We know Samsung will unveil the Galaxy Note 8 on August 23. The company has invited media to its Unpacked event at the Park Avenue Armory in New York. Fans expect there to be a few weeks gap between the unveiling and launch date. Some reports claimed there would be a month-long gap between the two. Samsung hasn’t revealed the Galaxy Note 8 launch date yet, but a representative at one of its wireless carrier partners might just have.
‘Almost zero chance’ of changing the Galaxy Note 8 launch date
Citing a representative for a wireless network provider, ETNews reports that the Galaxy Note 8 launch date is set for September 15th, at least in South Korea. The price hasn’t been decided yet, said the source. Another representative from a different carrier told the publication that Samsung had decided on the Galaxy Note 8 launch date, and there was “almost zero chance” that it would change the date.
If Samsung indeed brings the Note 8 on September 15, the device will compete against LG’s V30. After the failure of LG G6, LG Electronics is tipped to launch the V30 on September 15. If these reports turn out to be accurate, the two rivals will release their flagship phones on the same day. Things would get even more interesting if Apple launches its new iPhone 7S and 7S Plus on the same date.
Apple traditionally launches the new iPhones on a Friday. September 15 falls on a Friday. Last year’s iPhone 7 went for sale on September 16th. The Cupertino company is expected to hold a press event to unveil the new iPhones in the first half of September. The iPhone 8 release is likely to get delayed due to technical challenges. The iPhone 8, not the iPhone 7S or 7S Plus, would be the real competitor to the Note 8, though.
The Galaxy Note 8 release date will be about a month later than the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7, which was released on August 19 last year. Industry experts believe that the Note 8 would become the best selling Galaxy Note phablet ever. That’s because the Note fans haven’t seen a new Note device since the Galaxy Note 5 due to the discontinuation of the Note 7.
It is unclear when Samsung will start taking pre-orders for the Note 8. Wireless carriers told ETNews that a 10-14 day pre-order period is needed to give consumers enough opportunities to experience the phablet before deciding whether to buy it. Meanwhile, leaked Samsung documents in Australia suggest that the company would start taking pre-orders on August 25th.
Is this the official Galaxy Note 8 photo?
Earlier this week, reputed leaker Evan Blass shared a photo of the Note 8 in Midnight Black color. It is a finished and polished device rather than a picture of an unfinished prototype taken under terrible lighting somewhere in China. Experts believe that it was an official Note 8 picture that Samsung’s marketing team passed on to Evan Blass to drum up the consumer excitement ahead of the August 23 unveiling.
https://twitter.com/evleaks/status/892167245740347393
Dual camera, Infinity display, 6GB RAM, and more
The Galaxy Note 8 will almost certainly feature a 6.3-inch Super AMOLED display. The device is said to sport the same Infinity display with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio that the Korean company used on the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus. The bezel-less Infinity display has been liked by both the consumers and critics. The device would feature a Bixby button, an iris scanner, a USB Type-C port, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
The Note 8 is said to run Samsung’s in-house Exynos 8895 or Qualcomm’s octa-core Snapdragon 835 SoC, depending on the market. According to Chinese leaker Ice Universe, the upcoming phablet would feature 6GB RAM and up to 256GB of built-in storage. It is also rumored to have a microSD card slot for memory expansion. Other rumored features include a 3300mAh battery, Android 7.1.1 Nougat operating system, wireless charging, fast-charging capabilities, and IP68 rating for water- and dust-resistance.
The Note 8 would be Samsung’s first ever smartphone to feature a dual camera setup. According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the phablet will house a 13MP wide-angle lens and a 12MP telephoto lens on the back panel to enhance the photography experience. Samsung is said to source the rear camera sensor from its sister firm Samsung Electro-Mechanics.
Note 8 gets FCC certification
Just a few days ago, the Note 8 received certification from the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC certification weeks before the Unpacked event suggests that Samsung has fully developed and tested the device. The FCC certified four Note 8 models: SM-N950U, SM-N950U1, SM-N950XU, and SM-N950W. The N950U is the base model.
There is a lot riding on the Galaxy Note 8. It will succeed the exploding Note 7 that injured hundreds of users worldwide and forced Samsung to kill the device. How the Note 8 performs will decide the fate of Samsung’s Note line. Industry experts had already suggested that the Korean company should discontinue the Note brand.
