The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is finally here!
The Galaxy Note 8 is probably one of the most hyped smartphones of 2017, perhaps even surpassing the Galaxy S8 series with the amount of gossip, rumours, leaks, and general feverish anticipation around the phablet. Probably the only comparable phone in this regard is one that's set to arrive very soon indeed, the Apple iPhone 8. Apple's 10th anniversary iPhone will be launched in September around the same time the Galaxy Note 8 is set to hit store shelves; it's already on pre-order, but won't land with bricks-and-mortar sellers until September 15.
As well as Apple's iPhone 8 to contend with (and the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus), the Galaxy Note 8 is entering quite a competetive market. HTC has the HTC U11, OnePlus has the OnePlus 5, and LG is soon to launch the LG V30. Then there's both the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 coming in October, and on top of that you've got the Huawei Mate 10 (and Huawei Mate 10 Pro) launching in the same month. Plus we've got the Nokia 8 and Essential Phone PH-1 just launched, and a possible Nokia 9 on the horizon (and a OnePlus 5T if you believe the rumours).
So...lots of stuff to fend off!
Samsung has said it expects the Galaxy Note 8 to sell better than the Galaxy Note 5. The Investor reports that the firm's mobile chief, Koh Dong-jin, predicts sales to exceed 11 million units; previously the Galaxy Note 5 sold 11 million units. Even if it meets that expectation, it is a much smaller figure than Samsung's ambition with the Galaxy S8 - the aim is allegedly 48 million units, although it's already believed to have passed 10 million and has sold 15% more units than the Galaxy S7 for the same sales period in 2016.
And you can’t really talk about the Galaxy Note 8 without mentioning the Galaxy Note 7 and its disastrous recall. Normally, this type of situation would be, as Larry David says, a go-home-stain (on a company’s reputation). But it wasn’t.
Samsung, has the power of focused marketing - the company’s ads are ALL over TV in the UK, for example - and a couple of very solid releases in the form of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ is once again flying high, with record sales and huge profits for Q1 and Q2 of 2017.
Samsung basically hit the ground running in 2017 and it looks as if the company will maintain this pace throughout the back end of the year, with the launch and imminent release of the Galaxy Note 8, a phone that packs in the largest display of any phone on the market right now.
Personally, I have always been a bigger fan of Samsung’s Note series than its Galaxy S one; the company seems to always do more cool stuff with its Note phones and, because they come slightly later in the year, they’re usually better equipped phones than their Galaxy S counterparts.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is no exception to this rule.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 has now officially launched at the firm's Samsung Unpacked event in New York. As we were expecting, the torrent of leaks in the months leading up to this point means there are no real surprises, and much of what we saw trickled out ahead of time has turned out to be true.
Here's the official line via Samsung:
“We appreciate the relentless passion of the Note community. They’ve been a constant inspiration to us and we designed the new Note for them,” said DJ Koh, president of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics. “From the Infinity Display to the enhanced S Pen and a powerful Dual Camera, the Galaxy Note8 lets people do things they never thought were possible.”
And the Galaxy Note 8's main selling points:
Water and Dust Resistance: Four years ago, Samsung introduced the first Galaxy device with water resistance. And today, you can take your Note almost anywhere you want with water and dust resistance (IP685) on the device and the S Pen. You can write even when the display is wet.
Fast Wireless Charging: Two years ago, Samsung introduced the first Galaxy device with wireless charging. The Galaxy Note8 supports the most advanced wireless charging capabilities yet, so you can get a quick, convenient charge6 without having to mess around with ports or wires.
Security: The Galaxy Note8 offers a choice of biometric authentication options—including iris and fingerprint scanning. Samsung Knox7 provides defense-grade security at the hardware and software layers and with Secure Folder, keeps your personal and professional data separate.
Powerful Performance: With 6GB RAM, a 10nm processor, and expandable memory (up to 256GB), you have the power you need to browse, stream, play games, and multitask.
Innovative Mobile Experiences: Samsung DeX enables a desktop experience, powered by your phone. You can keep your files on your device, conduct work on the go, and use Samsung DeX when you need an even bigger screen. The Galaxy Note8 includes Bixby8, a smarter way to use your phone; it learns from you, improves over time, and helps you get more done.
Here's a breakdown of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8's specs:
Dimensions: 162.5 x 74.6 x 8.5mm
Display: 6.3in Quad HD+ Super AMOLED, 2960x1440 Infinity Display (18.5:9 Aspect Ratio)
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (10nm) octa-core CPU OR Samsung Exynos 8995 (10nm) octa-core CPU - region dependent
GPU: Adreno 540 (Qualcomm Snapdragon) OR ARM Mali-G71 (Samsung Exynos) - region dependent
RAM:6GB
Software: Android Nougat
Connectivity: 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Type-C USB, NFC, GPS, Fingerprint scanner, Iris Scanner, Face Scanner
Storage: 64GB, 128GB or 256GB - region dependent
MicroSD: Yes
Primary Camera: Dual-12MP, f/1.7 and f/2.4 apertures, 1/2.3" sensor size, 1.55µm pixel size, Dual-Pixel Phase Detection Autofocus, OIS, 2x optical zoom, touch focus, face/smile detection, Auto HDR, panorama, 2160p video @30fps, 1080p video @60fps
Secondary Camera: 8MP with autofocus, f/1.7 aperture, Auto HDR, 1440p video @30fps
Battery: 3,300mAh
Other: IP68 Certified (Water & Dust Resistant), S-Pen Stylus
“Samsung’s launch of the Note 8 underlines its current confidence. It’s a testament to Samsung’s stubbornness and determination that the launch of the Note 8 cements its position as the leading Android smartphone maker drawing a clear line under the Note 7 problems," said Ben Wood, Chief of Research, CCS Insight.
He added: “The Note 8 joins the well-received S8 and S8+ arguably giving Samsung the best high-tier Android line-up of any manufacturer. The fact Samsung was prepared to continue using the Note brand shows its belief that there is significant pent up demand for another top-of-the-line flagship device alongside the rest of its smartphone portfolio.”
The handset sports a 6.3in Super AMOLED Infinity Display with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio in an edge-to-edge configuration (complete with curved edges); it's essentially very similar to the Galaxy S8+ but 0.1in bigger. However, this does give a bigger screen real-estate for the S-Pen to work with, for the first time ever.
As expected, it's also a QHD+ display resolution, but it also packs Mobile HDR Premium support like the Galaxy S8 series, meaning it is HD TV quality, and it has Samsung's now-standard Always-On functionality too. Samsung's multi-tasking features have returned, including split-screen multitasking which will even let you run the same app twice if you wish.
The handset itself is IP68 water and dust resistant, but so too is the S-Pen stylus. Internal specs include the expected 10nm Exynos 8895 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 octa-core CPUs depending on region (again just like the Galaxy S8 series) as well as 6GB of RAM. It carries Android 7.1 Nougat and the Bixby AI assistant, and the phone is compatible with the latest Gear VR and DeX accessories from Samsung.
Unlike many rival devices, Samsung has preserved the 3.5mm headphone jack, and like the Galaxy S8 this benefits from AKG-branded audio hardware.
And also as predicted, there are big changes on the rear of the phone in the form of its camera array - it's now got a dual-sensor camera. Both sensors are 12MP, one a telephoto lens with an f/2.4 aperture and the other a regular lens with an f/1.7 aperture. Crucially, however, this is the first dual-sensor camera on the market with both sensors using optical image stabilisation (OIS). This also enables a new Live Focus feature with selective blur either during or post capture.regular sales beginning on September 15. The RRP is £869 and you can choose between Midnight Black or Maple Gold colours.