Ahead of Australian retail launch.
Samsung vice president of mobile division, Richard Fink (pictured) has confirmed double digit year-on-year growth of pre-order sales for the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ in comparison to the Samsung Galaxy S7, setting a new record for the company as the most successful smartphone launch ever.
This announcement was made at the local launch of the latest Samsung smartphones at a lavish location in Sydney’s eastern suburbs on Tuesday, following its official global launch event in New York last month.
“The global launch of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ in Korea, America and Canada is on 21 April, 2017. The retail launch in Australia is 28 April, 2017, but we are shipping to pre-sale customers from 21 April, 2017, which means they will be some of the first in the world to get their hands on the new devices,” Fink said.
“The Galaxy S8 and S8+ are testament to Samsung’s commitment to continually breaking new ground in what mobile technology should offer our customers. It represents genuine innovation, from the optimal viewing experience of the infinity screen through to services such as Bixby that will transform how our customers will be able to use their smartphone.
“It is the most beautiful and powerful smartphone we have launched to date. It sets a new era in smartphone design. The key feature is the large screen size, which fits comfortably in the user’s hand and can be operated using one hand. It’s big, beautiful, powerful and easy to use,” he added.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 will have a RRP of $1,199 and Galaxy S8+ will have a RRP of $1,349. Customers in Australia will be able to purchase these smartphones in three colours: midnight black, orchid grey and maple gold. Customers who pre-order the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ receive a complimentary new model Gear VR with controller and a USD$50 Oculus content voucher.
Samsung also announced its partnership with Westpac to offer Samsung Pay to Westpac debit and credit card holders. Samsung Pay is a secure and easy-to-use mobile payments service available on compatible Samsung devices including the Gear S3 smartwatch and the soon-to-be-released Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones.
The partnership with Westpac adds to Samsung’s existing partnerships with Citibank for MasterCard and Visa credit card holders as well as American Express issued credit cards.
The iris scan will feature as an authentication method for Samsung Pay on the new Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones to complement PIN and fingerprint as authentication methods, which are required before a user can make a transaction. Furthermore, Samsung will launch an NFC provisioning feature, which will allow users to enter card details into Samsung Pay seamlessly by simply tapping a card onto the back of the device.