Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Cost Could Be Nearly $1200

Updated on

I hope you’ve been saving your spare change because, if you’re planning on getting a flagship smartphone this fall, the price is not going to be an easy pill to swallow. The iPhone 8 has long been rumored to be breaking the $1000 barrier with some analysts suggesting the device could start at around $1200. Now, there are reports coming out that claim to reveal the Galaxy Note 8 cost. You might want to sit down for this…

 

The good news is that you will be able to pick up a Galaxy Note 8 for under $1000. The bad news is that the Galaxy Note 8 cost starts at $940 and climbs from there. That means that the base, 64GB model will set you back nearly a grand. The top-tier 256GB model will cost an estimated $1197. That’s just 3 dollars short of $1200. Presumably the $3 savings are for buying yourself lunch for an entire week after buying the Galaxy Note 8. Hopefully you’re good at budgeting.

I’m being a little bit glib. Of course, if Samsung is able to offer a top of the line product then they should be able to charge top of the line prices. The problem is that Samsung’s last attempt at a Galaxy Note device led to a worldwide recall. Spending nearly $1200 on any device is a big purchase. Spending $1200 on a line that’s best known for burning the crotches of innocent people is a hard sell. I’m an admitted Android fan but if you showed me the Galaxy Note 8 cost and the iPhone 8 cost – I might consider buying the iPhone. At least there’s no recent history to suggest the iPhone might try to burn a hole through my leg.

So, what kind of tech is packed into the Galaxy Note 8 to command such a high price tag? First off is that beautiful design. This year, Samsung has clearly led the way in smartphone design. The Infinity Display from the Galaxy S8 and S8+ is coming to the Galaxy Note 8. The reduced bezels allows for increased screen real estate without increasing the size of the device. That’s a win in my books.

Next is the camera. The iPhone 7 Plus is the king of smartphone cameras right now but Samsung is aiming to dethrone Apple’s current flagship. We got a good look at some camera features thanks to a Samsung leak that detailed some major camera features. First, we know that the Galaxy Note 8 will feature a dual camera sensor. Obviously more sensors means more light that can be taken in by the camera. This will allow for the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 to have greatly improved low-light performance over single camera sensors. Also, since the dual sensors take images from slightly different angles, the Galaxy Note 8 will allow you to view your photos from different perspectives. The marketing materials also hinted at some sort of augmented reality capability. The dual sensors should allow the Galaxy Note 8 to measure the distance and height of subjects. This is an important tool for AR applications to operate. We know Apple is making a big play with AR so it would make sense for Samsung to do something similar as well. Finally, regarding the camera, the Galaxy Note 8 will have optical zoom. This is much different than digital zoom that you typically see on smartphone cameras. The result is a much clearer, sharper image when zoomed in. All of these features look great on paper but their real world performance is what will help justify that huge price tag.

In the recent Samsung marketing booklet leak we also saw hints about a pressure-sensitive display. This would be very handy for people who like to use the S Pen for drawing. The result should be more natural strokes that represent your actual pressure while drawing. It will be interesting to see if there is any other use for the pressure-sensitive display beyond just drawing or taking notes.

In that same marketing leak we saw two colors of the Galaxy Note 8 confirmed: black and gold. No sign of grey or blue like we had been hearing about throughout the summer. They may be regional models or they may not have made it into the booklet. We should find out more about color choices once launch day rolls around. Of course, colors won’t influence the Galaxy Note 8 cost but if you’re going to be dropping almost $1000 or more on one single device then you might as well make sure you like the color – at the very least.

The debate about smartphone pricing is just starting to heat up. The Galaxy Note 8 will be revealed later this week and pre-orders should start shortly thereafter. Will people accept this “new normal” of flagship smartphones priced at $1000 or more? As manufacturers begin to pack more and more tech into the devices, it only makes sense that prices would continue to rise. Still, there must be a point where consumers feel like the cost has grown too much. Maybe the Galaxy Note 8 cost is a test for Samsung to see where the line is for consumers. Maybe this is just the reality when it comes to buying flagship smartphones from now on. I guess only time will tell. What do you think about the Galaxy Note 8 cost? Worth it for the right tech or totally insane?

Leave a Comment