Samsung Galaxy Note 8

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Released

Finally!!!!

GALAXY NOTE 8 DESIGN: WHAT’S NEW?

Samsung has used previous Galaxy Note handsets to test out new design concepts. In fact, we first saw Samsung’s curved ‘Edge’-style display on a Note phone, and it’s now a staple of the core Galaxy S series.

However, the most likely scenario will be that we’ll see a repeat of the new Galaxy S7 design for the Galaxy Note 8. This is quite a drastic departure from the Galaxy Note 7 aesthetic, but the response to the new design has been positive so far, so we’re hopeful Samsung will keep it up.

With the Galaxy S7, Samsung introduced what it’s calling an ‘Infinity Display’. This means that the front of the phone has redesigned, with the Home button moved to the back of the handset. The curved ‘Edge’-style edge-to-edge display is retained, but the top and bottom part of the bezel are much slimmer. The result is that most of the front of the phone is occupied by display, making for a very attractive handset.

Given the hype that Samsung has created around the ‘Infinity Display’ design, we’d be surprised if it was scrapped for the Galaxy Note 8.

Importantly, the ‘Infinity Display’ also means that much more screen can be packed into the same size body. For instance, the Galaxy S8+ is only marginally bigger than the Galaxy S7 Edge, but the screen size moved from 5.5 inches to 6.2 inches with the new phone. Considering that the Galaxy Note 7 used a 5.7-inch display, we’d expect to see similar screen size gains.

It’s also highly likely that Samsung will retain the IP68-certified waterproof designwe’ve seen on both the Galaxy Note 7 and Galaxy S8. This means the phone has been tested underwater at depths of 1.5 metres for 30 minutes – and lived to tell the tale.

We've alaredy seen a few leaks, including one posted by Android Headlines and sourced from China – although we can't verify its legitimacy:

Twitter tipsters have also posted alleged Galaxy Note 8 renders, as seen below:

Then there's this render, which was posted to Slashleaks. As usual, we can't verify it – and Samsung declined to comment – so take it with due caution:

GALAXY NOTE 8 SPECS: WHAT’S NEW?

As I mentioned in the design, section, it’s likely that Samsung will increase the size of the display from the Note 7’s 5.7 inches. We’d expect something north of 6.2-inches, without seeing a significant body size increase thanks to the new ‘Infinity Display’ design.

But we’re also expecting to see a display resolution bump, in line with the Galaxy S8. The Galaxy Note 7 and Galaxy S7 both used Quad HD screens – that’s 2,560 x 1,440 pixels. But the Galaxy S8 saw a move to QHD+, which means you’re getting 2,960 x 1,440 pixels. Given that the Note 7 screen is expected to grow, it would be hugely surprising if the resolution wasn’t hiked up to QHD+.

But there’s also a chance we may see an ever bigger bump, with a definite possibility of a 4K Ultra HD screen on the horizon. Earlier this year, the Korea Herald published a report about how Samsung was working on massively increasing the pixel density of its Gear VR virtual reality headset. The easiest way to do this would be to significantly ramp up the number of pixels in the Galaxy Note 8, which would then be docked into the headset as the screen.

While it’s clear that the advantages of a 4K phone at normal viewing distances aren’t worthwhile, upgrading to UHD for VR purposes is certainly useful. That’s because the phone is so close to your eyes that pixels become much more obvious. Also, because a VR headset requires images to bit split stereoscopically (i.e. into two parts), resolution is technically halved. So moving to a 4K screen with the Galaxy Note 8 would be an easy way for Samsung to boost the quality of its mobile VR experience.

So what else should we expect? Well it’s highly likely that the Galaxy Note 8 will retain the same processors used in the Galaxy S8. That means we’ll either get Samsung’s custom-built Exynos 8995 chipset, or Qualcomm’s similarly powerful Snapdragon 835 chip. Either way, you’ll be getting a chip built on Samsung’s highly efficient 10nm manufacturing process, which means it will be more powerful and less power-hungry.

But Samsung is always keen to pack the Galaxy Note devices out with bonus features. The last version had an iris scanner and an S-Pen stylus to boot, so we’d expect much the same from the Galaxy Note 8. Other features like NFC and a fingerprint scanner are effectively a given too. So what new features could Samsung add? It’s tough to say at this point, but we could see an increase to 6GB of RAM, or perhaps boosted storage – 128GB as standard, perhaps?

Finally, it's looking very likely that the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will feature a dual camera module.Respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has tipped that the phone will include two lenses on the phablet, and called it "the most important upgrade" for the Note 8. It wouldn't be a huge surprise, as the feature was even rumoured for the earlier Galaxy S8. We've already seen such a feature on the iPhone 7 Plus, the Huawei P10, and the LG G6, so Samsung is definitely going to be considering dual cameras at the very least.

^{Samsung Galaxy Note 7}

On the software front, it’s likely that the Galaxy Note 8 will launch before Google’s upcoming Android O operating system is widely available. Instead, we’d expect the Note 8 to carry the tried-and-tested Android 7.0 Nougat, with Samsung’s Bixbydigital assistant loaded to boot.

We’ll include a full specs table here once rumours about the phone firm up in the coming weeks.

Related: Best smartphones

GALAXY NOTE 8 BATTERY SAFETY: WILL IT EXPLODE?

No one can forget when Samsung recalled the Galaxy Note 7 twice last year after a battery issue caused some users’ phones to spontaneously catch fire. So whether you think it’s an overreaction or not, there will absolutely be some consumers who are concerned about the safety of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8.

The good news is that the Galaxy Note 8 probably won’t explode; Samsung will be very keen to avoid any such gaffe a second year running, considering how financially damaging the Note 7 debacle turned out to be.

In a bid to prevent fiery phones in 2017, Samsung has rolled out the new ‘8-Point Battery Safety Check’ scheme across its smartphone manufacturing process: “It involves putting our batteries through extreme testing, inside and out, followed by careful inspection by X-ray and the human eye to ensure highest quality.”

Samsung adds: “This program is our commitment to safer devices now and in the future.”

GALAXY NOTE 8 PRICE: HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?

The bad news is that Samsung is probably going to charge a significant amount of cash for the Galaxy Note 8. Last year’s Galaxy Note 7 launched at a price of £749 in the UK, which is a fair whack more than what you’d normally pay for a high-end smartphone.

However, this year we’ve seen the Galaxy S8+ price in at £779, and we’d be very surprised if the Galaxy Note 8 was any cheaper. There’s a chance it could even launch as high as £799, given the fact that the phone usually carries bonus features that the core Galaxy S line misses out on.

SHOULD YOU WAIT FOR THE GALAXY NOTE 8?

If you’re thinking about buying a Galaxy Note 8, there’s plenty to consider.

If you don’t want to pay top dollar for the best specs, look elsewhere.Samsung’s Note series are powerhouse devices, with cutting-edge specs and features, and a massive price tag to boot. It’s worth considering the Samsung Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+ if you’re not keen on waiting around.

If you need the very best in smartphonery, then stick around. We’re expecting the Galaxy Note 8 to be one of the best phones Samsung has ever made, so if you’re thinking about picking up a new phone this year and have money to burn, the Galaxy Note 8 could be a decent pick. It’s also set to come out around the same time as Apple’s iPhone, so it’s always worth seeing what September brings before spending cash on a new phone.

Consider budget alternatives too. Don’t forget that most mid-range phones are decent enough to get most stuff done these days. Why splash £800 on a phone when you could get a sub-£200 Moto G that’ll do almost everything you need?

GALAXY NOTE 8: SUMMARY

Here’s a summarised version of what you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.

Design: Samsung will almost certainly borrow from the Galaxy S8 for the Galaxy Note 8, with a massive ‘Infinity Display’ looking like the most likely design edition.

Specs: We’re expecting to see a Snapdragon 835 or Exynos 8995 chip on board, as well as all the usual top-end features: fingerprint sensors, iris scanners, and waterproofing too.

Price: Top-end specs cost a pretty penny, so expect to pay well above £700 if historical Note device releases are anything to go by.

GALAXY NOTE 8: CONCEPT RENDERS

As with any major upcoming phone release, the Galaxy Note 8 has already ushered in some concept renders. The following images were created by graphic designer Muhsin M. Belaal Auckburaully, and depict his vision for the phone. Don't forget that these images are simply concepts, and are in no way official marketing materials produced by Samsung. There's every chance the Galaxy Note 8 will look nothing like this:

Note 8 camera

Hottest leaks:

• A dual-lens camera
• 3x optical zoom
• Telephoto and wide-angle lenses

Samsung's camera is due for an upgrade, and the Galaxy Note 8 is Samsung's playground to try new things.

The 12MP sensor stayed the same from the Galaxy S7, S7 Edge and Note 7 to the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus. Samsung promised it tweaked the software. Okay.

But we still anticipate seeing something different from the Note 8, and that could come in the form of a dual-lens camera, especially as exactly that has now been rumored by respected analyst Ming Chi Kuo.

Supposedly, the Galaxy Note 8 will have a 12MP wide-angle lens and a 13MP telephoto one, and you'll be able to combine them for a 3x optical zoom.

That sounds a lot like the setup on the iPhone 7 Plus, which allows for a 2x optical zoom, though hopefully you'll also be able to use the sensors independently like on the LG G6.

Kuo adds that both cameras will also have optical image stabilization, and we also fully expect a 5MP to 8MP front-facing upgrade given that the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus got that spec boost along with selfie auto-focus. 

TechRadar’s take: We're fully expecting Samsung to jump on the dual-lens camera bandwagon sooner or later, and as a flagship phone the Note 8 seems an ideal candidate.

What would you like to see from the Samsung Galaxy Note 8? Let us know in the comments.