Samsung Galaxy S8 release date, specs rumors: Smartphone unveiling at MWC 2017 in February with full-screen display?

(Samsung)The Samsung Galaxy S8, the follow-up to the Galaxy S7 (pictured), is rumored to be unveiled at the MWC 2017 in February.

Rumors are flying that Samsung's next iteration in the Galaxy S series will be unveiled in February at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017 in Barcelona, Spain. And along with the new smartphone comes new features, and a particularly interesting one involves an optical fingerprint sensor.

According to reports, it is widely believed that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S8 will be introduced at the MWC 2017, which is scheduled to take place on Feb. 26. And it apparently won't take long before the device hits the shelves, as it is also expected that the Galaxy S8 will go on sale a month later, in March.

Samsung has been in hot water as of late, due to the controversy involving its Galaxy Note series. It can be remembered that the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has come under fire because of its spontaneously exploding batteries, which has led to a massive recall issued by the company. With profits dwindling, the South Korean tech giant really has to step up when it comes to its future offerings.

An interesting feature that is rumored to be on the Galaxy S8 is an optical fingerprint sensor. According to GSMArena, the optical fingerprint sensor isn't exactly a new advancement in technology. In fact, it's quite old. However, what makes this rumor fascinating is that Samsung is apparently working on integrating this optical fingerprint sensor right within the display. This means that, if achieved, consumers could be looking at a full-screen, edge-to-edge Galaxy S8. It is also rumored that the company will be doing away with the physical keys found in the front entirely.

Other speculated specifications include 4K display, which is a feature that is rapidly becoming a staple in the industry, and the absence of a headphone jack. Apple users know that the iPhone 7 recently came out with the surprising lack of the 3.5-mm jack, so there is also talk of the South Korean company following suit. Instead of the round jack, Samsung is apparently considering a USB Type-C port for the headphones.

However, since these rumors have not been confirmed as of yet, it would be best to take this with a grain of salt for now.

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