Galaxy Note 8 Price May Turn Off A Lot Of Potential Buyers

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Samsung is all set to show off its new phablet Galaxy Note 8 to the world on August 23rd. The Note 8 will be competing against Apple’s iPhone 8 and Google’s Pixel 2, both of which are expected to launch in the next couple of months. Samsung is hoping the Note 8 launch would help it put the Note 7 debacle behind it. However, the Galaxy Note 8 price could turn off a large number of potential buyers.

What will be the Galaxy Note 8 price?

The Korean electronics behemoth knows that the Note 8 success is critical for its brand image. However, the new features and technologies are going to push up its price tag. The new S Pen stylus is said to have an integrated motor that would work with the Find My Mobile app to locate it if you ever misplace the stylus. Samsung is also making extra efforts to ensure that the Note 8 doesn’t explode like its predecessor.

Citing a Samsung official, Korean site Osen has previously reported that the entry-level 64GB Galaxy Note 8 price would start at around $1,100. By comparison, the current 64GB Galaxy S8 Plus costs around $850 and the top-tier 256GB iPhone 7 Plus costs $969. The publication said Samsung would also launch a 128GB variant, which would be even more expensive than the 64GB model.

The price rise is due to the increase in price of certain components, as well as the new features. Now Roland Quandt has posted a list of Galaxy Note 8 SKUs, which includes a 256GB storage model. Earlier leaks have suggested that Samsung would launch an Emperor edition of Note 8 with 256GB internal storage. However, this model will be launched only in select Asian markets such as China and South Korea.

Samsung did something similar with the Galaxy S8 Plus earlier this year. The company introduced a special version of S8 Plus with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage for Asian markets, versus the regular 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. The 128GB S8 Plus was launched in India at nearly $1,100 price tag. We can expect the 256GB Note 8 to cost more than the special version of Galaxy S8 Plus.

Galaxy Note 8 price to be 2x of other flagship Android phones

Unlike the special Galaxy S8 Plus model, the Note 8 wouldn’t see a jump in RAM. The Emperor edition Galaxy Note 8 is said to have 6GB RAM, same as the regular model. All the Note 8 variants will have a microSD card slot to let users expand storage by another 256GB. However, the external memory is not as fast as the internal memory.

The fact that Galaxy Note 8 will be Samsung’s most expensive smartphone ever could have a significant impact on its sales. With a starting price of more than $1,000, it will be 2x more expensive than other Android smartphones such as OnePlus 5. Price does affect a phone’s sales, especially in the price-sensitive Asian markets.

Korea Investment Securities analyst Jay Yoo points out that the Galaxy S8 sales during the second quarter were 10% below his estimates. The overall smartphone demand was solid, but the lukewarm sales of Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus suggest the shipments of premium phones were down “due to the lofty average selling price,” said Yoo. Apple’s iPhone 8 is also said to cost users more than $1,000.

Samsung to introduce 3D Touch-like technology with Note 8

Korean site The Investor has learned from industry sources that the Note 8 would offer a 3D Touch-like functionality. Apple’s 3D Touch technology allows users to interact with the display depending on how hard they tap. Huawei has also introduced a similar technology called Force Touch in its premium smartphones. Other vendors are expected to follow in the near future.

The Galaxy Note 8 is tipped to feature a 6.3-inch Super AMOLED display. Samsung has decided to stick to the Infinity display for Note 8, which it first used on the Galaxy S8. The device will have a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner because Samsung doesn’t want to bring a half-baked optical fingerprint sensor with the upcoming flagship. The in-display fingerprint sensor will debut with the Galaxy Note 9, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Dual camera, eight different color options

The next-gen phablet will have two 12-megapixel camera sensors on the back to enhance the photography experience. Both the sensors would offer optical image stabilization. Other expected features include a 3300mAh battery, a 3.5mm headphone jack,  Android Nougat operating system, and a USB Type-C port. The phone will be powered by Qualcomm’s most powerful Snapdragon 835 chipset. A recent leak indicates that Samsung will also launch a dual-SIM variant of Note 8 in select Asian markets.

Reports coming out of Asia claim that the phablet will be available in eight different colors: Pink, Gold, Midnight Black, Arctic Silver, Orchid Gray, Dark Blue, Coral Blue, and Deep Sea Blue. The front panel of all models will be black. ETNews reports that Samsung will be offering a free transparent case with each Galaxy Note 8 unit. The market value of these cases is said to be between $17-$26. However, the free cases will be offered only in a few countries.

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