Galaxy S8 smartphones

On Wednesday, Samsung unveiled its new Galaxy S8 smartphones which incorporate a host of new features as the market leader seeks to rebound from a chaotic handset recall and a corruption scandal.

The South Korean giant’s mobile chief DJ Koh told a New York event the Galaxy S8 and S8+ handsets marked “a new era of smartphone design.”

Fitted with screens of 5.8 and 6.2 inches, the two handsets include Samsung’s upgraded digital assistant Bixby, competing in a crowded field that includes Apple’s Siri, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.

But what else can Samsung fans expect from the latest models?

‘Infinity display’

The most striking feature of the new phones is what Samsung dubs an “infinity display” — an expanded glass screen that covers the entire front of the device and appears to curve seamlessly around its edges.

The home button has been replaced with a pressure-sensitive section embedded under the screen.

Biometric authentication

Both phones allow for biometric authentication with fingerprint and iris scanners.

Meet Bixby

Bixby is an intelligent voice assistant much like Apple’s Siri.

Bixby marks a further step into services for the world’s biggest smartphone vendor, allowing users to shop, search for images and get details about nearby places with image recognition technology and geolocation.

Samsung Pay

You can register your credit or debit cards to make quick and secure payments by touching your phone to any standard credit card reader.

Samsung DeX

Samsung DeX allows you to use your phone like a computer by connecting it to an external display, such as a TV screen.

The new phones will be available starting April 21, Samsung said.

The Galaxy S8 release comes after Samsung was forced to recall its Note 7 phones for catching fire due to overheating batteries.

The debacle cost the South Korean company billions of dollars in lost profit and hammered its global reputation and credibility, during a torrid period that has also seen it embroiled in a corruption scandal.

Its vice-chairman Lee Jae-Yong, heir to the parent Samsung group, has been arrested and indicted for bribery, along with four other senior executives, in connection with a graft scandal that saw ex-president Park Geun-Hye impeached.

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