Samsung has discussed the thought process behind many of its design decisions regarding Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+. In a new post in the Samsung Newsroom, the company’s internal blog, the South Korean manufacturer discusses aspects of the phone like its materials, various colours, its heavily touted ‘Infinity Display’ and Bixby, its new virtual assistant.
The Newsroom post first looks at the “oneness” of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+. Samsung claims to have gotten rid of anything that felt ‘needlessly mechanic’ on its devices so it was able to focus purely on design.
Hardware design
Samsung feels the S8’s ‘Infinity Display’ is the best way to immerse the user in the device. The company also says the space the home button usually occupies is better for screen real estate, and that the device’s 18.5:9 screen aspect ratio improves the content viewing experience of the phone.
In the newsroom post Samsung also says the curvature and the rounded edges of the S8 create a comfortable feeling in the user’s hand. “The subtle curvature of the devices’ front, back, and middle convene at each of the edges to form a perfect symmetry, thereby virtually eliminating the bezel,” writes Samsung. The company also says the glass material’s glossy finish was used to make the phone stand out. Samsung says the hidden rear camera (meaning a camera without a camera bump,) creates a sense of unity that goes with the fluidity of the S8’s design.
Samsung’s Design Interface
In the post Samsung mentions the flowing wallpapers used with the S8 and S8+ interact well with the device’s infinity display. The company explains how the wallpapers are visible throughout the users whole interaction with the device. Samsung tells us why they’ve changed the icons on their devices from what we’re used to and says its part of a design concept called ‘Light & Line,’ which, “cuts a part of the visual line so that real life shadows and light are mimicked.”
The Newsroom post also gives more information about Bixby. Samsung explains how its Bixby combines touch and voice commands, allowing users to switch on the fly while using its voice activated assistant. Bixby is also a constantly evolving interface and Samsung claims the longer the user interacts with it, the more it becomes ‘an essential confidant’ in our lives.
The Samsung Galaxy S8’s Bixby will also display Google Now-like cards related to time-based events, such as when you’re coming home from work or going to work. Bixby also interacts with the camera and gallery, allowing S8 and S8+ users to press the Bixby Vision icon while using the camera or looking at an image in their gallery, resulting in the assistant searching for information about whatever it’s currently looking at.
Source: Samsung Newsroom
