Samsung says it is putting the “smart” back in its smartphones. That’s as the South Korean manufacture looks to rebound from last year's exploding battery scandal with the introduction of the S8 and S8 Plus mobile phones in Seoul. 

Samsung launched the new phones on Thursday, with what it called high standard safety inspections. The phones are also smart. They analyze their owner’s behavior and conduct self-learning for smarter reactions to users.

Samsung is also working on developing foldable phones, but this isn't a step back to the flip phone of the early 2000s. 

South Korean media says these smartphones have designs with panels that fold “outwardly.” That means the phones can be folded in half or expand from a smartphone into a tablet. 

However, the devices won’t be an easy sell. The first hurdle is mass producing foldable displays, and it’s still unknown if consumers are interested in such a phone. 

But the biggest challenge comes from rival Apple. 

Apple’s next iPhone is likely to include several components made by Samsung. That means Samsung needs to provide more surprises to finally extinguish its battery scandal and persuade stubbornly loyal Apple fans to try something new.