7-inch screen and it is speculated the Note 6 will emulate similar specification for the screen size.

The Galaxy S8 or even S8 Edge, on the other hand, fit the bill for such a display as they are due for a 2017 release. Besides, the Galaxy S7 has a 5.5-inch display just like the prototype.

A recent report also said five flagship phones will be launched by Samsung in 2017 of which a new name surfaced, Galaxy X. But the Galaxy X is supposed to be the long-awaited foldable display smartphone from the company which also rules it out from featuring the 4K display. Thus, it makes strong case for the Galaxy S8 to be the frontrunner for the display.