Samsung Galaxy S8 rumors: new evidence hints at front camera with autofocus

At the end of last month, the Galaxy S8 rumor mill, which is spinning full speed after the Note 7 debacle, spew out an interesting suggestion regarding Samsung's all-but-confirmed 2017 S-line flagship smartphone. According to said rumor, the Galaxy S8 may feature a front-facing camera with autofocus – a first for the company and a rarity in the mobile industry as a whole.

Recently unveiled by SamMobile, the South Korean tech giant's latest trademark filing with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) reveals a new trademarked term – “Smart AF” (where AF stands for autofocus). Although the documentation is very scarce on details, it reveals that the trademark will be associated with everything from laptops, to tablets, to smartphones, to even lens attachments thereof, the description also explicitly mentions “facial recognition software for smartphones.”

Although this may not be an actual confirmation of the Galaxy S8 selfie shooter rumors, it is our biggest lead at the moment. Since Samsung obviously intends to implement “Smart AF” in tablets and laptops, but these types of devices are either not highly regarded for their photo-taking capabilities (in the case of tablets), or do not feature a rear-facing camera to begin with (laptops), it wouldn't be out of the question that Samsung is aiming for the selfie shooter with “Smart AF”. When it comes to smartphones, rear-facing cameras with autofocus have been around for years, so, although the new technology may see some sort of implementation there as well, we would say it is more likely than not primarily for selfie cameras. Furthermore, this patent reveal is in line with the aforementioned Galaxy S8 rumors, and although we wouldn't make haste to bet our heads that it will necessarily see adoption in next year's Galaxy S flagship, it is not uncommon for trademark filings to reveal accurate details about upcoming tech months ahead of any official unveiling.

Samsung will have a lot to prove with the Galaxy S8, both to itself, its competitors, and following the Note 7 fiasco – to its customers. The Galaxy S8 is expected to be unveiled at MWC 2017 in February. For more information on the upcoming flagship and for our extensive Galaxy S8 rumor round-up, head to the links below: