Galaxy Note 8 vs iPhone 8: Should you wait for the new iPhone to launch?

Galaxy Note 8 is already launched, but let’s not forget that the iPhone 8 launch is right around the corner.

After months following leaks and rumors, Samsung has finally jumped the gun and launched Galaxy Note 8. As expected, the phablet device packs all the high-end specs coupled with a brand new design. And as a Note fan, I couldn’t be happier to see what Samsung has done with its latest offering. The Galaxy Note 8 could simply be crowned as the BEST smartphone launched so far, but I am afraid if that title would stay for long on the phablet, now that the iPhone 8 is right around the corner.

Just like Samsung, Apple is also doing everything under their power to integrate all latest technologies in their iPhone 8. However, we already know by now that Galaxy Note 8 will reach customers’ hands come this September, although the September launch for the iPhone 8 has not even been confirmed yet. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the ball is currently in Samsung’s court.

If you don’t think so, you might want to check out the results of the survey conducted by Fluent (via 9to5 Mac). It says that 79% of the current iPhone users would upgrade to the next-gen iPhone, no matter how much it costs. Further, the survey also points out that only 63% of the users are loyal to Samsung, while a little lower than 31% is the case with other Android brands.

“According to Fluent’s data, 34% of Americans have an iPhone and most currently own the latest models – an iPhone 6 or iPhone 7. Once consumers purchase an iPhone they tend to stay with the brand, with nearly half of iPhone users (47%) have owned at least four iPhones in their lifetime.”

Galaxy Note 8 vs iPhone 8: Design

Samsung has had never failed to impress us when it comes to design, well, since the Galaxy S6. And so is the case with the latest Galaxy Note 8. It sports a very IMPRESSIVE design with a 6.3-inch edge-to-edge Super AMOLED Infinity display bearing an aspect ratio of 18:5:9. The bezels are very narrow at the top and bottom and the display is slightly curved about the longer sides. Overall, I would say the new device looks a tad cooler than the Galaxy S8.

On the back, there’s a feature we’ve not previously seen in any Samsung phone – a dual camera setup – with two 12MP sensors. Besides that, Samsung has retained the location of the fingerprint sensor as it was on the Galaxy S8. It’s located just beside the camera, which according to many, is not a wise move.

Similar to every recently released Samsung handsets, the Note 8 too is made of curved metal and glass. The handset has a shiny, glossy glass back, just like every other Android phone out there, and is a constant resting ground for muck and grime, which is quite disappointing.

The above picture depicts what is almost confirmed to be the iPhone 8. According to popular smartphone leaker Benjamin Geskin, the new premium iPhone will come with an edge-to-edge OLED display providing 5.1-inch “user space”. Now, in case you’re wondering about the remaining part of the display, well, it’s supposedly left for the virtual buttons.

Moving on to the rear, it’s almost confirmed that the iPhone 8 will have a dual camera setup. Unlike Samsung, dual camera setup is not new for Apple. They had already integrated the technology on last year’s iPhone 7 Plus and easily turned out to be one of the best selling points of the device.

Although iPhone 8’s design indeed looks dashing to look at, one might wonder how Apple would tweak their content to work on the new ‘weird’ design consisting of a top notch. Well, popular Apple geek, Steve T-S, is here with an answer.

We certainly can’t confirm for now if that’s the solution Apple has moved forward with, but nevertheless, it indeed looks enticing. It seems to give the maximum portion of the display for our usage, while also retaining a decent part for the virtual home button.

Similar to Galaxy Note 8, the iPhone 8 will also sport a glass rear, thus, hinting one of the most prominent features of the new device – wireless charging. Although Android phones have already been enjoying the feature for quite some time now, it’s the first time wireless charging is being ported to an iPhone.

Galaxy Note 8 vs iPhone 8: Hardware specs

This is where things get difficult to judge as Apple uses their own chipsets while Samsung relies on Qualcomm’s high-end chipsets for their flagship devices.

The Galaxy Note 8 is powered by Qualcomm’s flagship chipset, Snapdragon 835, along with 6GB of RAM. So, you can bet the performance of the Note 8 to be on par with the Galaxy S8 or OnePlus 5, if not better!

Talking about the camera department, it is backed by dual 12MP sensors on the rear and an 8MP snapper on the front. The BEST part about the dual cameras on the Note 8 is that both the sensors feature optical image stabilization (OIS), which means even if you use 2x optical zoom, your pictures should be blur-free.

However, the addition of a smaller 3300 mAh battery on the Note 8, compared to a relatively higher 3500 mAh on the Galaxy S8+, is a bit of a letdown, if you ask me!

Besides that, the smartphone is available in three storage variants: 64/128/256GB. And if that’s not enough for you, you can further expand the storage up to 256GB; thanks to Samsung for not ditching the microSD slot.

Other features included in Samsung’s latest phablet are IP68 water and dust resistance, Samsung Pay, wireless charging, Bixby integration, Samsung DeX, S-Pen, rear-mounted fingerprint reader and Quick Charge 2.0 fast charging technology.

Apple’s next iPhone is also going to be massive in its own right. Well, at least that’s what the rumors have to say! It will come loaded with Apple’s latest chipset – A11 chip, and 3GB of RAM. If you think 3GB RAM doesn’t stand up to today’s standards, let me tell you this: iOS is a different animal! It doesn’t need specs as powerful as that of Android to work seamlessly. So, there’s that!

The dual camera on the iPhone 8 is almost confirmed as of now, although no further details about the camera sensors are known at the moment. However, recent reports and leaks have made it certain that the new dual camera setup would protrude more than ever before.

Other interesting features that the new Anniversary-Edition iPhone would pack include Face ID (face scanning technology), wireless charging, and more. As disappointing as it sounds, several reports are claiming that Apple might ditch the Touch ID feature on the new iPhone.

What’s up with the new A11 chip? Ever since the inception of iPhones, it has always managed to beat every Android flagship of that year when it comes to real-world usage. And, the new iPhones are no less expected to follow the same path.

The Taiwan-based chipset manufacturer, TMSC, will be the sole supplier of Apple’ss next-generation A11 processor which will be built on the same 10nm FinFET technology as used by Qualcomm to manufacture Snapdragon 835 processors. Thus, the new iPhones will definitely boost improved performance while also keeping the power efficiency in check.

According to popular leaker Ice Universe, Apple’s A11 chip has allegedly scored 4600 in single-core results and 8500 in multi-core results. To give you a better perspective, the Galaxy S8 – best Android phone of 2017 – has managed to score only 2121 in single-core results and 7101 in multi-core results. So, you should probably know by now how beast of a smartphone the new iPhone 8 would be.

Galaxy Note 8 vs iPhone 8: Can the S-Pen make Note 8 superior to iPhone 8?

Well, that’s subjective! Sure, the new S-Pen indeed comes packed with many neat tricks that could come in handy most of the time. The new ‘Animated GIF’ – turn drawings into a GIF image – and ‘Translate with S-Pen’ are a few of the several enticing features that the new S-Pen packs.

As a person who has always loved the Galaxy Note series, I could say that the S-Pen, in fact, adds a significant value to the phablet, especially if you are an artist or perhaps a person who likes to take notes on a phone.

Additionally, the new S-Pen also features a waterproof design which means you can scribble on the screen even when it’s wet.

MUST-READ: Galaxy Note 8 specs, design, and release date- Everything you need to know.

Galaxy Note 8 vs iPhone 8: Price and Release date

Launched last week, the Galaxy Note 8 is already up for pre-orders for a starting price of $930. The release date for the Note 8 is pegged for September 15. Well, if you are looking to get an unlocked variant of the phone, you can head over to Samsung’s official website where it’s currently being offered at $929. In case you can’t shell out that amount of money on a single stretch, then you should probably check out the following offers put forward by major carriers in the United States.

• 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

Here’s the BEST Galaxy S8 (unlocked) deal you shouldn’t miss – $930 (BEST BUY)

As for the iPhone 8 pricing, several reports seem to claim that it would cost at least $1000 for the base version. According to Mashable, the new iPhone 8 will launch on September 12th alongside the iPhone 7S and 7S Plus. After that, it will probably go on pre-orders starting September 15 with shipping to follow a week later.