Samsung might drop a limited batch of Galaxy S8 earlier than expected

It appears the much-awaited Galaxy S8 might hit the shelves earlier than expected. A new report suggest Samsung is considering releasing a limited batch of its upcoming flagship handset ahead of its official launch.

Citing undisclosed “industry” sources, South Korean news outlet The Investor speculates the smartphone could start shipping as early as February or March. “There is a possibility of the S8 phones being showcased a month or two ahead of the actual release date,” an anonymous insider told the publication.

The report runs counter to previous rumors suggesting the S8 could make its debut at Mobile World Congress in February as well as more recent gossip hinting the possibility of a postponed launch in mid-April.

According to The Investor, Samsung has its goals set on shipping a much higher volume of its new flagship device compared to previous years. There’s no mention of the exact number, but to give you some context, the manufacturer shipped 45 million units of the S5 and the S6 each, and 48 million units of the S7.

“As the release date of the S8 has been postponed to mid-April, Samsung seems to have set a more ambitious goal than before to make up for the loss caused by the Note model, which has so far led Samsung’s smartphone business every first quarter,” another industry insider told The Investor.

Among other things, the forthcoming S8 is slated to feature a magnificent edge-to-edge display, a powerful virtual assistant, as well as the ability to connect the handset to a monitor for a desktop-like experience. It could, however, ditch the iconic home button and the beloved headphone jack.

Still, taking into account how things panned out last time the Big S rushed to make an early launch, chances are Samsung will take its time to make sure everything runs smooth with the Galaxy S8 – as it should.