Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Release Date: August 26 [REPORT]

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Samsung has assured its fans than the Galaxy Note 8 would be safer, better, and more innovative than its ill-fated predecessor. In the last few months, we have come across numerous leaks and rumors regarding the Note 8. Some have been speculating that Samsung could delay the Note 8 launch because of the Note 7 debacle, and the fact that the Galaxy S8 also arrived a month later than usual. Now a Korean publication has revealed the Galaxy Note 8 release date, and there will likely be no delay.

Galaxy Note 8 release date: IFA unveiling unlikely

Earlier this month, a Samsung insider told GalaxyClub that the company was planning to unveil the Galaxy Note 8 at the IFA event in Berlin. The IFA is set to take place between September 1 and 6. IFA director Jens Heithecker has also commented that the IFA would be an ideal place for the world’s largest smartphone vendor to unveil its next flagship. Samsung has unveiled the previous Galaxy Note devices at the IFA, so it wouldn’t be a huge surprise.

Then Korean site The Bell claimed that Samsung executives were planning to introduce the Note 8 at an Unpacked event in mid-August. The event was said to be held in New York. Notorious Chinese tipster Ice Universe said in a Weibo post that the Galaxy Note 8 release date was set for the third week of August, meaning sometime between August 14 and 20.

Samsung currently finalizing venue for Aug.26 event

Unfortunately, none of them mentioned a specific release date. Now Korean publication The Investor has given a specific Galaxy Note 8 release date: August 26. According to the site, Samsung executives are currently finalizing the venue for the Note 8 Unpacked event. Since the venue hasn’t been finalized yet, the date of unveiling could be adjusted. However, The Investor says the date is unlikely to change.

The phablet is expected to go on sale soon after the announcement. Last year, Samsung had announced the Note 7 on August 2, a full month earlier than usual, to beat the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus to the market. The rushed launch caused the Note 7 to suffer from an embarrassing battery problem. Samsung has since implemented an eight-point battery safety program to prevent the use of faulty batteries in its phones.

An early Galaxy Note 8 release date would give Samsung a chance to beat Apple’s 10th anniversary iPhone 8 to the market, and gain the first mover advantage. Supply chain reports suggest that the iPhone 8 would be delayed by a few weeks due to technical issues with new features. The iPhone 8 is said to be the biggest design overhaul in Apple’s flagship smartphone line since the original iPhone.

No optical fingerprint sensor for Galaxy Note 8

Multiple reports have confirmed that Samsung has dropped the idea of implementing an optical fingerprint sensor under the Note 8 display. The Korean company previously tried to use an in-display fingerprint solution in the Galaxy S8, but the feature was moved to the rear panel eventually due to technical limitations. A Samsung official recently told Naver that the Galaxy Note 8 would also lack the optical fingerprint sensor despite Samsung making “every effort” to use the technology.

Apparently, the Samsung executive said the company dropped the feature because of “technical limitations such as security.” Other reports claimed that the in-display fingerprint scanner version of the Note 8 was also suffering from low production yields. Chinese tipster Ice Universe has learned from industry sources that the optical fingerprint solution was causing a circular area whether the sensor is placed to appear much brighter than the rest of the screen, leaving a “ghosting effect.”

Galaxy Note 8 Fingerprint Sensor
Image Source: Ice Universe / Weibo.com (screenshot0

The Korean company is in no mood to give up on the optical fingerprint sensor altogether. The Samsung exec told Naver than the company would keep refining the technology until it is ready to appear on the flagship Galaxy phones. The next year’s Galaxy S9 is expected to be Samsung’s first smartphone to feature the in-display fingerprint sensor.

Samsung’s first smartphone with a dual-camera system

The Galaxy Note 8 would look similar to the current Galaxy S8 Plus, though there will be some improvements. For instance, the Note 8 would have narrower display angles than the S8 Plus. It would have a 6.3-inch Infinity display with 18.5:9 aspect ratio. The Note 8 would also get a dedicated button for the Bixby AI assistant, just like the current S8 and S8 Plus phones.

A major difference between the Note 8 and the S8 line will be the dual camera system. According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Galaxy Note 8 will be Samsung’s first flagship smartphone to sport a dual camera on the back. It would offer a DSLR-like depth of field, 3x optical zoom, and improved photography. The Note 8 dual camera will be better than that on the iPhone 7 Plus, claims Kuo.

A recent leak revealed that Samsung will be sourcing the dual camera sensors from Samsung Electro-Mechanics rather than Sony. The Galaxy S8 uses Sony’s IMX333 sensor. But the Note 8 would house two 13-megapixel sensors supplied by Samsung Electro-Mechanics. The LED flash and heart rate sensor will be placed below the dual cameras.

Galaxy Note 8 to come in 6GB and 8GB RAM variants

Other rumored features of the Galaxy Note 8 include a 3200mAh battery, an S Pen stylus, Android Nougat 7.1.1, a USB Type-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It is said to have an 8-megapixel front camera. The device will be powered by Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 836 rather than the SD835, which runs the Galaxy S8. Samsung is also expected to launch a second variant of the device running Exynos 8895 SoC.

While the standard Galaxy Note 8 is expected to pack 6GB RAM, there will be an Emperor edition for the Chinese market featuring 8GB RAM. The Chinese version is rumored to have 256GB of built-in storage. The Note 8 is internally code-named “Gr3at,” which indicates that Samsung has something huge to offer with the upcoming flagship.

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