I don't think we've ever really been surprised by a flagship Samsung smartphone. There are just so many leaks leading up to the launch that we already know what the handset is going to look like, what its specifications are going to be and in most cases, it's also known when it's going to be out and how much it's going to cost. Samsung's official announcement merely serves as reiteration and confirmation of everything that we hear in the weeks before the launch. Some do make the argument that these leaks steal Samsung's thunder and dull excitement for the new product but I don't think that's what they do. I think these Galaxy S8 leaks are actually great for Samsung.
First and foremost, these leaks continue to feed the hype machine for Samsung's next flagship smartphone. Granted, it's not like Samsung needs much help in that department given that millions of people across the globe look forward to its new flagships every year but this endless stream of rumors, leaked renders, photos shared by websites, blogs and YouTube channels on a daily basis keep reminding people that something big is coming and that they should pay attention.
It's also important to realize the fact that Samsung chose to keep its cards close to its chest while most of its rivals went ahead and unveiled new flagship smartphones at the Mobile World Congress 2017 in Barcelona last month. This is only going to make people more excited about the Galaxy S8 given that they now know what features and specifications the rivals offer and how they're likely to stack up against Samsung's new flagship.
One might even make the argument that some of those people would actually hold off on pre-ordering new handsets from the likes of LG and Huawei because they'd want the Galaxy S8 to come out first so that they can check it out before they decide which flagship smartphone to spend their money on. Not every customer is a diehard fan.
There are millions of people out there who don't really care about brand affinity because they just want the best device that money can buy. These are the customers who visit countless blogs and YouTube videos to conduct their research. They're the ones who visit stores and check out the phones in person before they decide what to buy. These leaks are helping Samsung not miss out on those customers even though it decided not to unveil its new flagship smartphone alongside its rivals at the Mobile World Congress 2017.
It makes perfect sense why a customer who's looking to spend $700-$800 on a new smartphone would absolutely want to get the best bang for the buck. That's quite a bit of money and they certainly wouldn't want to end up thinking that they could have spent it on a much better device. These Galaxy S8 rumors and leaks keep those customers in the loop, retain their interest in the upcoming flagship and when it does arrive perhaps they might go ahead and purchase the Galaxy S8 because it's better than the competition.
It has long been assumed that some companies even orchestrate leaks on their own just to get the hype machine rolling for their handsets. It's not entirely impossible. Leaking bits and pieces of information about a device that millions of people are waiting for is a pretty good way to get people to pay attention. The fact is that people like to read information and see things about the new devices that they're interested in otherwise tech publications would be out of business.
We still have a couple of weeks to go before Samsung officially unveils the Galaxy S8 and the leaks don't show any signs of stopping. Over the past couple of days we've seen multiple leaked photos and videos of the new handset that reiterate what it's going to look like and it goes without saying that we'll see more in the days leading up to the launch. The hype surrounding the new flagship will surely hit fever pitch before March 29 when Samsung finally announces the Galaxy S8.
