Samsung is closer and closer to announce the new Galaxy Note 8. The tech giant’s latest flagships, the Galaxy S8 and S8+, have been a great success in the Android market for their cutting-edge design and high-end specifications.
The Korean powerhouse’s phablet lineup suffered a catastrophic setback last year after users started reporting their Note 7 devices caught on fire or exploded. The hazardous handsets were pulled out of the shelves in a move that cost Samsung billions.
In spite of the seemingly catastrophic incident, the company is back on track with a vengeance, looking to make things right by customers and offer them a real premium experience with the next generation of Note smartphones. Here is what we know so far.
Rumored specs, price, and design
Aside from that, some leaks and analysts’ reports say the next generation of Note phablets will be slightly larger than the S8+, featuring a 6.4-inch Infinity Display with a glass cover on the back.
This time over, some rumors suggest Samsung could borrow a page from Apple’s design book and include not one but two signature features of the last iPhone.
First, the upcoming phablet’s touchscreen could also be pressure-sensitive. That has fueled further speculation about a virtual home button like the one on the iPhone, but getting rid of it sounds like a bit of a stretch to some experts.
The second feature landing on the Note 8 is a dual-camera setup, although Samsung is putting its own spin on it and arranging them vertically instead of horizontally according to reports.
Jumping onboard the dual camera ship also suggests that Samsung will learn from its mistakes with the Galaxy S8, most notably the awkward placing of the fingerprint sensor. Leaks hint that this time, the scanner might be center-back like on the Google Pixel, or perhaps embedded in the home button.
One last rumor says the S Pen, Samsung’s signature stylus for the Note lineup, might come with a built-in speaker to jot down notes on the device automatically through a text-to-speech interface, possibly powered by the AI assistant Bixby.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will most likely arrive this August, at an expected price point around $850. It may be available in September across the globe in the same colors as the S8 and S8+.
The Galaxy Note 8 will arrive this year for sure
For starters, Samsung has confirmed it will launch the Galaxy Note 8 in 2017. It was somewhat surprising given that experts expected the company to have some sort of recovery period to rearrange their pieces after the Note 7 disaster.
Nevertheless, the tech giant seems to be on track to stay up to date on its release schedule, debuting the device on its usual autumn window according to analysts.
Shortly after the incident got big enough to get the world’s attention, Samsung committed to enforcing tighter security standards for its smartphones and mobile devices.
The Galaxy Note 8 will be the second unit to get this full-fledged treatment after the Galaxy S8, which includes an eight-point battery check protocol that ensures there are no potentially hazardous faults in the battery packs.
Source: CNET