It is already expected that Samsung's next flagship will come out early next year. It seems that the Galaxy S8 is on track for its Feb. 26 launch, as Samsung starts firmware development for the device.

SamMobile reports that it is already confirmed that firmware development has started for the Samsung Galaxy S8. Apparently, the ROM is now being built for region-exclusive editions of the device. The firmware development will be the UI used for China, France, Germany, Italy, Korea, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Looking at the list, the firmware is meant for major market regions. The industry follower believes that once a stable ROM build is finished, Samsung will then follow-up with firmware development in other areas, since the Galaxy S8 is expected to have a global launch.

With firmware development already starting, the next flagship is implied to be on track for its intended Feb. 26 launch next year. It is expected that the Galaxy S8 lineup will debut a day before the annual Mobile World Congress, much like how previous Galaxy S-series iterations were launched. The 2017 MWC is scheduled from Feb. 27 to March 2.

Meanwhile, although firmware development is already starting, only scant details about the Galaxy S8 are available. Still, supposed leaks on its specs and features continue to circulate. Speculations suggest that a number of major improvements, as well as new features, will be incorporated into the new lineup. This is already expected, as Samsung will want to take back some market base that it lost during the Galaxy Note 7 debacle.

Purported specs for the Galaxy S8 include a new Snapdragon 830 or an Exynos 8895 chipset, depending on the region, at least 4 GB of RAM, and a new, dual camera setup as its main camera. The lineup is also said to only have dual-edge display versions, as Samsung ditches regular, flat screens.