Click to Skip Ad
Closing in...

Leak reveals another key Galaxy S8 feature that has never been seen before on an iPhone

Published Nov 29th, 2016 8:53AM EST
Galaxy S8 vs. iPhone 8: Selfies
Image: Zach Epstein, BGR

If you buy through a BGR link, we may earn an affiliate commission, helping support our expert product labs.

It’s not even 2017 yet, and it seems that Apple and Samsung will launch two of the most impressive smartphones of the coming year. Both the iPhone 8 and Galaxy S8 are going to feature brand new designs, as Apple and Samsung are working on all-glass devices that are supposed to support similar features. For the first time, both the new iPhone and Galaxy S models will come with OLED displays that incorporate fingerprint scanners and other sensors. Curved screens are reportedly in the works for both devices, and so are dual-lens rear cameras.

But what about the selfies cameras? A new report says the new Galaxy S model is going to have an even better front-facing camera with a feature that has never been seen before on an iPhone.

DON’T MISS: There’s a fix for your iPhone 6s’ serious battery drain, but you might not like it

Korean site ETNews reports that Samsung has decided to equip the Galaxy S8 with an auto-focus front-facing camera that will let users take even better selfies.

“People are starting to take more selfies and number of demands for cameras that take selfies with higher qualities is increasing,” an unnamed representative for the industry said. Samsung is therefore rumored to add autofocus to the camera to differentiate its flagship phone from competitors.

Samsung has figured out a way to add autofocus to the front camera without increasing the size of the camera module or the thickness of the phone. ETNews says that the Galaxy S8 will use an “encoder” method that has coils at the side, rather than a Voice Coil Motor that’s used in rear cameras for autofocus. Samsung has not commented on the matter, saying that it “cannot discuss any information regarding new products that are not commercialized yet.”

It’s unclear at this time whether the FaceTime camera in the upcoming iPhone 8 will have autofocus or not. Current and past FaceTime camera versions do not have autofocus. The Galaxy S8 is expected to launch in early March next year, while the iPhone 8 will likely hit stores in mid-September.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.