If you're asking when will the samsung galaxy s8 come out, you might be feeling a little bit like a time traveler. Or maybe you just found a sealed box in your uncle’s attic and you're wondering if you’ve struck gold.
Honestly, the "when" isn't a future date. It's a piece of history that basically changed how every phone in your pocket looks today.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 didn't just "come out"—it exploded onto the scene (thankfully not literally, unlike its predecessor the Note 7) on April 21, 2017.
The Actual Launch Timeline
Let’s get the dates straight because they actually mattered a lot back then. Samsung was under massive pressure. They had just dealt with the Galaxy Note 7 battery disaster, and the world was watching to see if they could make a phone that didn't, well, catch fire.
The official Unpacked event happened in New York City on March 29, 2017.
It was a huge deal. DJ Koh, who was the head of Samsung Mobile at the time, stood on stage and showed off a screen that looked like it was from the future. They called it the "Infinity Display." Basically, they killed the chunky bezels and the physical home button in one go.
- Pre-orders started: March 30, 2017.
- Official US and International Release: April 21, 2017.
- Phased Global Rollout: May through June 2017 (for places like China and Japan).
Why People Still Ask About the S8
It’s kinda wild that people are still searching for the release date of a phone from seven years ago. But there’s a reason for it. The S8 was a "pivot" phone. Before the S8, phones were blocks with big foreheads and chins. After the S8, everything became "all-screen."
Even now in 2026, the S8 design doesn't look that old. If you hold one next to a modern Galaxy S24 or S25, it still feels sleek. It was the first time we saw that 18.5:9 aspect ratio that made phones tall instead of wide.
What was inside the box?
When it came out, the specs were absolute monsters. You had the Snapdragon 835 (or the Exynos 8895 if you were in Europe or Asia). It had 4GB of RAM, which sounds tiny now but was plenty for Android 7.0 Nougat.
The most controversial part? The fingerprint sensor.
Samsung moved it to the back, right next to the camera lens. People hated it. You’d try to unlock your phone and end up putting a giant thumbprint smudge right on your camera glass. It was one of those "what were they thinking?" moments that experts still talk about when discussing ergonomic fails.
Is there a 2026 version coming?
Sometimes people ask "when will the samsung galaxy s8 come out" because they are confused by Samsung's naming conventions or "Fan Edition" (FE) releases.
To be totally clear: There is no new Samsung Galaxy S8 coming out in 2026. We are currently deep into the era of the Galaxy S26 and the latest Z Fold models. If you see an ad for a "New Galaxy S8," it is almost certainly a refurbished unit or a scam.
The S8 in 2026: What Most People Get Wrong
You can actually still buy an S8 today on sites like Swappa or Back Market. They usually go for somewhere between $80 and $110.
But here is the reality check: Don't buy it to use as your main phone. I know, it looks cool and it’s cheap. But Samsung cut off software support for the S8 back in 2021. It’s stuck on Android 9.0 Pie. That means:
- No security patches: Your banking apps might literally refuse to open because the OS is too vulnerable.
- Battery death: Most S8 units still floating around have original batteries. Lithium-ion batteries from 2017 are likely chemically exhausted by now.
- App issues: Modern apps are built for Android 13, 14, and 15. Trying to run 2026-era apps on an S8 is like trying to run Windows 11 on a laptop from 2005. It’s gonna be slow. Sorta painful, actually.
Actionable Insights for S8 Owners
If you actually have a Galaxy S8 sitting in a drawer, it’s not totally useless, but its days as a phone are over.
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Instead of looking for a release date, look for a retirement plan:
- Use it as a dedicated webcam: With apps like Camo, the S8's 12MP camera still beats most built-in laptop webcams.
- The ultimate Spotify remote: Plug it into a set of speakers. Since it has a headphone jack (remember those?), it’s a great permanent music station.
- Trade-in bait: Sometimes Samsung offers "any Galaxy, any condition" trade-in deals for their newer phones. You might get $100+ in credit toward an S26 just for handing over that old S8.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 came out on April 21, 2017, and it served its purpose by saving Samsung's reputation. If you're looking for a phone today, you're better off looking at a used Galaxy S22 or S23, which will actually stay secure through the rest of the decade.