Galaxy Note 8 Leaks: Front Panel, Code Name, Benchmark Test

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There is no shortage of Galaxy Note 8 leaks on the Internet, but fresh leaks continue to emerge almost every day. The phone’s official unveiling is only about two months away. By now, Samsung must have finalized the phone’s design and specifications. Now the top section of the Galaxy Note 8’s front panel has surfaced online, showing the position of the front camera, iris scanner, and ear speaker.

Top front side of Galaxy Note 8 leaks online

The leaked image, originally posted on Chinese site Weibo.com, was spotted by folks at Priceraja.com. The picture indicates that the Note 8 would have a slim top bezel. The phone would feature the same Infinity display as the current flagship Galaxy S8. Previous Galaxy Note 8 leaks have indicated that the phablet would retain the S8’s 18.5:9 aspect ratio, which is better than the standard 16:9 ratio for watching videos. The Note 8 top bezel measures 6.7mm, according to the leaked image.

Galaxy Note 8 code named “Gr3at”

Back in March, ValueWalk reported that the Galaxy Note 8 was internally known as “Great.” That code name was found to be associated with model number SM-N950F. Samsung has reportedly skipped the model number SM-N940 because the number “4” is associated with bad luck in Korean culture. Now reputed Twitter tipster Evan Blass of VentureBeat has learned from his sources that the phablet is code named “Gr3at” rather than “Great.”

https://twitter.com/evleaks/status/875209035322085376

The code name suggests that Samsung has something great to offer with the Galaxy Note 8. The company has confirmed that the Note 8 was coming later this year, and it would be better, safer and more innovative than previous Galaxy phones. With its eight-point battery safety program, Samsung has ensured that faulty batteries do not get into its devices.

Galaxy Note 8 spotted on HTML5Test benchmark

The Galaxy Note 8 with model number SM-N950F has appeared on the well-known HTML5Test’s benchmark, which measures a device’s browser performance. The benchmark results are still posted on the website. It reveals some interesting details about the handset. The Note 8 scored an impressive 488 points out of 555 on the benchmark. That’s even higher than the iPhone 7 Plus’ 415 points out of 555.

Galaxy Note 8 Benchmark Test
Image Source: HTML5Test.com (screenshot)

According to the test results, the browser performed particularly well in rendering videos and 2D graphics. The Note 8 appeared with Samsung Internet 5.2 app on the benchmark, suggesting that the device would launch with this version of the browser. Also, the device was running Android Nougat 7.1.1. It corroborates previous rumors that the Note 8 would launch with Android Nougat rather than Android O.

Snapdragon 836, dual camera system

The Galaxy Note 8 is said to be powered by Qualcomm’s yet-to-launch Snapdragon 836 processor, which will be an improved version of SD835. In fact, Chinese publication ITHome reports that the Note 8 could be the first smartphone to feature SD836. The new processor is rumored to have eight cores and a clock speed of 2.5GHz. Its Adreno 540 GPU would offer 740MHz clock speed.

A plethora of Galaxy Note 8 leaks have also pointed to a dual-camera system on the back of the handset. Ming-Chi Kuo, a highly respected KGI Securities analyst, says the Note 8 dual camera would include a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens and a 13MP telephoto lens. However, a recent Weibo post claimed that both cameras would be 13-megapixel, and they would be supplied by Samsung Electro-Mechanics rather than Sony. The Korean company used Sony’s IMX333 sensor in the Galaxy S8.

What about the fingerprint sensor?

There remains confusion about the fingerprint scanner position on the Galaxy Note 8. Some reports claim the feature would be integrated into the Infinity display. Samsung had tried to embed it into the Galaxy S8 display, but couldn’t pull it off. So, fans expected it to use the in-display fingerprint solution on the Note 8. However, a Samsung executive told Naver that the company had decided not to use the in-display solution due to “technical limitations such as security.”

Other key features include a 6.3-inch Infinity display with QHD resolution. It is said to come with an S Pen stylus, a 3200mAh battery, a USB Type-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The device will reportedly have a “textured Bixby button” on the side to help customers differentiate it from the volume down button. The phablet is expected to have 6GB RAM, though latest Galaxy Note 8 leaks suggest that Samsung could also launch an 8GB RAM variant. However, the 8GB RAM model is expected to be available only in specific markets.

There are also speculations that Samsung would bring a 256GB internal storage variant of the Galaxy Note 8. According to the Business Wire, Samsung has started mass production of 256GB V-NAND memory chips which might end up on the Note 8. The new memory chips have a data transfer speed of up to 1Gbps, and offer 30% increase in productivity compared to its predecessor.

Galaxy Note 8 release date

Samsung is widely expected to unveil the Galaxy Note 8 at or around the IFA trade show in Berlin. This year’s IFA event will take place between September 1 and 6. However, Korean site The Bell reported earlier this week that the device would be unveiled in mid-August. Last year, the Note 7 was announced in the first week of August, and hit the store shelves on August 19th.

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