The successor to Samsung’s “exploding” phablet Galaxy Note 7 is already in the works. The device, likely to be named Galaxy Note 8, has been consistently appearing in the rumor mill for the last few weeks. The current Galaxy S8 has set a new benchmark in terms of smartphone design with its edge-to-edge Infinity display. The upcoming Galaxy Note 8 is only expected to be an improvement over the Galaxy S8.
Image Source: Priceraja.com (screenshot)Note 8 photos
A couple of new images have surfaced online showing the front and back panels of the Note 8. The hands-on photos suggest that the Galaxy Note 8 is going to borrow a lot of design elements from the Galaxy S8. The pictures were posted on Weibo and first spotted by Priceraja.com. While the front panel looks similar to the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, the rear panel looks entirely different.
There is no rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. Since the device does not have a physical home button on the front panel, the fingerprint scanner is likely to be integrated into the front display panel. Samsung was supposed to integrate the feature into the display of Galaxy S8, but it had to move the fingerprint sensor to the back panel due to time constraints and implementation issues.
Galaxy Note 8 features vertical dual camera
Another thing that you’ll notice on the back panel is the vertically-arranged dual camera system. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had predicted in April that the Galaxy Note 8 would sport a dual camera system on the back to take on Apple’s 10th anniversary iPhone 8. Kuo said the Note 8’s dual camera would be better than the iPhone 7 Plus, and could even match the iPhone 8.
The analyst predicted that the Galaxy Note 8 dual camera setup would include a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens with dual photodiode (2PD) and a 13-megapixel telephoto lens. It is unclear why Samsung opted for a vertical arrangement rather than a horizontal one. The iPhone 8 is said to have vertically-placed dual cameras to support augmented reality applications that Apple is planning to introduce this September.
Right below the dual camera system on the Galaxy Note 8, you can see the LED flash and the heart rate sensor. On the Galaxy S8, the LED flash and heart rate sensor were placed on the left side of the rear camera. A 3D mockup of Note 8 created by folks at Concept Creator also included a dual camera setup on the back. Curiously, the mockup also included a dual camera on the front for selfies.
Note 8 to have a 6.3-inch display
Last week, a short video of Galaxy Note 8’s front panel was posted on Twitter by @mmddj_china. According to the video, the phablet sports a giant 6.3-inch display, which is 0.6-inch longer than the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7. The current Galaxy S8 Plus comes with a 6.2-inch screen. Since the Note line is a phablet, the upcoming Note was expected to have a bigger display than the Galaxy S8 Plus.
Note8? pic.twitter.com/aZPsIevLbF
— 电流_Current (@MMDDJ_) May 25, 2017
The rumor mill speculates that the Galaxy Note 8 would feature a Quad HD Super AMOLED display with 1440 x 2560 resolution. It is expected to have the same 18.5:9 aspect ratio as the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus. Samsung is rumored to launch the device in two variants: one running Snapdragon 835 for the Western markets and another powered by Exynos 8895 for other markets.
Other features include 6GB RAM, Android Nougat with Samsung’s custom UI on top, a 3700mAh battery pack, and a USB Type-C port. Samsung is going to retain the 3.5mm headphone jack on the Note 8. The phablet will also get an improved version of Samsung’s Bixby AI assistant, which is still in its infancy. Samsung is planning to push out a major upgrade to Bixby in the coming months. And the Note 8 will be incomplete without its S Pen stylus.
Galaxy Note 8 release date
Samsung traditionally releases its Galaxy Note phones in August. If the company stick to its Note release cycle, we can expect the Note 8 to come out in August. But Samsung is unlikely to rush the Note 8 release. The phone will come out only when it is ready and has been tested rigorously for safety. In April, IFA executive director Jens Heithecker said the IFA Berlin would be the perfect place for Samsung to show off its new flagship phablet. In the past, Samsung has held Unpacked events around the IFA to announce new Note devices.
