Samsung Galaxy S8 release date, specs tapped at dawn of Bixby

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This week Samsung has once again confirmed that the Samsung Galaxy S8 is well on the way with a list of details of what it'll be able to do. These details come largely in the form of Bixby, the device's natural language assistant. This device will be the first to carry Bixby with it everywhere it goes – but it won't be the last. Much like Apple's release of the first iPhone with Siri, this assistant will be exclusively on this one device for a short period of time.

Eventually Bixby will be on a wide variety of Samsung devices. With the software assistant, users will be able to run many of the same features they'd be able to run on an iPhone with Siri. For Android enthusiasts the more important differentiator will be up against Google Assistant, built in with many devices coming out over the next year – and the Google Pixel, of course.

Injong Rhee, Executive Vice President and Head of R&D, Software and Services, Samsung Electronics, spoke at length today about the oncoming release of Bixby. "Bixby is at the heart of our software and services evolution as a company," said Rhee. "We are fundamentally and conceptually changing our attitude toward software and services and working hard on innovation throughout all aspects of our mobile ecosystem."

So it seems like Samsung's launch of Bixby will be fairly important. Or at least they're attempting to make it feel important to their ecosystem of devices. According to Rhee, Bixby is Samsung's attempt to simplify using and commanding the vast array of smart devices coming to users every day – and through the near future. Bixby will be Samsung's tool to cut through "the fundamental limitation of the current human-to-machine interface."

With the launch of the Galaxy S8, a number of apps will be able to run with Bixby. The exact wording from the Samsung webpage is "At the launch of the Galaxy S8, a subset of preinstalled applications will be Bixby-enabled." They also suggest that this set will expand, and that they'll release an SDK for developers to add Bixby commands to their app.

Samsung Galaxy S8• Display: 5.8in Super AMOLED, 1440 x 2650 (2K) Gorilla Glass• Operating System: Android 7.1 Nougat• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 / Samsung Exynos 10-nm• RAM: 4GB RAM• Back Camera: 12MP, f/1.7 optics, 4K video, dual-LED flash• Front-facing camera: 8MP wide-angle lens with f/1.7 optics• Battery: 3,000mAh• Internal Storage: 64GB, w/256GB microSD card slot• Other Features: Fingerprint scanner, Iris scanner, Metal frame, Wireless charging, USB-C, IP-68 Dust and Water-resistant, Bixby

Above and below you'll see a set of specifications for both the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Samsung Galaxy S8+ (or Plus). These specifications are pre-official, meaning they're not confirmed by Samsung in any way at all. We will not know the full truth of the matter until we're past the rumors, leaks, and insider tips.

Samsung Galaxy S8 (Plus)• Display: 6.2in Super AMOLED, 1440 x 2650 (2K) Gorilla Glass• Operating System: Android 7.1 Nougat• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 / Samsung Exynos 10-nm• RAM: 4GB RAM• Camera: 12MP, f/1.7 optics, 4K video, dual-LED flash• Front-facing camera: 8MP wide-angle lens with f/1.7 optics• Battery: 3,500mAh• Internal Storage: 64GB, w/256GB microSD card slot• Other Features: Fingerprint scanner, Iris scanner, Metal frame, Wireless charging, USB-C, IP-68 Dust and Water-resistant, Bixby

The big Samsung Galaxy S8 event is set to take place on the 29th of March, 2017. You'll be able to join SlashGear right here in our Android hub. Release day is tipped – but not confirmed – to be somewhere around the 21st of April, 2017.