Ever since Samsung started selling the Galaxy J series, the top-most phone in the lineup has been the Galaxy J7 (or perhaps the Galaxy J7 Plus). However, we now have a new member in the family dubbed Samsung Galaxy J8, which was unveiled in India on May 21 alongside the Galaxy A6 and A6 Plus and the Galaxy J6 as well.
Samsung Galaxy J8 specs
- 6-inch 18.5:9 HD+ Super AMOLED display
- Snapdragon 450 SoC
- 4GB of RAM
- 64GB of expandable storage (up to 256GB)
- Dual 16MP + 5MP main camera
- 16MP front camera
- 3500mAh battery
- Android 8.0 Oreo
- Android P eligible
Samsung Galaxy J8 is only the first – alongside the Galaxy J6 – to sport an Infinity Display screen in the J series. This means you get a taller display aspect ratio than usual. Also, the Galaxy J8 is the first – again, alongside the J6 – to come with software buttons for navigation purposes. You will also come across the fingerprint scanner mounted on the back of a Galaxy J series handset for the first time.
Unlike the phone that it mimics (Galaxy A6 Plus), the Galaxy J8 is made of a polycarbonate unibody design, has an HD+ resolution, and rocks a 16MP selfie camera. The J8 joins the limited edition Galaxy J7 Plus in donning a dual-lens camera with respect to the J series and like the Galaxy Note 8 and S9 Plus, the second sensor is meant for Live Focus (portrait mode).
Samsung Galaxy J8 price and availability
Samsung Galaxy J8 has been unveiled in India, but the phone is not yet available for purchase. The company says availability will begin in July 2018, but we don’t have an exact date. On the brighter side, we have the pricing details for the Indian market, where the phone will set you back INR 18, 990, approximately $280.
We don’t know Samsung’s plans as far as global availability of the Galaxy J8 is concerned, but knowing the company, we expect the phone to be sold in multiple markets, perhaps even adopting a different name(s) in markets outside India. Only time will tell.
Update [June 24]: It appears that Samsung is almost done testing the Galaxy J8 it’s ready to begin selling the handset as promised. This comes after the phone’s firmware leaked online, implying that it’s only a matter of time before we see the J8 on shelves.
Update [June 28]: It’s live on the official Samsung Shop India priced at INR 18,990.