Galaxy Note 8 is indeed MASSIVE in every sense of the word. Here’s everything you need to know about the new handset.
Samsung has finally put an end to the Galaxy Note 8 leaks, that have been spreading like wildfire on the internet, by launching the handset at an Unpacked event in New York City. Embrace Note fans, the device you’ve been waiting for months, or pretty much a year, is finally here!
As expected, Samsung didn’t have many surprises in store for us as we’ve already known pretty much everything there is to know about the handset; thanks to all the leaks and rumors that have been making rounds for months now. Nevertheless, the Note 8 is indeed enticing with a brand new design and high-end specifications.
Sure, Samsung’s Galaxy S8, launched earlier this year, is STILL the hottest Android phone on the market. But, that title won’t likely stay for long on the S8, now that the Galaxy Note 8 is finally official. Speaking of the latter, it’s essentially an S8 Plus (S8+), but with a slightly larger display and the addition of an S Pen.
Will it explode? We definitely don’t know about that for now. It’s too early to come to a conclusion. But C’mon, Samsung has done several things to make sure the new arrival won’t have to face a similar fate as the Note 7. According to reports, the new battery has undergone 8-point Battery Safety Check process, so the chances of a Note 8 exploding in your pocket should be very unlikely. Speaking of which, Samsung’s 8-point battery test includes several rigorous durability tests, visual inspection, x-ray tests, charge/discharge tests and more.
Let’s just assume for now that the Note 8 won’t explode in the near future, and move on to the hardware specs of the device.
Galaxy Note 8: Specs
- Display: 6.3-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED (2960 x 1440p), 520ppi
- Camera: Front 8MP and Rear 12MP+12MP (dual)
- Processor: Octa-core Snapdragon 835 processor / Exynos 8895 (may differ based on your region)
- RAM: 6GB
- Storage: 64/128/256GB (expandable up to 256GB via microSD)
- Battery: Non-removable Li-Ion 3300 mAh
- Other features: IP68 dust and water resistance, S-Pen, Samsung Pay, Samsung DeX, Bixby integration and Fast Battery Charging (Quick Charge 2.0)
Galaxy Note 8: Design
The Galaxy Note 8 is just “gorgeous”, if I am to describe it in a word. The design has not much changed from that of Galaxy S8 Plus, except that the new device is, of course, bigger and has a stylus. The all-screen front design is still there, with very narrow bezels on the top and bottom of the display.
On the front, there is a large 6.3-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity display along with a resolution of 2960 x 1440 pixels and a pixel density of 520ppi. That’s pretty much all that is present on the front side of the device besides the camera and other sensors located at the top. There are bezels, but they are very narrow and does not take up much space up front. And, that’s apparently the coolest thing in 2017 – a trend first initiated by Xiaomi in their Mi Mix and carried forward by other smartphone makers including Samsung and LG.
On the back, there’s something NEW… like very new for a Samsung phone – a dual camera setup. The Galaxy Note 8 marks the first Samsung phone to come loaded with a dual camera setup, which is again, one of the popular trends in 2017. Every manufacturer on the planet is going mad after the dual camera setup, integrating the new technology on their flagship device, ever since Apple introduced the feature on the iPhone 7 Plus.
There is a dual tone LED flash and a fingerprint reader just beside the dual camera setup. Unfortunately, Samsung couldn’t master the technology to integrate the fingerprint reader under the display. And so, the firm has retained the position of the sensor on the back similar to what we’ve seen on the Galaxy S8. Although not many people, even including a few Sammy fans, like having a rear-mounted scanner, I’ve never found a legit reason to dislike about it, whatsoever! But, I guess that’s subjective!
As with every Note devices, the new Galaxy Note 8 also features an S-Pen packed with brand new features onboard. The stylus sits comfortably on the bottom right of the device, just beside the USB-C port and speaker grill. There is also a 3.5mm headphone jack on top of the device.
As I have said before, you wouldn’t find much difference between a Note 8 and S8 Plus, as both features a similar design with metal and glass build.
Galaxy Note 8: Hardware
The Galaxy Note8 is a powerhouse when it comes to performance. It packs Qualcomm’s latest and greatest chipset – Snapdragon 835 – inside along with a massive 6GB of RAM. Besides, the device is going to be available in three storage variants: 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB.
Since the huge battery, 3500 mAh, was reportedly responsible for the explosion of Note 7 units, Samsung has reduced the capacity to 3300 mAh on the Note 8. But, that’s not a bummer at all, taking the power-efficient processor and fast charging capabilities into consideration.
Also, the new phone is IP68 dust and water resistant like the Galaxy S8 series.
Moving on to the camera department, Samsung has upped the ante by introducing a dual camera setup on the Note 8. Speaking of which, the Note 8’s dual camera is very similar to that of the iPhone 7 Plus, comprising of a telephoto lens and wide-angle lens to offer 2X optical zoom.
While the telephoto lens with an aperture of f/2.4 delivers autofocus capabilities, the other one – wide-angle lens – is a Dual Pixel lens with f/1.7 aperture similar to the single camera sensor on the Galaxy S8. The best part about the 12MP+12MP dual camera setup on the phablet is that it has got Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) functionalities on both the wide-angle and telephoto lenses.
In order to get the best out of the latest camera hardware, Samsung has further added enticing features such as Live Focus and Dual Capture. The latter will let you take two shots at the same time, one of which is zoomed while the other wide-angled.
Galaxy Note 8: Software
This is yet another field Samsung didn’t show any visible compromises. The latest Note device runs the company’s TouchWiz, based on Android 7.1.1 Nougat, out of the box, however, the device should be one of the first devices to receive the Oreo update when Samsung releases it.
Although the UI on the Note 8 and the S8/S8 Plus devices is quite the same, the former has some extra stuff packed in store for the S-Pen. Notably, the split-screen multitasking has been made quite easier as you can now launch applications right from the apps edge (Note-only feature) and don’t have to browse the app drawer for the same.
Other interesting features include Live Message, which lets you turn drawings into GIFs, and updated Screen Off Memo, which now supports about 100 pages of notes. Besides that, you’ll still be getting Samsung’s own assistant Bixby on board with a dedicated button on the left side of the device.
Galaxy Note 8: Release Date and Price
Samsung’s latest flagship device, Galaxy Note 8, can be bought in Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Maple Gold and DeepSea Blue color variants. The phablet will be released globally on September 15. For those looking to upgrade their current phone, make sure to have a look at the pre-order offers put up by various carriers across the globe. However, if you are looking for an unlocked variant of the Galaxy Note 8, you should probably head over to the official Samsung website where it’s currently being offered at $929 for the 64GB version (free shipping) or $38.24 per mo for 24 months.
OTHER OFFERS:
- Verizon – $960 / $40 pm for 24 months
- AT&T – $950 / $31.67 pm for 30 months
- T-Mobile – $930 / $210 down payment + $30 pm for 24 months
- Sprint – $960 / $20 pm for 18 months lease (exclusive to new users)
- BestBuy – $930
So, what are your thoughts about the new Galaxy Note device? Are you planning to get one for yourself?
