Samsung Galaxy S8 release date news: Device rumored to launch in 2017 along with Samsung foldable phone

It has been reported that the Samsung Galaxy S7's (pictured) successor will arrive next year.Samsung USA

Although it can be expected that Samsung will continue the Galaxy S series with another flagship follow-up, the company has yet to come out with a release period for the device. Recent speculations suggest, though, that the Galaxy S8 is definitely coming out next year with Samsung's first ever fully foldable phone.

According to SamMobile, Samsung will launch five flagship lineups in 2017. Two flagships will get two iterations each, so fans can expect the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Edge next year, along with the Galaxy Note 7 and the Galaxy Note 7 Edge. Meanwhile, the fifth iteration is a welcome surprise for fans. Reportedly, Samsung will launch its first-ever truly foldable smartphone in 2017.

While details have yet to come out regarding the Galaxy S8, it can be expected that it will be better than the current-gen flagship iteration, the Galaxy S7. The industry follower said that one of the major updates for the 2017 flagships, including the Galaxy S8, is that Samsung will switch to a Super AMOLED display with RBG subpixel arrangement and with a 2.5K minimum resolution.

According to DigitalSpy, Samsung may up the ante in the next flagship by introducing an iris scanner, which may functions both as an image-capturing feature and for biometrics security. While Samsung has yet to confirm this, the South Korea-based company has been known to file patents supporting this feature. In addition, iris scanners are already used in the Lumia 950 to take advantage of Microsoft's Hello Windows feature in the Windows 10 platform.

Other rumored specs of the Galaxy S8 include a top-tier Snapdragon or Exynos processor; Samsung may even opt for two versions differentiated by their processors, like what it did with the Galaxy S7. In addition, the IP6X rating and microSD functions that recently came back with the Galaxy S7 are expected to stay and also become features of future follow-ups.