The Galaxy Note 8 unveiling is just around the corner, and enthusiasm of Samsung fans is near the peak. Almost nothing is secret about the device. The rumor mill and consistent supply chain leaks have confirmed the Galaxy Note 8 specs and features. Samsung itself has started teasing the phablet ahead of launch. The smartphone is expected to go on sale in early September. Here’s what we know about the Galaxy Note 8.
Galaxy Note 8 design and display
The Galaxy S8 launched earlier this year was one of the most successful smartphones in Samsung’s history. The phone particularly garnered praise for its beautiful design. Numerous leaks have indicated that the Note 8 would look similar to the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus. Samsung has just released a teaser video that confirms the Note 8 design will resemble the Galaxy S8 Plus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIJ45mImgqc
The Galaxy Note 8 will sport a giant 6.3-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED display with 2960 x 1440 resolution. The device will keep the Galaxy S8’s edge-to-edge Infinity display with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio. Samsung has done away with the physical home button on the phablet. However, the Note 8’s display will have narrower angles than the S8 line, according to Chinese tipster Ice Universe.
About Samsung Galaxy Note 8, smaller angle, which is 100% sure the message. pic.twitter.com/OJDXcLUPkg
— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) June 6, 2017
The Galaxy Note 8 will be accompanied by an S Pen stylus. A leaked Note 8 marketing booklet suggests there will be no major design improvements in Samsung’s stylus. The S Pen is still an impressive accessory for the Note devices.
Galaxy Note 8 hardware specs
Samsung targets power users with the Note line, and the upcoming Note 8 will be no exception. The rumor mill claims it will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 chipset with Adreno 540 GPU. SD835 is the most powerful processor currently available to Android vendors. The Asian version of Galaxy Note 8 will likely use Samsung’s own Exynos 8895 processor, which the company uses in the Asian versions of Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus.
The Note 8 is said to ship with a huge 6GB RAM. The current Galaxy S8 phones pack 4GB RAM. The upcoming phablet is expected to come in 64GB and 128GB storage options. You can further expand storage up to 256GB via a microSD card slot. A few days ago, tipster Roland Quandt reported that there would also be a 256GB storage model, though it will be sold only in select Asian countries.
Looks like the Samsung Galaxy #Note8 will also be available with 256GB storage. At least in Korea. pic.twitter.com/lymXLtbbLm
— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) August 7, 2017
Supply chain leaks suggest the Note 8 would measure 162.5 x 74.60 x 8.50mm. It is expected to pack a 3300mAh battery, slightly smaller than the S8 Plus’s 3500mAh battery. Samsung doesn’t want the Galaxy Note 8 batteries to explode like Note 7. The company would want to stay on the safer side because if the Note 8 also suffers from battery issues, it could mean the end of the Note line. All the powerful Note 8 specs are meaningless without a safe battery.
The Note 8 will have a dual SIM card slot, one of them will double up as a microSD slot. It means you will either be able to insert a second SIM or a microSD card. The choice is yours. Other Galaxy Note 8 specs include a USB-C port, a 3.5mm audio jack, Bluetooth 5.0 compatibility, a heart rate sensor, wireless charging, and fast charging capability. For security, there will be an iris scanner and a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.
The Galaxy Note 8 will have a dedicated button for Samsung’s proprietary Bixby AI assistant. Bixby was still in its infancy when Samsung made it available on the Galaxy S8. But the digital assistant has received a major update with voice capabilities. Samsung is expected to further improve Bixby by the time Note 8 hits the store shelves. Bixby is Samsung’s answer to Apple’s Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana, and the Google Assistant.
Galaxy Note 8 specs: Camera
The rumor mill is almost certain that the Note 8 will be Samsung’s first flagship with a dual-camera system. Samsung Electro-Mechanics will be supplying the sensors for the Note 8 dual camera. According to KGI Securities, and further confirmed by Samsung’s leaked marketing booklet, the Note 8 will have a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens with OIS on the back.
Contrary to previous rumors, the telephoto lens will offer 2x optical zoom rather than 3x, indicates the marketing booklet. Both the wide-angle and telephoto lenses will have an f/1.7 aperture. It will allow the telephoto lens to capture more data and take better shots in low-light conditions. The phablet is said to have an 8-megapixel front-facing camera with an f/1.7 aperture for selfies.
According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the dual rear camera on the Note 8 will be better than Apple’s iPhone 7 Plus dual camera setup. However, Apple is expected to further improve its smartphone cameras with the upcoming iPhone 8.
Galaxy Note 8 color options
The rumor mill has been obsessed not only with the Galaxy Note 8 specs, but also with its color options. According to recent posts on Chinese microblogging platform Weibo and Vietnamese site Samsungvgn.com, the Note 8 would launch in as many as eight different colors. They include Midnight Black, Arctic Silver, Orchid Gray, Coral Blue, Dark Blue, Deep Sea Blue, Gold, and Pink. Despite different colors, the front panel on all these devices will be black.
Reputed tipster Evan Blass has posted a photo of the Deep Sea Blue Note 8. The device is accompanied by an S Pen stylus in the matching color.
https://twitter.com/evleaks/status/897722649715068928
Galaxy Note 8 price
The Note 8 commands a premium pricing. Last year’s Galaxy Note 7 was priced at around $850. The Note 8 with dual cameras and other new features should cost more than its predecessors. But recent leaks suggest it is going to cost way more than the Note 7. In fact, it could be Samsung’s most expensive smartphone ever. According to Korean publication Osen, the 64GB Note 8 could set you back by about $1,100. The 128GB and 256GB models could cost you more than $1,200.
If it is any consolation, Samsung will give you a free transparent protective case with the Galaxy Note 8, according to ETNews. The case will have a market value of $17-$26. The Galaxy Note 8 pre-orders are expected to open soon after the August 23 unveiling. Korean media claims the phablet will go on sale in South Korea on September 15th.
