As rival LG Electronics' new flagship smartphone G6 is selling smoothly in South Korea, Samsung Electronics has made a rare move to release an ad for the Galaxy S8 on TV three weeks ahead of its official launch.

LG said over the weekend that the G6 sold more than 30,000 units over the first two days since its launch Friday. Its preorders exceeded 82,000 units during the eight days that began March 2. The new smartphone features a full display, thin design and is lightweight. Following its launch in Korea, the G6 is expected to go on sale in the US early next month and later in Europe.

Samsung responded with the release of a 15-second teaser video for its upcoming flagship Galaxy S8 from Thursday. The device is slated to be unveiled on March 29 in the US and UK, and on March 30 in Korea, with the release date expected to be on April 21.

The video does not unveil much about the new S8, which is said to
feature a a bezel-less, large display. Earlier this month, Samsung was confirmed to have filed a trademark for an "infinity display" to be featured in the new Galaxy device, according to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

The company is expected to launch two flagship devices - tentatively named the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus - equipped with 5.8- and 6.2-inch displays. Develping a larger organic light-emitting-diode (OLED) display could not held Samsung maximize its revenue, but obviously this is not the company's core strategy this time.

Another feature will be its much-hyped artificial intelligence (AI) voice assistant, Bixby, which came in partnership with its recently acquired AI software firm Viv Labs.

Late last month, Samsung Vice President Rhee In-jong explained the move came as part of efforts to build what it calls an open AI platform where the internet of things (IoT) can be interconnected through voice control.

The G8 is also expected to come with iris-scanning security software, which was unveiled for the first time in Samsung's ill-fated Note 7.

On the other hand, the company will not adopt dual camera modules for the S8.

Samsung is believed to have conducted the final stage of wireless communication tests for the Galaxy S8 flagship phone in South Korea. A model number of "SM-G950F," believed to be one of the S8 variants under test in the Korean market, has appeared on a Google account, which is being used by Samsung developers.

Prominent Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI was out this weekend with a new investor note, focusing on Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S8 refresh.

Kuo believes that Samsung will see weaker demand for its Galaxy S8 this than it did for the Galaxy S7 last year. One reason for this is that last year, Samsung essentially released a single flagship device because of the Note 7 debacle. Another reason for slowed demand, however, is that Samsung will face increased competition this year from Apple.

Kuo claims tha the Galaxy S8 lacks "sufficiently attractive selling points" and thus the OLED iPhone could be a "bigger draw for consumers" this year than the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus were last year.

Kuo has offered up a variety of details related to the iPhone 8, including its OLED display, wireless charging, new glass design, and function area.