MANILA, Philippines – China will be getting a beefed-up version of the already capable Samsung flagship, the Galaxy S8 and S8+, US tech site BGR reports. 

The China-bound version will be getting 6GB of RAM instead of the standard 4GB found in all the other markets at the moment. Storage will also be doubled in China’s S8, jumping to 128GB from 64GB. 

The jump in RAM theoretically offers performance benefits, especially when the Galaxy S8 and S8+ are used in pseudo-desktop computer mode through the Samsung accessory DeX.

The DeX is a device that connects the S8 to a monitor, allowing the phone to function more like a desktop computer suited for productivity. The boost in storage is likely to ruffle fewer feathers since the standard S8 has microSD storage expandability up to 256GB.

The enhanced figures, however, also entail a heftier price tag. The China model will cost upwards of $1,000. In contrast, the standard S8 is $750 in the US while the S8+ is $850. In the Philippines, the price is P39,990 or around $800 for the S8 and P45,990 or around $916 for the S8+.

While some contend that 6GB of RAM is unnecessary for a phone, the claim hasn’t stopped some phone manufacturers in China from giving their phones the 6GB treatment. Korean tech site ETnews.com said the presence of such phones in the Chinese market might be a reason why Samsung beefed up the S8 there. – Rappler.com

P50.18 = $1