The Galaxy Note 8 is here, and it’s a gorgeous beast. It’s beautiful, it’s powerful, and it’s safe (hopefully). Samsung’s latest flagship will be competing against Apple’s 10th anniversary iPhone 8, which is rumored to be announced on September 12, just days before the Note 8 goes on sale. So, how will the Galaxy Note 8 vs iPhone 8 rivalry play out in the market? Should Apple worry about the Note 8?
Galaxy Note 8 is one of the best Android phones
The Note 8 has a lot riding on its shoulders. First, it has to assure the skeptics that it won’t blow up like Galaxy Note 7. Then, it will have to stand out in the crowd of Android devices. Google is set to launch Pixel 2 in October. LG is bringing its new V30. OnePlus already has a competitively-priced OnePlus 5 in the market. And then it will have to convince potential buyers looking to shell out a thousand dollars or so that they shouldn’t wait for the iPhone 8.
Samsung’s Note 8 packs a beautiful 6.3-inch Infinity display, while maintaining an incredibly thin form factor. Samsung has included a 3,300mAh battery with fast-charging and wireless charging features. The battery is smaller than the Galaxy S8 Plus’s 3,500mAh, which indicates that the company is unwilling to take any risk. The new S Pen stylus comes with a finer, more sensitive tip, and brings a new Translate feature that supports 71 languages.
The Galaxy Note 8 is Samsung’s first ever smartphone to offer a dual camera system. It features a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens with an f/1.7 aperture. There is also a 12-megapixel telephoto lens that offers dual-tone LED flash and supports OIS. The Note 8 dual camera appears to be better than the iPhone 7 Plus. Other features include 64GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, 6GB RAM, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, and Bixby AI assistant.
Samsung and its carrier partners in key markets including the US have started taking pre-orders. The device is priced at $929 in the US. MobileFun, an online retailer of smartphone accessories, told ValueWalk that pre-orders for the Galaxy Note 8 accessories are 30% higher compared to the Note 7. It indicates a strong demand for Samsung’s latest phablet, and a sign of what Apple will face this holiday season.
Galaxy Note 8 vs iPhone 8: Evolutionary vs revolutionary
In almost all aspects, the Note 8 appears to be a worthy competitor to the iPhone 8. So, why shouldn’t Apple be worried? Barclays analyst Mark Moskowitz explains it pretty well. Moskowitz said the Note 8 is “evolutionary more than revolutionary.” The launch of Note 8 will intensify the competition in the premium segment. But almost every analyst and supply chain tipster believes that the iPhone 8 will be a revolutionary smartphone.
The iPhone 8 will have a radical new design with an edge-to-edge OLED display. Even though it would have a 5.8-inch display, its form factor will be similar to the 4.7-inch iPhone 7. Its dual camera system is expected to be far superior to the iPhone 7 Plus. Apple is also adding exciting new features to the iPhone 8 such as a 3D infrared sensor for facial recognition. According to Korea Herald, the infrared sensor will be able to recognize your face and unlock the device “in the millionth of a second.”
Galaxy Note 8 vs iPhone 8: Do you want to experience AR?
The most exciting thing about the iPhone 8 is said to be augmented reality applications. AR will allow you to interact with your smartphone like never before. It will put a virtual information layer over the real-world scenes, allowing you to interact with your surrounding in unique ways. AR is more social and real than virtual reality, which disconnects you from the real world. Apple has given developers a toolkit called ARKit to build AR experiences into their apps.
The 10th anniversary iPhone will have a new SmartCam technology that will automatically adjust the camera settings to take the best shot possible. It is rumored to come with an A11 chipset and wireless charging capabilities. According to a recent leak, it will be available in 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage options.
Drexel Hamilton analyst Brian White took the Note 8 “for a test drive” and is positive on the device. But he told investors that “consumers are eagerly awaiting the 5.8-inch iPhone 8 this fall.” Brian White maintains his Buy rating on Apple stock with a price target of $208. Besides the fact that the iPhone 8 will be a revolutionary device, another reason Apple shouldn’t be worried about the Note 8 is its strong ecosystem.
Galaxy Note 8 vs iPhone 8: Apple commands incredibly loyalty
The iPhone users are tied into the iOS ecosystem, and they are reluctant to switch to another ecosystem. A recent survey conducted by Fluent found that 70% of the current iPhone users won’t even consider switching to Android for their next smartphone. Analysts believe that the iPhone sales will largely be driven by existing iPhone users looking to upgrade their smartphones to the latest and greatest model. And the massive success of the iPhone 7 Plus has proved that they are willing to shell out additional bucks for exciting new features.
Samsung’s ecosystem is weak. Its phones rely on Google’s Android operating system, which affects Samsung’s brand loyalty. Things will be a bit more complex for Note 8 which would run two different AI assistants – Google Assistant and Samsung’s Bixby, points out CNet. Consumers looking to buy a premium Android phone will have other alternatives as well including Google Pixel 2, LG V30, HTC U11, and OnePlus 5.
Which company do you think is going to win the Galaxy Note 8 vs iPhone 8 battle? Let us know in the comments below.
