Just a few days ago, Slashleaks received images which supposedly showed off Samsung‘s yet-to-be released Note 8 in all its glory. The images came from the Chinese social media site Weibo and clearly show a handset with the widely-rumored Galaxy S8-esque design. However, since its publication, another top leaker, Evan Blass, has snubbed the device in the images, calling it a fake Galaxy Note 8. Here’s why and also what else is being said about Samsung’s next phablet.
Fake Galaxy Note 8
Why is Blass so up in arms against this apparent fake? It’s because he reported recently for VentureBeat that the real Galaxy Note 8 was being readied for an announcement. This information came from his source, who he says has inside information about the company’s plans. So what are the differences between what Blass knows and this apparently fake Galaxy Note 8 image?
Apparently, the branding on the official device is “Note8,” whereas on the fake, it’s not. According to Blass, the fact that there is a space between the “Note” and the “8” means it’s fake. In addition, it appears that the rear camera setup is incorrect in this fake Galaxy Note 8 image. The real layout, according to Blass, should be horizontal, while the image published on Slashleaks shows it as vertical.
Who is right and who is wrong?
As both Slashleaks and Blass are well-known industry leakers, there’s no way to know if this image is correct or not. However, Blass has been taking to Twitter to further elaborate on the reasons why he believes the above image is a fake.
1. Within a handset’s marketing materials, Samsung is known for pairing the word “Note” with a model number. The problem with this, however, is that it could simply be a typo, and the image is not fake.
2. As for the rear camera, this is more conjectural, as we only have Blass’ word. He suggests that his source has told him that the fake Galaxy Note 8 has an incorrect camera lens alignment. Right now, no one outside of the rumor mill knows if that’s true. So take that information with a grain of salt.
What is known about the Note 8?
Officially, we know almost nothing about the Note 8 apart from the fact that Samsung has publicly stated that the phablet does exist.
We suggest you forget about that fake Galaxy Note 8 for the moment, as without proof, there’s just no way to know whether it’s real. However, what we can tell you is that again, according to Evan Blass, the Note 8 could be the most expensive Samsung handset ever. Furthermore, the race to embed a fingerprint sensor in a smartphone display may have to be put off. According to reports, Samsung is experiencing technical difficulties, which could mean that Apple will launch the first handset of that kind in September.
Possible release date
Beyond the fingerprint sensor issue and its price, the most varied set of rumors have surrounded the possible launch date. Will it be in August or September? Again, there has been no official word on this; however, there is a consensus building around two possible rumors. One sees the handset launch in late August in New York, while the other at the IFA trade show a few days later. You can find out more about these rumors here.
Final thoughts
Returning to the possibility that the above image shows a fake Galaxy Note 8, does it really matter one way or the other? After all, this one will be forgotten like all the rest, and new images will appear, all of which may as well be fake too unless Samsung officially endorses them.
Share your thoughts on this using the comments section below.
