Samsung Galaxy S8 might not launch as soon as you were hoping

The Samsung Galaxy S8 could shake things up, as sources claim Samsung is working on a way to physically incorporate its own virtual assistant into the handset. 

However, that feature may also mean that the handset could need a little more time in the oven.

Instead of debuting during February's Mobile World Congress - where Samsung has unveiled its flagship phones for the past three years - insiders say the S8's announcement may get pushed all the way back to April 2017 , according to The Wall Street Journal.

According to the report, Samsung is still working on prototypes of the S8, including one that can call the attention of Bixby - the company's take on mobile AIs like Google Assistant or Siri - with a single press of a dedicated button.

Using a button would not only make booting up the AI a little less cumbersome than shouting its name, but it could very well be one of the only buttons remaining on the device following rumors that the S8 might build the fingerprint scanner onto the touchscreen itself.

For the impatient..

While prototypes are always subject to change and revision, it's likely that testing different button concepts isn't the only reason that the Galaxy S8 could make a late appearance.

Following Samsung's recall of the botched Galaxy Note 7, the company has a lot riding on the success of its next flagship mobile, both in terms of finances and reputation.

Add to the mix that Samsung still claims it has no idea where it went wrong last time, and we wouldn't be surprised if the company is taking its sweet, sweet time to ensure its comeback is something special and most of all, safe.

In the meantime, the Android phone market is not without its substitutes. The Google Pixel made its presence known last month with a solid handset and an AI of its own, Google Assistant.

Despite its successor being months away, the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge remain some of the toppest of top-notch Android phones around, which are getting even better thanks to the Android Nougat beta just now arriving on the platform. 

If digital assistants are more your thing than Android (or 3.6mm jacks), there's always the iPhone 7, which touts the well-known soothing tones of Siri, which we recently pitted against Microsoft's Cortana, Amazon's Alexa, and Pixel's Google Assistant in a battle of the AIs, which you can see below:

• What might be next for Apple's Siri?

Source: TechRadar posted by Campus94