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SAMSUNG GALAXY A8(2018) PLUS IMAGES LEAK 

Samsung Galaxy A series of smartphone for 2018 have been doing the rounds of social networks for a while now. Back in November, we spotted the 2018 Galaxy A5 bearing the model number A530N listed by the FCC. New reports now reveal images of what is rumoured to be the Samsung Galaxy A8 Plus.

Samsung Galaxy A8 Plus. Image: Weibo

As per a report by Android Headlines, two real images of the Galaxy A8 Plus were shared by an unknown user on Chinese social media website, Weibo. As per the report, the smartphone revealed in the images is likely the official successor to the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017). While the reason behind Samsung's minor rebranding is unknown, the images give us a good look at the expected design of the smartphone.

The first of the two images gives us a clear look at the top of the smartphone which shows the use of Samsung's Infinity display panel. The bezel-less design revealed here reminds us of the Samsung Galaxy S8, though the edges here do not wrap around the display. The report also tells us that the aspect ratio of the screen could be 18.5:9. The second image, on the other hand, gives users a clearer look at the model number which reads SM-A730F.

Samsung Galaxy A8 Plus. Image: Weibo

Apart from the display, the first image also reveals what looks like a dual-selfie camera setup which is also vaguely noticeable in the second image.

Samsung is yet to mention anything about its mid-range smartphone line up for 2018. The Galaxy A7 is currently the top variant of the Galaxy A series.

Samsung's upcoming flagship phones will make their debut this February, most likely at MWC 2018 (Mobile World Congress) in Barcelona, Spain.

Leaked Samsung Galaxy S9 schematics. Slashleaks

According to a Bloomberg report, the upcoming devices will be teased in "late February" and will go on sale in "early March". The devices, expected to be the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus, are going to be very similar to last year's S8 and S8 Plus (review). The major difference will be the upgraded camera hardware, say Bloomberg's sources.

This report flies in the face of expectations of a CES 2018 debut and an MWC 2018 launch.

In 2017, the launch of Samsung's flagship smartphones was delayed considerably owing to the difficulty in manufacturing enough Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chips. These chips are what powered most of the Android flagships in 2017.

A side effect of the production issues was that MWC 2017 was rather lacklustre, given that many of the smartphone manufacturers had to push their premium device launches by a few months. It's not clear if the upcoming Snapdragon 845 chips will also be delayed in 2018.

Various leaks do suggest that the new phones will come with a single-camera setup at the rear, as opposed to the dual-camera one seen on the Galaxy Note 8 (review). It's possible that the upcoming phones will use Qualcomm's and Google's single-camera portrait mode support to deliver a better quality single camera experience.

An earlier report also hinted at at an in-display fingerprint sensor on the front. However, Bloomberg's report hinting at a more traditional design and a Slashleaks report of a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor say otherwise.