<div align="justify">Samsung today unveiled its new Galaxy S8 smartphones, incorporating its virtual assistant Bixby, as the market leader seeks to rebound from a chaotic handset recall and a corruption scandal.<br /><br />The South Korean giant's mobile chief DJ Koh told a New York event the Galaxy S8 and S8+ handsets marked "a new era of smartphone design."<br /><br />The two handsets, fitted with screens of 5.8 and 6.2 inches, include Samsung's upgraded digital assistant Bixby, competing in a crowded field that includes Apple's Siri, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.<br /><br />Koh said Bixby would provide users with "more and more personalized help," using voice commands to navigate apps and services.<br /><br />As the top-line handsets for the world's biggest smartphone vendor, the Galaxy S8 models will challenge the latest Apple iPhones.<br /><br />Their release comes after Samsung was forced to recall its Note 7 phones for catching fire due to overheating batteries.<br /><br />The debacle cost the South Korean company billions of dollars in lost profit and hammered its global reputation and credibility, during a torrid period when it has also been embroiled in a corruption scandal.<br /><br />The company apologised to consumers for the recall and was forced to postpone the S8 launch. Its investigation blamed the problems on faulty batteries.<br /><br />Samsung later embarked on a campaign to restore its battered reputation, placing full-page advertisements in US newspapers, admitting it "fell short" on its promises.<br /><br />The tech giant says it has also come up with elaborate step-by-step safety verification procedures for future products to prevent similar disasters.</div>
<div align="justify">Samsung today unveiled its new Galaxy S8 smartphones, incorporating its virtual assistant Bixby, as the market leader seeks to rebound from a chaotic handset recall and a corruption scandal.<br /><br />The South Korean giant's mobile chief DJ Koh told a New York event the Galaxy S8 and S8+ handsets marked "a new era of smartphone design."<br /><br />The two handsets, fitted with screens of 5.8 and 6.2 inches, include Samsung's upgraded digital assistant Bixby, competing in a crowded field that includes Apple's Siri, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.<br /><br />Koh said Bixby would provide users with "more and more personalized help," using voice commands to navigate apps and services.<br /><br />As the top-line handsets for the world's biggest smartphone vendor, the Galaxy S8 models will challenge the latest Apple iPhones.<br /><br />Their release comes after Samsung was forced to recall its Note 7 phones for catching fire due to overheating batteries.<br /><br />The debacle cost the South Korean company billions of dollars in lost profit and hammered its global reputation and credibility, during a torrid period when it has also been embroiled in a corruption scandal.<br /><br />The company apologised to consumers for the recall and was forced to postpone the S8 launch. Its investigation blamed the problems on faulty batteries.<br /><br />Samsung later embarked on a campaign to restore its battered reputation, placing full-page advertisements in US newspapers, admitting it "fell short" on its promises.<br /><br />The tech giant says it has also come up with elaborate step-by-step safety verification procedures for future products to prevent similar disasters.</div>