Samsung Might Have Changed Galaxy Note 8 Design At The Last Minute

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Supply chain leaks in the last few months had almost confirmed the Galaxy Note 8 design. The rumor mill told us that the device would have a Galaxy S8-like Infinity display and an S Pen stylus. Samsung is also rumored to be adding a dual camera system on the upcoming phablet. However, a new report from a reliable tipster indicates that Samsung might have made some last minute changes to the Galaxy Note 8 design.

Why did Samsung tweak the Note 8 design?

If it turns out to be true, the upcoming Note 8 would appear slightly different from the leaked images we have seen in the last few weeks. Noted Twitter tipster Ice Universe posted a photo of the Galaxy Note 8 “v2.0.” The tipster has learned from inside sources that Samsung has tweaked the Note 8 design to make the bezels even narrower than before. It means the design was altered right before the device entered mass production.

The Note 8 still sports an Infinity display, but slopes on either side of the display have become sharper than the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus. Samsung has also made the corners edgier. Ice Universe has an impressive track record when it comes to leaking the details of upcoming Android devices. There is a pretty good chance that Ice Universe’s latest renders are an accurate representation of the final Note 8 design.

What prompted Samsung to change the phablet’s design so close to production? The reason could be distortion, says Gordon Kelly of Forbes. The Galaxy S8 had an excellent display, but its graduated curves led to a notable distortion that affected the sides of the device. A flatter display with edgier curves would reduce distortion, notes Gordon Kelly. It’s worth pointing out that the pictures posted by Ice Universe are renders based on information obtained from inside sources. They are not actual press shots.

Galaxy Note 8 design: Is this render accurate?

Meanwhile, a case maker called Nillkin has released case renders of the Note 8. The renders show a much bigger top bezel than the Galaxy S8. Does it mean that the Note 8 has some more features/sensors on the top bezels? That seems unlikely. The Galaxy S8 houses the front camera, ear speaker as well as iris scanner in its incredibly thin top bezels. Nillkin’s render might not be an accurate representation of the phablet, even though it still has an Infinity display with curves on either side.

Note 8 render
Image Source: SlashLeaks.com (screenshot)

Galaxy Note 8: A powerful beast

Despite last minute changes in its display, the Note 8 would retain its 6.3-inch Super AMOLED display with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio. The physical home button has disappeared for good. The Note 8 would also come with Samsung’s in-house Bixby AI assistant. The Note 8 is expected to be a powerful smartphone with 6GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The phablet would run Snapdragon 835 or Exynos 8895, depending on the market.

The Galaxy Note 8 is rumored to feature a USB Type-C port. It would retain the 3.5mm headphone jack. The phone is said to run Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box. It would pack a 3300mAh battery, which is slightly smaller than the Galaxy S8 Plus’ 3500mAh battery. Samsung is expected to enhance battery life through software optimization.

The most exciting feature of the device is going to be a dual camera system. Supply chain leaks suggest the Note 8 would use two 13-megapixel sensors on the back, supplied by Samsung Electro-Mechanics. It is unclear why Samsung is switching from Sony, which supplies Galaxy S8 camera sensors, to its sister firm. Last month, Samsung unveiled four new smartphone camera sensors at the MWC Shanghai. One of the new sensors, ISOCELL Dual, is said to be used in the Note 8.

The Note 8 will most likely have the fingerprint sensor on the back panel rather than under the front display. Numerous leaks have confirmed the rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. Samsung has the optical fingerprint sensor technology, but it is still facing several challenges such as security. On the Note 8, the fingerprint sensor and the dual camera would be separated by the LED flash and heart rate sensor.

Galaxy Note 8 release date

Samsung’s mobile business head DJ Koh recently confirmed that the next-gen Note phablet would be unveiled in late August. The company will hold an Unpacked event in New York City to announce the device. Koh didn’t specifically mention the unveiling date. However, previous leaks have pointed to an August 23 or August 26 unveiling.

The phablet would go on sale in early September. Koh revealed that the launch would be carried out in two phases. In the first phase, the device will be launched in key markets such as South Korea, the US, the UK, and China in early September. In the second phase, the phone will be rolled out worldwide in October. It means the Note 8 would hit the stores well before Apple’s 10th anniversary iPhone, which wouldn’t go on sale until October/November.

The Note 8 may be more expensive than its predecessors. The rumor mill claims the device would have a starting price of around $900. The most expensive variant may set you back by more than $1,000.

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