The upcoming Galaxy Note 8 will be Samsung’s first Note phablet since the Galaxy Note 5. Let’s not count the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7 that exploded in the hands, pants, cars, and bedrooms of hundreds of users, and was eventually discontinued. Consumers are excited for the Note 8. Samsung is set to unveil the phablet on August 23rd in New York. Ahead of the phone’s announcement, a Reddit user has revealed the Galaxy Note 8 US launch date.
Galaxy Note 8 US launch only ten days away?
Reddit user Note8throwaway said that the Note 8 would hit the US store shelves on August 24th, just a day after the announcement. The Redditor claims to be a Best Buy employee who got the confirmation through Samsung and Verizon channels. A Reddit moderator verified that the source of this leak is indeed a Best Buy employee. If true, it means you will be able to get your hands on the Galaxy Note 8 in just ten days. There will be no pre-order period after the announcement.
It will be a huge surprise if the Galaxy Note 8 US launch is set for just a day after the unveiling. Take this report with a bit of skepticism because such tight release schedules are rare in the smartphone industry. It is possible that August 24 is the date Samsung would start accepting pre-orders rather than the Galaxy Note 8 US launch date.
Previously, a Korean publication claimed that the Note 8 would launch in South Korea on September 15. Citing telecom carrier executives, ETNews said the launch date was finalized and there was no scope for changing the date. It remains to be seen whether this is true only for South Korea or for other markets as well. Another report claimed that pre-orders were set to begin on September 1 and run through September 10.
Traditionally, it takes Samsung at least 2-3 weeks after the announcement to launch a flagship phone. It seems unlikely that Samsung will change things this time. The Note 8 is a successor to the disastrous Galaxy Note 7. Samsung will take extra care at every step of production, and ensure that the phone doesn’t explode in your hands. Samsung’s next-gen flagship will compete against Apple’s 10th anniversary iPhone 8.
Galaxy Note 8 appears on Geekbench
Ahead of its official unveiling, the Galaxy Note 8 has appeared on benchmarking site Geekbench. The benchmark listing has revealed some of the phone’s specifications. A Note 8 device with model number SM-N950F was spotted on Geekbench. The device had a single SIM slot and was destined for Europe and other international markets. Samsung will also launch a dual SIM variant for select Asian countries.
The phablet scored 1984 points in single-core tests and 6116 points in multi-core tests. The phone tested on Geekbench was powered by Samsung’s octa-core Exynos 8895 processor. It’s the same chipset that runs the international variant of Galaxy S8. The US model is expected to run Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 SoC. According to the Geekbench listing, the Note 8 will have 6GB RAM and run Android 7.1.1 Nougat.
All you need to know about the Note 8
The Galaxy Note 8 is rumored to have a pressure-sensitive display that would offer a 3D Touch-like functionality. It will allow users to interact with the apps in different ways depending on how hard they tap. In terms of appearance, the Note 8 would look similar to the Galaxy S8 Plus, though it will have a slightly larger 6.3-inch display. Samsung will use the same Infinity display with 18.5:9 aspect ratio that it used on the Galaxy S8 family.
The Note 8 will be Samsung’s first flagship smartphone to sport a dual-camera system. It would have a horizontally-stacked 12-megapixel wide-angle lens and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens. Both lenses will offer optical image stabilization (OIS). Supply chain leaks suggest that Samsung Electro-Mechanics will be responsible for the Note 8 camera sensors.
Unfortunately, the Note 8 will not feature an in-display fingerprint sensor. Just like Galaxy S8, it will have a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner because Samsung was still facing technical and security issues with the in-display solution. The new technology will debut with the next year’s flagship models. The Note 8 will have iris scanner for added security.
The upcoming phablet is expected to pack a 3300mAh battery, slightly smaller than the Galaxy S8 Plus’s 35000mAh battery. Despite a smaller battery, Samsung should be able to improve the phone’s battery life through software optimization. The Note 8 is said to offer 64GB of internal storage with a microSD card slot. The phone will have a Bixby button and an IP68 rating for water-resistance.
Galaxy Note 8 to cost more than $1,000?
The Galaxy Note 8 is rumored to be the costliest smartphone from Samsung. According to Korean site Osen, the Note 8 will cost users about $1,100 for the entry-level 64GB version. By comparison, the 64GB Galaxy S8 Plus costs $850. Samsung will also launch a 128GB and a 256GB storage model, which could cost you about $1,400. To alleviate your pain a bit, Samsung will be offering you a free transparent case with each Galaxy Note 8. The case will have a market value of $17-$26, according to ETNews.
