The Samsung Galaxy S8 event was yesterday, and, like many an analyst covering the mobile space, I watched it. Here are some of my key takeaways for the event:

• The Samsung Galaxy S8 may finally be the phone that replaces your PC.
  • The S8's DeX desktop-like experience offers consumers the ability to connect to a monitor and use apps in a desktop-like mode, viewing apps side-by-side and enabling keyboard and mouse control.
  • Apple has no feature comparable to this, and DeX takes Windows 10 Mobile's best feature - Continuum for Phones - and blows it out of the water. Here at Parks' we're also seeing a growing interest in going mobile-only, and Samsung's move with DeX may accelerate that trend.
• The Galaxy S8's bezel-less infinity display offers the benefits of a large screen, but without the hassles of a too-big device.
  • Customers like big screens. They let you do more stuff. But, they come with a downside - bigger phones are harder to handle and harder to transport. Samsung's bezel-less display is a nice compromise between the two options. As a consumer, I would be a bit worried about fingerprints, though.
• Samsung's new Bixby assistant pushes the envelope on what digital assistants are capable of.
  • Bixby offers Siri-like app integration and Cortana-like contextual intelligence and reminder abilities, debuting as a very competitive smart assistant. However, it's Bixby's ability to learn and adapt to users' routines that puts it a step ahead of anything else on the market.
• The new Samsung Connect app is Samsung's answer to the Apple Home.
  • Users are able to monitor and control all of their Samsung and SmartThings connected home devices in one place, similar to the Apple Home. Samsung plans on eventually integrating Bixby for voice control, but it's not there quite yet.
• The Galaxy S8 is the first device to be Mobile HDR Premium certified from the UHD Alliance, offering consumers ultra-high-definition content.
  • Normally it's hard to distinguish between 4K and HD content on such a small screen, but with the S8's support for the GearVR headset this offers a nice bonus to VR content consumers.
• Samsung's partnership with Amwell brings the company's Ask an Expert feature right to the S Health app.
  • This will allow users easier access to online medical services, and likely won't be Samsung's last move in this field. I expect to hear more news coming soon…
• The Galaxy S8's security features offers a host of biometric options including not just a standard fingerprint scanner, but also iris and facial recognition. Patterns and passwords can still be used if preferred.
  • Samsung has partnered with financial organizations to allow customers to use these security features to log into websites. Samsung plans to expand this partnership into e-commerce and health at a later date, setting themselves up nicely to play a role in a password-less future.

Further Reading:

• 10% of U.S. broadband households likely to cancel their fixed broadband Internet service over next 12 months
• 360 View: Mobility & the App Economy
• Sharing Economy Apps Disrupting Traditional Markets