Samsung Galaxy Note 8 To Sport Snapdragon 836

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Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is coming this year despite whatever happened with the Note 7, Samsung has confirmed more than once. The Korean company has said that it was working on a new flagship smartphone set to launch in the second half of this year. It will be better, safer, and more innovative than the Note 7. A new report coming out of China indicates that the Note 8 will indeed be more powerful than any other Galaxy phone, thanks to the Snapdragon 836.

Snapdragon 836 to power Samsung Galaxy Note 8

Chinese publication ITHome has learned from its sources that the Galaxy Note 8 will be powered by Qualcomm’s yet-to-launch Snapdragon 836 chipset. A few days ago, reports surfaced that Qualcomm was working on a new, more powerful Snapdragon 836 SoC. ITHome claims that the Note 8 will be the first smartphone to run Qualcomm’s most powerful processor.

Snapdragon 836 will be an improved version of the current Snapdragon 835 that powers the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus. Qualcomm had followed the same route last year when it released Snapdragon 820 and its slightly improved version Snapdragon 821, which was used in phones launched in late 2016 such as OnePlus 3T. The Snapdragon 836 is expected to power premium phones coming in the third and fourth quarter this year such as LG V30 and Google Pixel 2.

How would it differ from Snapdragon 835?

According to the Chinese publication, the Snapdragon 836 will be a 64-bit, octa-core processor with a 2.5GHz clock speed. Its Adreno 540 GPU is said to have a clock speed of 740MHz. Qualcomm has not confirmed anything about the new processor yet. The company is also working on Snapdragon 845, which will be a major improvement over both the Snapdragon 835 and 836. However, the Snapdragon 845 is unlikely to become available until 2018.

Only one variant of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is expected to be powered by Snapdragon 836. Samsung has historically launched its flagship phones in two variants: one running Qualcomm processors for the US market and another powered by its in-house chipsets for the international markets. The Asian and European markets may get a Note 8 running Exynos 8895 processor.

Samsung not to include in-display fingerprint solution to Galaxy Note 8

While Apple was planning to integrate Touch ID fingerprint sensor into the iPhone 8’s display, Samsung tried hard to beat it by embedding the fingerprint scanner into Galaxy S8’s display. However, things didn’t go as planned and the company had to find a new home for the fingerprint scanner on the back panel, next to the camera. Samsung fans anticipated that the company would fix the technical problems and integrate the feature into Galaxy Note 8 screen.

Samsung is not going to use in-display fingerprint solution on the Galaxy Note 8 either. A Samsung executive told Naver on condition of anonymity that the company “made every effort” to add the in-display solution to the Galaxy Note 8. But it chose not to use the technology due to “technical limitations such as security.” The new flagship phablet will have an edge-to-edge Infinity display with no physical home button.

The Samsung official did not reveal whether the fingerprint sensor would be placed on the back or somewhere else. The rear-mounted fingerprint scanner on Galaxy S8 causes many users to accidentally put their fingers on the camera lens while trying to unlock the device. However, it is secure and reliable. It makes sense for Samsung to use a secure and proven solution rather than the one that could compromise user security.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 to have dual cameras

Don’t jump to the conclusion that the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 would look like the Galaxy S8 Plus. On the front panel, the Note 8 display is said to have narrower angles compared to the S8 Plus. You’ll see the real difference on the back panel because the Note 8 would sport a dual camera system, which will be arranged vertically. Noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said that its dual camera would be better than the dual camera setup on the iPhone 7 Plus.

Kuo added that the Note 8 dual cameras would consist of a 13-megapixel telephoto lens and a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens. It is also said to have OIS, 3x optical zoom, and six-element lenses. Leaked photos show the heart rate sensor and dual LED flash placed right below the dual camera system. Apple’s 10th anniversary iPhone 8 will also feature a vertical dual camera system.

The Galaxy Note 8 is said to feature a giant 6.3-inch Infinity display with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio, 6GB RAM, a 3200mAh battery, and up to 256GB of built-in storage. The phone would retain the S Pen stylus and 3.5mm headphone jack. It would run Android 7.1.1 Nougat instead of Android O out of the box. Sources told GalaxyClub that Samsung was testing the Note 8 prototypes with Android 7.1.1 rather than the beta versions of Android O.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 release date

According to The Korea Herald, Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will be unveiled in late August. Other reports suggest that Samsung would show off the new Note at the IFA trade show in Berlin, which is scheduled to be held between September 1 and 6. Samsung may hold a special event a day or two before the IFA to unveil the device. IFA director Jens Heithecker has also suggested that the Note 8 could be announced at or around the IFA.

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