The Note series is Samsung’s most advanced line of smartphones. It builds on the technologies available on the S series and adds fully featured stylus pen and big battery to satisfy the power user needs. Last year, the Note 7 was one of the most highly rated phone ever reviewed, that was before the battery explosion fiasco came and spoilt what was headed to be a hall of fame device. With such two extreme legacies left by the Note 7, the 8 has a tall order in its hands, will it deliver? Here’s what we know from the leaks and rumors.
Design
Right off the bat, the first aspect that consumers instantly recognize about a new gadget is the design. The Note 8 has been rumored to follow the design language started by the Galaxy S8, that is, infinity display and curved screen. However, in the case of the Note 8, the edges of the device will be more rectangular than the squircle (square+circle) format of the S8.
In terms of build materials rear and front panels will be made of glass which sandwiches a metal frame. Audiophiles will be glad to hear that the Note 8 will still maintain the 3.5 mm audio jack that most manufacturers are abandoning nowadays. Owing to the fact that Samsung purchased Harmon Kardon audio gurus, we might get superior sound from the device.
As far as dimensions go, the Note 8 will be taller wider and a bit thicker than the S8+. This is because the Note 8 will have a 6.3 inch screen against the 6.2 inch of the S8+. The actual measurements are 62.5 x 74.6 x 8.5 mm
Display
Speaking of display, the 6.3 inches expected of the Note 8 will be of Super AMOLED variety and QHD resolution. The unusual 18.5:9 aspect ratio of the S8 will make a return here as well due to the Infinity Display.
Internal hardware
Since there aren’t any new high end chipsets that have been released to the market since the Snapdragon 835, the Note 8 will have to settle for it too. It will be swapped with the Exynos 8895 in other regions. This is the same setup that was available for the S8/S8+. It is still the most powerful CPU available to date so no complains here.
Storage will come in 2 main versions, 64GB and 128GB. However, there is a rumored limited edition that will have a whopping 256GB internal capacity. All these versions will have Micro SD card slots.
Software
Samsung Experience UX on the Note 8 will be running on top of the latest android 7.1.1. Android 8 was launched recently but is yet to be pushed to smartphones for now. We are expecting the company to bring new S Pen features. Some of the rumored ones include the ability to stick notes on the always on display. Samsung Dex is also supported as well as Bixby which just became available globally just in time for the launch tonight.
Battery
The battery is more conservative this time round. It will be capped at 3300mAh which is 200mAh less than the capacity of the Note 7 from last year.
Camera
This is where we have the most noticeable and perhaps the most anticipated difference. The Note 8 is said to come with dual cameras on the back. One will be 12MP wide angle sensor with f/1.7 aperture for great low light photos while the second one will be 13MP telephoto with f/2.4 aperture for lossless zooming functionality. Both have optical image stabilization which is a rare feature on dual cameras. The shooters will work together to produce bokeh effect (also called portrait/ blurry background effect) and 2X optical zoom.
Availability
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is scheduled for launch tonight and is said to be available for pre-order from tomorrow 24th August. The actual devices will hit the store on 15th September. Early pre-orders will come bundled with Gear 360 or wireless charger + 256GB Micro SD card. Europe buyers are said to get a free Dex Station in the package. Lastly, the phone has been rumored to retail for $900.
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