Samsung is the first smartphone OEM to introduce a phablet device. Its first phablet was the first-generation Galaxy Note that was introduced in 2011. The fans of the Galaxy Note series phones are so loyal that even when there was news about Galaxy Note 7’s explosion (because of faulty battery) from various parts of the world, many Note 7 refused to return their handsets when Samsung had started an official recall soon after its launch.
Some speculated that Samsung would kill the Galaxy Note lineup after the Galaxy Note 7 debacle. However, the first confirmation of Galaxy Note 8’s existence came in January this year when the South Korean company confirmed the Galaxy Note 8 will be better, safer and very innovative. After the launch of Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, the rumor mill has been slowly revealing details on the specifications and features of Samsung Galaxy Note 8.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Specifications
The Galaxy Note 8 is expected to feature a 6.3-inch full-screen display that is dubbed as Infinity Display by Samsung. It is speculated to support Quad HD+ resolution of 2,960 x 1,440 pixels along with an aspect ratio of 18.5:9. Samsung is expected to make the phablet available in Snapdragon 835 and Exynos 8895 chipset models that will be aimed towards different markets. It is rumored to feature 6 GB of RAM. Samsung is also rumored to launch a version called Galaxy Note 8 Emperor Edition for select markets like South Korea and China, Korea Herald reported.
The Note is pegged to come in two storage models such as 64 GB and 128 GB. Speculations suggest that the 64 GB storage model will have 6 GB of RAM whereas the 128 GB model will have 8 GB of RAM. The same publication had also revealed that the Galaxy Note 8 would be equipped with dual rear cameras that would include a 12-megapixel wide-angle sensor with 3X optical zoom and a 13-megapixel telephoto sensor. It is speculated to feature an 8-megapixel frontal camera. It will be running on Android 7.1.1 Nougat OS and it will be packed with a 3,300mAh battery with fast charging capabilities. Its dimensions are 162.4 x 62.4 x 8.4mm and its thickness increases to 9.5mm because of the rear camera bump. Following is the 360-degree render of the Galaxy Note 8.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Features
The Galaxy Note 8 will be the first Samsung flagship phone that would be coming with dual rear cameras. As it can be seen in the above video, Samsung has probably adopted horizontally arranged dual rear camera module for Note 8. The dual-tone LED flash and heart rate sensor placed on the right of the twin cameras. Even though the Galaxy Note 8 rumors had claimed that the phablet would be coming with a front-mounted fingerprint reader, newer details hint that it will be placed on the right side of the rear camera module.
The bottom side of the phone has a 3.5mm audio jack, a USB Type-C port, an external speaker and silo for the stylus. The left edge of the phone has the volume up and down buttons as well as a dedicated Bixby AI button and its right side features a Power key. For biometric recognition, the Galaxy Note is rumored to come with features like iris scanner and facial recognition.
The last Galaxy Note phone featuring a microSD card slot was the Galaxy Note 4 that was launched in 2014. The feature was axed in 2015’s Galaxy Note 5 and brought back in Galaxy Note 7, but the phablet was discontinued. It would support up to 256 GB microSD card on its memory card slot.
Like the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, the Note 8 would be supporting DeX desktop mode. The phablet will be also equipped with IP68 certified glass body. The inclusion of glass body indicates that the Note 8 would be supporting wireless charging. The Galaxy Note 8 is expected to come in color choices like black, gold, and blue colors.
Samsung’s upcoming phablet is expected to come with a longer S-Pen stylus. It would be supporting some new software features such as full sentence language translation and currency conversion. The Always-on Display on Note 8 would have the ability to show handwritten notes. The Note 8 would be offering better split-screen multitasking on its large screen.
The Galaxy Note 8 has a model number of SM-N950 and well-known leakster @Evan Blass has claimed on Venture Beat that the phablet will be introduced as Galaxy Note8 and not Note 8. Rumors claim that the Galaxy Note 8 would be a larger version of Galaxy S8 with a stylus.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Launch Date, Pricing
Some rumors have stated that the Galaxy Note 8 would be unveiled in New York on Aug. 26. However, well-known leakster, Evan Blass, has stated that the Galaxy Note 8 would be launching in the second half of September with a pricing of t €999 (~$1,140). A Chinese publication has stated that it would be price around $1,000 in South Korea. In Europe, North America and South America, the Galaxy Note 8 is likely for $1,100. Hence, the Galaxy Note 8 would be the costliest phone from Samsung.