Samsung unveils Galaxy S8 smartphone

By Barry Eitel

SAN FRANCISCO (AA) – Samsung on Wednesday unveiled its latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S8, that will be available for sale worldwide April 21.

The phone is the first premium offering released by the South Korean company since the Galaxy Note 7 was released late last year, caused a public relations disaster and a massive recall after it was deemed a fire hazard by government authorities.

In an attempt to regain the trust of consumers, the Galaxy S8 comes brimming with new features, including a security system that utilizes facial recognition software and a new digital assistant named Bixby.

Samsung kicked off the large screen smartphone fad several years ago, a trend rival Apple jumped onto starting with its iPhone 6 Plus. Samsung wants to take the lead once more with the Galaxy S8 Plus, which was released alongside the Galaxy S8.

Measured diagonally, the Galaxy S8 Plus boasts a 15.75-centimeter (6.2-inch) screen, while the iPhone 7 Plus has a 14-centimeter (5.5-inch) screen.

“The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ usher in a new era of smartphone design and fantastic new services, opening up new ways to experience the world,” DJ Koh, Samsung’s president of mobile communications business, said in a statement. “The Galaxy S8 and S8+ are our testament to regaining your trust by redefining what’s possible in safety and marks a new milestone in Samsung’s smartphone legacy.”

Samsung was the leading seller in the mobile market five years ago, but Apple has dominated in revenue from mobile devices since 2012.

According to data released Wednesday by analyst firm Statista, Samsung’s mobile business is now about half the size of Apple’s.

Samsung earned $80.9 billion in revenue from mobile devices in 2016, while Apple raked in $158.5 billion.