Samsung launches Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ in select global markets

Samsung on Friday (21 April) officially announced the launch of its Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones in select markets around the globe.

Galaxy fans in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico and Korea would be now able to buy the smartphone. The rollout will continue to other markets across the world in the coming weeks.

For those in the UK, major networks such as EE, iD by Carphone Warehouse, O2, Three and Vodafone have already announced their pre-order deals. The release is set for 29 April.

In statement issued on 21 April, Samsung said the launch of the S8 and S8+ is complimented with a bunch of new services that include Bixby, Samsung's new voice assistant; Samsung DeX, which offers a desktop-like experience for the S8, IoT device management via Samsung connect, Samsung Health for healthcare solutions and mobile payment capabilities with Samsung Pay.

Sangkyu Lee, senior vice president of the Reliability Group, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung in a recent interview while explaining the safety standards implemented in the battery said the company has incorporated features and functions in the S8 that would provide real value for consumers.

Instead of focusing on features like decreasing charging time, which the company is calling as short-term benefits, it improved the durability of the battery over hundreds of recharge cycles. For this the S8 will sustain its longevity better than previous models, explains Lee.

The company also carried out 8-point battery safety check on the S8 and S8+ to improve safety standard of the battery.