Samsung Galaxy S8 release date, specs rumors: Next flagship might not have a home button

The Samsung Galaxy S7 and the S7 Edge are shown in this photo. Reports out of South Korea say that its follow-up, the Galaxy S8, will feature major improvements and redesign.Reuters/Albert Gea

It is expected that Samsung will debut its next flagship, the Galaxy S8, early next year. While official details are yet to be confirmed, supposed leaks have pointed out that the upcoming iteration will have a major redesign and an overhaul in the specs and features department.

ET News, a publication out of South Korea, mentions that the tech giant will be overhauling the design of the Samsung Galaxy S8. One major change that the upcoming flagship will feature is getting rid of the physical home button. This is a large redesign for the flagship since the home button on the center bottom area of the front panel is a signature feature of the Galaxy S-series. Should this come true, this means that the home button will be integrated on the screen itself.

Meanwhile, the industry follower believes that without the physical home button, Samsung can expand the display further, thinning out the top and bottom bezels, much like what it had done by introducing the dual-edge display feature. The dual-edge screen eliminates the side bezels, so there is a high possibility that the top and bottom bezels may also be removed in the Galaxy S8.

Meanwhile, aside from redesigning the home button, it is also said that Samsung will introduce its first-ever dual camera setup for the Galaxy S8. While Samsung has yet to confirm it, supposed leaks from third-party partners of the tech giant seem to indicate that the new cam setup is a go. Additionally, having the new feature on the upcoming flagship is already expected, as some of the recent releases from Samsung's competitors already carry the said feature.

Other purported specs of the Samsung Galaxy S8 include a new Exynos 8895 or Snapdragon 830 chipset (or even both), at least 6 GB of RAM, and a 4K display. It is said that because of the issue with the Galaxy Note 7 recall, Samsung will announce the Galaxy S8 earlier than expected, quite possibly as early as February 2017.