After the fall of Galaxy Note 7, Samsung lost a big chunk of its market share. The company had a lot to prove with its next flagship and it did just that with the launch of a much-improved Galaxy S8 and S8+. The new device covered most of the ground and came very close to be the smartphone we always wanted. But, the minor flaws it had, especially on the design front, were to be removed only when the next biggie makes its way. Yes, that’s where we’re trying to get you – the Galaxy Note 8.
Samsung’s Mobile Chief DJ Koh has already confirmed the existence of the device, and according to what he said, we’d be seeing a “better, safer and very innovative Note 8” later this year. While Samsung loyalists appreciate the brave move, word goes around that Note 8 will incorporate some major changes to build on the foundation created by S8. It would be bigger and sassier than ever, but we expect a lot more!
Note 8 Design
Galaxy Note 8 is expected to retain S8’s design elements but with a number of tweaks here and there. Except for the awkwardly placed fingerprint scanner, Samsung’s new design has been well received so far, and we believe Note 8 would be built on the same.
However, the curved edge to edge ‘Infinity display’ we saw on Galaxy S8 is expected to get a major upgrade. Rumour has it that the front-panel of Note 8 will be mostly occupied by the screen. The top and bottom bezels will also be slimmer, and there would be more display real estate in the same sized body. Thus, Note 8 will possibly bear a bigger and also pressure-sensitive screen, but its overall profile won’t go larger than last year’s Note 7.
We haven’t seen too many renders or leaks, but word goes around that Galaxy Note 8 would continue where S8 left off, and boast some big changes, while sticking to some essential things, for instance, waterproofing capabilities with IP68-certification.
Specifications
Among other things, Galaxy Note 8 would probably offer major upgrades to take a dig at Apple’s next iPhone. The device could bear a Quad-HD+ or even a 4k Ultra HD SuperAMOLED display, running on Samsung’s custom built Exynos 8895 chipset, or Qualcomm’s equally powerful Snapdragon 835 SoC paired with 6GB of RAM. The power efficiency that comes with these chipsets also increases the chances to bring a 4k panel into play.
In fact, upgrading to a 4k panel also makes more sense as it would improve Samsung’s VR experience. A VR headset requires images to be split stereoscopically (i.e. into two parts), the resolution is technically halved. So, moving to a 4K screen with Note 8 could be a good move to boost the quality of its mobile VR experience.
Note 8 would also retain things like Iris scanner and S-Pen, alongside standard connectivity options such as NFC, fingerprint scanner, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. There’s no word on the storage options, but chances are, we could be seeing a Note 8 variant offering as much as 128 gigabytes of space for seamless work and play. Plus, it could also pair up with an improved dual-camera setup, something that has already been added by Apple on iPhone 7 Plus.
Battery Life
The battery of the new device would be bigger and most probably, it won’t catch fire this time. Samsung has rolled out the new ‘8-Point Battery Safety Check’ scheme across its smartphone manufacturing process. This “involves putting batteries through extreme testing, inside and out, followed by a careful inspection by X-ray and the human eye to ensure the highest quality”. Thus, we can be sure that Note 8 won’t heat up and hold sufficient juice throughout the day with support for fast as well as wireless charging. You can read all about the new battery testing process here.
While there’s no official word, Samsung’s recent launch cycle points to an August or September release for Galaxy Note 8. Galaxy S8 was one month late, so most probably, Note 8 would make its way in September. But, as Samsung has a habit of making a move earlier than Apple, the launch of Note 8 would certainly come before next iPhones – meaning, it could show up anytime, either August or September.
Till then, you can check several Note 8 design concepts which give insights into what could be a possible future of Samsung’s next big flagship. Stay tuned for further updates!