Samsung Galaxy S8 live images leak, onscreen buttons revealed

The screen may not be as edge-to-edge as some would have hoped, but the bezels are thin nevertheless. (Source: Techtastic.nl)

New leaks from China offer insight into the phone's much-debated exterior appearance, display (with the on-screen navigation keys) and ports. Is a fingerprint scanner next to the Samsung Galaxy S8's rear camera going to be an issue?

by Isaac Brown, 2017/02/21

Samsung may be skipping MWC this year, but a steady stream of leaks are giving away plenty of key details that help us paint a picture of the elusive Samsung Galaxy S8 flagship. Instead of the usual renders and concept art, we finally have a live image of the Galaxy S8 from multiple angles, courtesy of a Chinese case manufacturer.

A few features are immediately clear, such as the dual-curved display and an array of sensors, cameras, and the rumored iris scanner. At the bottom of the phone there’s the expected USB-C port and 3.5mm audio jack. This display may have a thicker bezel than some competitors like the Xiaomi Mi Mix, but they are still thin relative to many other phones. Gone is the home button that was present on the Galaxy S7, replaced with the contextual Grace UX menu.

There were a lot of questions surrounding where Samsung would fit a fingerprint sensor, with some saying that it would be embedded under the screen. New leaks show that the sensor is located in an unorthodox location: a little to the left of the rear camera. Many have been quick to criticize this design decision on social media due to how easy it will be to accidentally press one’s finger on the camera instead, smudging the lens. Whether this will be a genuine gripe or not remains to be seen.