Samsung Galaxy S8+ specs leak confirms monstrous 6.2-inch screen and eye-scanning tech

The launch of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ is still weeks away, but many of the handsets’ details have already been revealed in a series of leaks.

Samsung will almost certainly not unveil its new pair of flagships at Mobile World Congress this weekend, and is instead rumoured to be planning a New York event towards the end of March, ahead of an April release.

The latest Samsung leak comes from Twitter user @evleaks, who has got his hands on a legitimate-looking specs list for the larger of the two upcoming smartphones.

Assuming it is the real deal, the list confirms that the Galaxy S8+ will feature an enormous 6.2-inch screen, with a Quad HD+ resolution.

For comparison, the ill-fated Note 7 – Samsung’s flagship large-screened handset before it was recalled and discontinued – used a 5.7-inch display, and last year’s S7 and S7 Edge used a 5.1-inch screen and 5.5-inch screen, respectively.

The iPhone 7 Plus, Apple's largest smartphone, has a 5.5-inch display.

One of the reasons behind the super-size approach is the Galaxy S line’s striking new design. The S8 and S8+ are expected to feature an “infinity display”, said to cover 83% of their front panel, enabling Samsung to keep the new handsets relatively compact.

The list adds that the S8+ – and the S8, most likely – will also use an iris-scanner for unlocking the phone, a 12-megapixel rear camera and 8-megapixel selfie camera, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage.

The phones are also expected to be IP68 dust- and water-resistant and support wireless charging, as well as feature a new AI virtual assistant called Bixby.