The highly anticipated Galaxy Note 8 debut is just around the corner. Ahead of the Note 8 launch, Samsung is looking to lighten up its inventory. In the last few months, retailers and wireless carriers have offered exciting discounts on the Galaxy S8. If you haven’t yet bought the S8, now could be the best time to purchase it because it seems like almost everyone, including Samsung, is offering huge discounts on the device.
Don’t want to wait until Galaxy Note 8 debut? Get the Galaxy S8
The Korean company has traditionally slashed the prices of its Galaxy S phones before launching a new Note phablet. The Galaxy Note 8 debut event will take place in New York on August 23rd. We know that the Note devices are not for everybody. Many people don’t like carrying around a giant phablet with a stylus in their pockets. If you are one of them, the Galaxy S8 could be your phone of choice. It is the best Android smartphone released this year.
Besides Samsung, retail heavyweights like Amazon and Best Buy are doffering huge discounts on the unlocked versions of Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus. Wireless carriers are giving extra discounts on top of that, depending on the plan you choose. The regular Galaxy S8 is currently available on Amazon at $575, which is flat $150 off the retail price. You can get the bigger Galaxy S8 Plus for $675, again $150 off the retail price.
However, the discounts on Amazon are only valid on the Midnight Black color model. Also, they are good only on the US model, not the international edition.
If you want to take a look at different color options, head over to Best Buy. The retailer is giving the same $150 discount, but you can choose from Midnight Black and Coral Blue colors. You can get additional savings on Best Buy if you connect to a network. AT&T is offering Buy One Get One free for DirecTV customers if they activate a new line. Sprint gives you additional savings of $350 on upgrades and $400 on new lines. Verizon offers savings of $300 if you buy a monthly installment plan.
Samsung has an exciting trade-in offer
You can also buy the phone directly from Samsung’s online store. The company is offering the same $150 discount on both the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus. You can get an additional up to $150 off if you trade in your old phone. The phones that qualify for trade-ins include the iPhone 5 and later (including iPhone SE), Galaxy Note 5 and later (oops, Samsung won’t trade in the Note 7 if you still have it), and the Galaxy S5 and later. LG G4, G5, G6 as well as Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL are also eligible for trade-in.
You may fetch a higher price than $150 for your old phone if you sell it on eBay. But trade-ins are simpler, easier, and hassle-free. It’s worth mentioning that these deals could change anytime. Go to the retailers’ respective websites to see if the promotions are still active.
September 15: Note the date
The upcoming Note 8 will be unveiled on August 23, and will be available for pre-orders soon after. Previously leaked documents indicated that Samsung would start taking pre-orders on August 25. However, more recent reports coming out of South Korea claim that pre-orders will open on September 1st and run through September 10th. The ten-day pre-order period should give potential buyers sufficient time to decide whether they want to buy the Galaxy Note 8 or wait for Apple’s 10th anniversary iPhone 8.
According to Korean media, the phablet will hit the store shelves on September 15th. Executives at Korean wireless carriers told ETNews that Samsung had finalized the September 15 release date for Note 8, and there was “almost zero chance” of changing it.
Galaxy Note 8 specifications
Ahead of the Galaxy Note 8 debut, The Investor has learned from inside sources that the phablet would feature a 3D Touch-like pressure sensitive display. The new Force Touch technology will work similar to the way the Galaxy S8 navigation keys work. Samsung could implement Android Nougat’s App Shortcuts with its Force Touch functionality to let users access direct actions from the app icons. It is unclear whether the pressure sensitivity would extend to the entire screen of Galaxy Note 8.
The Note 8 will be Samsung’s first phone ever to sport a dual rear camera setup. Supply chain leaks have confirmed that it would include a 12-megapixel wide-angle and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. Both lenses will support optical image stabilization. Other expected features are a 3.5mm audio jack, a USB Type-C port, wireless charging, fast-charging, and IP68 water-resistance.
The Note 8 is said to run Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 SoC. It would pack 6GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage, though there will also be a 256GB storage model for select Asian countries. The phone would run Android Nougat with Samsung’s custom UI on top right out of the box. It is expected to come with a 3300mAh battery.
