With Samsung attempting to put the Galaxy Note 7 debacle firmly in the past, attention is already turning it to the now widely expected Galaxy Note 8. There have been suggestions that Samsung would abandon the Galaxy Note branding after the disaster of the Galaxy Note 7 infamously exploding, but it is now expected instead that the Korean corporation will continue with this popular phablet series.
Image Source: ReleaseDatePortalGalaxy Note 8 Release date
There is already some debate over when the Galaxy Note 8 will appear on the shelves. The natural release date for this phablet would be towards the end of 2017, shortly before the release of Apple’s iPhone 8. However, it has been suggested in some quarters that Samsung could release the next generation device earlier than would usually be the case, in an attempt to recover from the financial losses incurred by the Galaxy Note 7.
Possibly an earlier release date than the Galaxy Note 7 should be expected.
Display
Samsung has made its reputation with visual technology in recent years, becoming the world’s largest seller of televisions back in 2008, and retaining this title ever since. The trend has continued in its mobile releases, with the curved screen technology introduced by Samsung over the last few years proving particularly popular.
With this in mind, Samsung is expected to deliver some outstanding technology with the Galaxy Note 8 display, in an attempt to get customers back on side with the device range. And one of the particularly intriguing suggestions for the Galaxy Note 8 display is that Samsung could finally include the foldable screen technology which it first demonstrated at a trade show several years ago.
This could be coupled with the introduction of 4K resolution for the first time in a Samsung handset, and the two elements together would surely result in an outstanding device. This would particularly facilitate virtual reality, which Samsung is pushing with its Gear technology.
Home button
It has been further suggested that Samsung could eliminate the Home button which has been resident in the Note range for many years when the Galaxy Note 8 is released. This is a common and popular suggestion for the Apple iPhone range as well, and both of the market leaders could switch to touch-sensitive technology for Home button functions next year.
Design
Little is known about the design of the Galaxy Note 8 at the time of writing, but the general consensus of opinion is that Samsung is unlikely to diverge too drastically from the metal and glass of the doomed Galaxy Note 7. Bezels could be slimmed down significantly, though, and already there have been the usual edge-to-edge concept images suggesting a more radical departure from the norm.
Camera
It is widely anticipated that the Galaxy Note 8 will include a dual-lens camera, but the potential pixel resolution of this snapper has drawn particular excitement from Android fans. It is suggested that Samsung could include a 30-megapixel lens in the Galaxy Note 8 camera, and this would undoubtedly make the photographic capabilities of the phablet among the absolute pinnacle of the smartphone niche.
Battery
There will likely be power-saving features built into the next iteration of the Android operating system, but Samsung may also decide to increase the physical quantity of the cell as well. The Note 7 battery is 3,500 mAh, and we may see this figure upped to in excess of 4,000.
Processor
Samsung has utilized a combination of its proprietary Exynos technology in recent releases, but has also introduced Qualcomm back into the fold with its Snapdragon series. And it has been suggested that, in an attempt to overcome the technical difficulties experienced with the Galaxy Note 7, that Snapdragon chipsets and processors will largely be used in the Galaxy Note 8.
This could mean that the Snapdragon 830 will debut in the Galaxy Note 8, meaning that the phablet will be powered by at least 3.2 GHz of octa-core power. Alternatively, Samsung could utilize the Exynos 8895 in East Asia; supposedly a 3 GHz octa-core chip.
Memory
Early rumors related to the Galaxy Note 8 suggest that the phablet will be packed with a staggering 6 GB of RAM. This sort of massive memory quotient may be a necessity if Samsung is to deliver a 4K resolution display, and also to provide satisfactory virtual reality functionality.
Operating system
Either Android Nougat or Android O will be used in the Galaxy Note 8, depending on when Samsung releases the device. The latter perhaps seems more likely if Samsung sticks to something close to its usual release schedule.
New features
Several new features have also been linked with the Galaxy Note 8, with an iris scanner and artificial intelligence assistant perhaps the most exciting innovations. The former was, of course, included in the Galaxy Note 7, and it is expected that a fingerprint scanner will also accompany the iris scanner in the Note 8 once more.
An AI assistant, developed by some of those who worked on Apple’s Siri, is mooted, and this is likely to be branded Bixby when it emerges. Increasingly, consumers are expecting smart devices in what is an increasingly inter-connected digital world, and Samsung will have its eye on the ball in this department with the Galaxy Note 8. The feature set of Bixby is not 100% clear as of yet, but there will be obvious overlap with Siri.
Finally, Samsung is also expected to upgrade the S Pen stylus when it releases the Galaxy Note 8, ensuring that it is both more user-friendly and feature-packed.
Price
There will be pressure on Samsung to release the Galaxy Note 8 at a lower and more competitive price point, particularly after the unmitigated failure of the Galaxy Note 7. 2017 promises to deliver an extremely competitive smartphone market, with Apple releasing a 10th anniversary iPhone, and the niche generally becoming more organised and competitive. Samsung must pay heed to this and deliver a Galaxy Note 8 at a price which will suit the pockets of contemporary consumers.
