Samsung usually launches three flagship smartphones in a calendar year. The beginning of 2018 saw the launch of the Galaxy S9 and S9+. It is rumoured that the Samsung Galaxy Note9, company’s third flagship of the year will launch on August 9th. So far, we have seen a few leaks revealing the possible specifications of the smartphone. However, popular smartphone leaker, @OnLeaks has released the 360º renders of the soon to be launched Galaxy Note9.
As was with the Galaxy S9 and S9+, the Galaxy Note9 won’t be too different from its predecessor. The smartphone will have the same all-glass build with an aluminium frame. Samsung will maintain the “Infinity Display” and not go the notch route like the plethora of Android smartphones in 2018. The back of the smartphone has a more reflective finish this time around but, that could just be the renders.
The bezels on the top and bottom are slightly thinner compared to the Galaxy Note8. The dual-camera setup on the back is still horizontally placed and that could be a decision to keep some differentiating factors between the S and Note series. The fingerprint sensor is now placed below the camera module and has a more rectangular shape.
We recently came across a leak that revealed the possible specifications of the Samsung Galaxy Note9. And just like the design, the specifications of the Galaxy Note9 won’t be too much of an upgrade either.
The display would remain the same as the previous gen. It would have a 6.3 inch Super AMOLED display with 2960 x 1440 px resolution. This translates into an 18.5:9 aspect ratio.
Under the hood, the smartphone will run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset for the US and South Korea markets. For the rest of the markets, the smartphone will run on the Exynos 9810 chipset which is a Samsung SoC. The respective chipset will be coupled with 6GB of RAM along with either 64GB/128GB/256GB storage which will be expandable via microSD card.
Powering the smartphone will be a 3300 mAh battery with QuickCharge 4.0 support. Out of the box, the device will run Android 8.1 Oreo with Samsung’s Experience 9.0 on top.
The Galaxy Note8 was the first Samsung smartphone to be sport a dual-camera setup. This time around as well, the Galaxy Note9 will have a 12MP wide-angle camera along with a 12MP telephoto lens which will record 4K videos at 60fps. The Galaxy Note9 will also record 720P videos at 960 fps, just like the Galaxy S9 devices.
Galaxy Note8
The design of the Samsung Galaxy Note9, while impressive, doesn’t feel like much of an upgrade over the Galaxy Note8. For people still using the Galaxy Note5 or an older device, however, would see it as a huge upgrade and should interest a lot of consumers looking for a stylus-friendly smartphone.
Every year, Samsung launches three flagship smartphones. The Galaxy S9 and S9+ were launched in February, just before MWC 2018 kicked off. The next flagship device will be the Samsung Galaxy Note9, which is expected to launch in late-August, similar to the Galaxy Note8. A new leak suggests that Samsung will finally break its 6GB RAM barrier and launch an 8GB RAM variant of the upcoming flagship device.
If you are lucky, you will see 8GB RAM and 512GB ROM Galaxy Note9
A tweet by Ice Universe, a prominent Samsung leaker suggests that the Samsung Galaxy Note9 will launch in an 8GB RAM/512GB storage variant. The leaker did not reveal any other variants of the smartphone and also suggested that only if you’re lucky, you’ll see the 8GB RAM model. This means that this variant could either be a limited edition or launch in select countries. We are still a few months away from its official launch so, there are chances that we will get more clarity about the device in the coming months.
A recent report claimed that it had acquired the unofficially accurate specifications of the Samsung Galaxy Note9. The leaked specifications revealed that it might not be a very interesting upgrade over the Galaxy Note8. The display would remain the same as the previous gen. It would have a 6.3 inch Super AMOLED display with 2960 x 1440 px resolution.
Under the hood, the smartphone will run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset for the US and South Korea markets. For the rest of the markets, the smartphone will run on the Exynos 9810 chipset which is a Samsung SoC. The respective chipset will be coupled with 6GB of RAM along with either 64GB/128GB/256GB storage which will be expandable via microSD card.
Powering the smartphone will be a 3300 mAh battery with QuickCharge 4.0 support. Out of the box, the device will run Android 8.1 Oreo with Samsung’s Experience 9.0 on top.
The Galaxy Note8 was the first Samsung smartphone to be sport a dual-camera setup. This time around as well, the Galaxy Note9 will have a 12MP wide-angle camera along with a 12MP telephoto lens which will record 4K videos at 60fps. The Galaxy Note9 will also record 720P videos at 960 fps, just like the Galaxy S9 devices.
An 8GB RAM/512GB storage will be unprecedented for Samsung smartphones and might set the trend for future Samsung devices as well. The launch of the Galaxy Note9 is expected to take place sometime in either August or September. More details will follow as we move closer to the imminent launch.
The Samsung Galaxy Note8 was launched in August 2017 at a very competitive price in India. Before its launch, there doubts that the Note8 would just be a Galaxy S8+ with S-Pen but, it turned out to be a great offering at the price. Ever since the Galaxy Note8 was launched, there were rumours that the Galaxy Note9 would feature an in-display fingerprint sensor. However, that appears to be false and Samsung could push the technology till the Galaxy S10 launch.
A new report claims to have acquired the unofficially accurate specifications of the Samsung Galaxy Note9. By unofficially accurate it means that Samsung’s not said so, but based on leaks and precedent. The leaked specifications, at the least, are a bare minimum upgrade from one generation to another. For loyal Samsung-users, it could be a disappointing buy but, users still using a Galaxy Note5 could be in for a substantial upgrade.
Galaxy Note8
The display would remain the same as the previous gen. It would have a 6.3 inch Super AMOLED display with 2960 x 1440 px resolution. This translates into an 18.5:9 aspect ratio.
Under the hood, the smartphone will run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset for the US and South Korea markets. For the rest of the markets, the smartphone will run on the Exynos 9810 chipset which is a Samsung SoC. The respective chipset will be coupled with 6GB of RAM along with either 64GB/128GB/256GB storage which will be expandable via microSD card.
Powering the smartphone will be a 3300 mAh battery with QuickCharge 4.0 support. Out of the box, the device will run Android 8.1 Oreo with Samsung’s Experience 9.0 on top.
The Galaxy Note8 was the first Samsung smartphone to be sport a dual-camera setup. This time around as well, the Galaxy Note9 will have a 12MP wide-angle camera along with a 12MP telephoto lens which will record 4K videos at 60fps. The Galaxy Note9 will also record 720P videos at 960 fps, just like the Galaxy S9 devices.
Samsung Galaxy Note8
The specifications look eerily similar to the Galaxy Note8’s. You need to squint hard to make out the differences and if they turn out to be true, it may not have as many suitors as the Galaxy Note8 did.
Samsung launched the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ in February 2018. The smartphones are still one of the first flagship devices to run on the Snapdragon 845 chipset (in the US and South Korea only). The South Korean tech giant has launched a new red colour variant of its latest flagship phones in China. Samsung has, historically, launched new colour variants of its flagship smartphones in lesser markets. The red colour variant is currently only available in China and is unlikely to make its way to other countries for the time being.
Even though the Galaxy S9 was one of the top-selling smartphones of the first quarter of 2018, Samsung expects weaker demands of the smartphone. Launching a new colour variant so soon after the official launch could be one of Samsung’s marketing push in the world’s largest smartphone market, China. Launching a red colour device in China also makes sense since the colour red is considered lucky in Chinese culture.
The images on the Samsung China website also reveal that Samsung is pushing to promote the new Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+ among the women. The devices are being promoted by Chinese celebrities and comes with matching Red Yves Saint Laurent lipstick. This is a clear attempt strategy by Samsung to position the Galaxy S9 as a luxury smartphone among the women in China. Some might argue that boiling down women’s choices in 2018 to makeup products is not the most progressive thing to do. However, that is the company’s prerogative.
Samsung recently launched the Burgundy Red Galaxy S8 in India, a couple of months after the launch of the Galaxy S9. This means that the company might not be keen on launching the new red colour Galaxy S9/S9+ in India anytime soon. Similarly, Samsung launched Rose Pink Galaxy S8 in the UK, South Korea etc but, never launched it extensively in all markets. It will be interesting to see how Samsung plans out the launch pattern of different colour variants to keep the interest in the smartphones alive.
Samsung launched the highly anticipated Galaxy S9 and S9+ in late-February. The two flagship smartphones have been well-received so far as more flagship smartphones are slated to launch in May. Now, Samsung is moving its focus to the budget smartphones and it appears that the company will soon launch the Samsung Galaxy A6 and Galaxy A6+. Multiple leaks and rumours have surfaced lately and now detailed specifications and design of the two smartphones have been leaked.
Samsung Galaxy A6
The Samsung Galaxy A6 will be the more affordable of the two siblings. According to the leaks, it might have a 5.6 inch Super AMOLED display with a 1480 x 720 px resolution. This translates into an 18.5:9 aspect ratio which is slightly taller than the usual 18:9 aspect ratio smartphones.
Under the hood, the Galaxy A6 will run on the Exynos 9 Octa 7870 chipset paired with 3GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage. The storage will be expandable vias microSD card. There are reports of Samsung introducing a 4GB RAM and 64GB storage variant in a few select countries. Powering the smartphone will be a 3000 mAh battery which will, in all likelihood, charge via a micro USB port.
The Galaxy A6 will run Android 8 Oreo out of the box Samsung’s Experience UI 9 on top. It will also have support for Samsung Pay which is great for a budget device like A6.
The Galaxy A6 will have a single camera setup both on the front and back. It will have a 16MP rear-facing camera with an f/1.7 aperture. The front of the device will house a 16MP camera with an f/1.9 aperture and an LED flash.
Samsung Galaxy A6+
The Galaxy A6+ will have a few upgraded over the Galaxy A6 as Samsung would want to justify its higher price tag. The smartphone will have the same 5.6 inch Super AMOLED display but, with a 2280 x 1080 px resolution.
Under the hood, the Galaxy A6+ will run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 chipset coupled with either 3GB RAM/32GB storage or 4GB RAM/64GB storage. The configuration will depend on the country the smartphone will be available in. As the display gets a bump in the resolution, so does the battery. The Galaxy A6+ might be powered by a 3500 mAh battery.
The Galaxy A6+ will run Android 8 Oreo out of the box Samsung’s Experience UI 9 on top. It will also have support for Samsung Pay.
unlike the Galaxy A6, the Galaxy A6+ might have a dual-camera setup on the back. The 16MP primary sensor will have an f/1.6 aperture while the secondary 5MP camera will have an f/1.9 aperture. The front of the smartphone will house a 24MP camera with an f/1.9 aperture and an LED flash.
There are no details about the launch of the smartphones as of now. However, the report does mention that the Galaxy A6 will be priced between 300-340 Euros while the Galaxy A6+ will retail for an estimated price between 360 to 400 Euros.
Samsung had launched the Galaxy S9 and S9+ at an event in Barcelona on the 25th of February. Both the flagship smartphones subsequently went on sale in India in March. Now, Samsung has launched a special edition of the Galaxy S9 and S9+ in association with Vodafone in the Netherlands. The Galaxy S9+ and S9 Red Bull Ring Edition will be available in the Netherlands until the 27th of April.
The name of the new Galaxy S9 Red Bull Edition is a reference to the Austrian Grand Prix track. The retail box of the Galaxy S9 Red Bull Edition will include a special Red Bull Ring case along with the usual stuff like AKG earphones and a wall charger. Interestingly, the case inside the bundle provides much more than just branding or protection to your Galaxy S9/S9+. It has an NFC chip that triggers a change in theme of the Galaxy S9 to a Red Bull theme featuring shots of its F1 cars.
Apart from the NFC chip cover, the Galaxy S9 Red Bull Edition comes pre-loaded with information about each track. The Galaxy S9 Red Bull Edition owners will also have access to free clips from the Ziggo Sport Formula 1 Cafe and exclusive race images. It is worth noting that the Galaxy S9/S9+ Red Bull Ring Edition is only available in the 64GB storage variant.
Galaxy Note8 Pyeongchang
Unlike the Galaxy Note8 PyeongChang 2018 edition which had the Olympics logo embossed on the phone, the Galaxy S9 Red Bull Edition does not have any design changes. The NFC case is a nice addition but, apart from that, it does not really differentiate from the regular Galaxy S9 or S9+.
Samsung has quietly listed the Samsung Galaxy J2 (2017) on its official India website. The price of the phone however, has not been revealed yet but, indicates that the smartphone will be available in India soon. It will be available in two colours, Metallic Gold and Absolute Black.
The Galaxy J2 2017 has a 4.7 inch 960 x 540 px Super AMOLED display. The device is powered by a 2000 mAh battery while there is no mention of the OS version the device is running but, it is fair to assume that the smartphone will run Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box. Under the hood, the device has the Exynos chipset, 1.3 GHz quad core processor, 1GB RAM, and 8GB of onboard storage which is expandable via microSD card. The Galaxy J2 (2017) comes with Smart Manager for automatic memory management which will help delete duplicate images on the device automatically, and also delete saved APK files to utilise the storage. The smartphone also comes with Ultra Data Saving mode that the company claims can help consumers save up to 50 percent data.
On the optics front, the device has a rear-facing 5MP camera with autofocus and a flash. On the front is a 2MP camera.
Prolific Mumbai-based retailer Mahesh Telecom has a history of accurately predicting the price of Samsung smartphones. The offline retailer has said that the device will be available at a price of Rs 7390. At this price, the smartphone will compete with the likes of Xiaomi Redmi 4A, Moto C and the Moto E4 Plus.
While Apple took to the Steve Jobs Theater to launch the all-new iPhone X, Samsung has expressed its aim to release a foldable display based Android device in 2018. According to a report by the Associated Press, the phone would feature a bendable display and will be released under the company’s flagship Galaxy Note line. Samsung unveiled the foldable tab/phone concept in 2013 and unveiled an improved prototype at the MWC 2017, which suggests that a working retail model of the ambitious foldable smartphone might not be too far away.
Dongjin Koh, President of mobile business at Samsung told some reporters at a news conference in South Korea that there are still hurdles to overcome and a possible release would be pushed back if the issues are not resolved in time.
When we can overcome some problems for sure, we will launch the product. We are digging thoroughly into several issues we must overcome, as we don’t want to just make a few, sell a few and be done. We want to hear that Samsung made a very good product. We have a plan to adopt a foldable display in our roadmap.
The foldable smartphone has long been touted as the Galaxy X, which now sounds like a rip-off of the iPhone X which means Samsung will definitely not go with this name. A number of patents as well as Samsung’s own concept video from CES 2013 tell us what to expect from the Galaxy X. Samsung is most likely to start small, with a smartphone that folds halfway like a wallet. Another design, in line with Samsung’s prototype unveiling, could see the phone unfold into a full-size tablet.
Samsung launched the Galaxy Note8 in New York last month and looks all set to debut its new flagship in India on September 12. Samsung has reportedly sent out press invites for a September 12 event in New Delhi to showcase its next big innovation. The invite doesn’t specify the name of the device but it is almost certain that the Galaxy Note8 will be introduced for the Indian market at a price of Rs 74,999. The pre-registrations of the device have already started in India and the successor to the Galaxy Note7 seems like the best bet right now. The phone will be available in Midnight Black and Maple Gold colours in India.
The Samsung Galaxy Note8 has a 6.3 inch 2960 x 1440 px Super AMOLED display with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio, similar to the Galaxy S8 and S8+. The phone runs Android 7.1.1 with Samsung’s custom UI on top and is powered by 3,300 mAh battery with QuckCharge 3.0 capabilities. Under the hood, the Galaxy Note8, for the Indian market has the Exynos 8895 chipset, 2.3GHz Quad-Core (Custom CPU)+1.7GHz Quad-Core (Cortex-A53) processor, Mali-G71 MP20 GPU, 6GB RAM and 64GB/128GB/256GB storage options. The onboard storage can be expanded up to 256GB via microSD card. In a disappointing move, Samsung retained the awkward placement of the fingerprint sensor right next to the dual cameras at the back.
Talking about cameras, the Galaxy Note 8 is the first phone from Samsung to feature dual-cameras with a 12MP dual-camera setup, the primary camera has a wide-angle 12MP lens with an f/1.7 aperture and the secondary camera has a 12MP telephoto lens with an f/2.4 aperture. The telephoto lens enables a 2X lossless optical zoom and has features such as the Bokeh effect, much like the iPhone 7 Plus. The dual-cameras are capable of capturing 4K videos at 30 FPS On the front is an 8MP camera with an f/1.7 aperture and captures 4K videos at 30 FPS.
The S Pen is more than just a marketing gimmick and has become the standout feature of the Galaxy Note series over the past few years. The S Pen and the Galaxy Note8 are both also IP68 certified water and dust resistant. The S-Pen comes with a host of new features such as Smart Select, which allows you to easily select, clip and copy the content that you like. You can also send .gif messages via the S Pen. The S Pen will be available in Midnight Black and Maple Gold colours.
Samsung J7+ became the smartphone maker’s second Android device to feature a dual-camera setup when it was launched on September 3. The smartphone is available in Thailand right now and will go on sale on September 18 for a price of TBH 12,000 (Rs 24,900 approx.)
The Galaxy J7+ features a 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080 px AMOLED display with an ‘Always On Display’ feature. As compared to the 3,600 mAh battery of the Galaxy J7 (2017), the new Galaxy J7+ is powered by a smaller 3,000 mAh battery. The smaller battery is a major downgrade and with the dimensions of the two virtually identical, it looks like the decision was taken to accommodate the dual cameras. Under the hood, the device has the MediaTek Helio P20 chipset, 4GB RAM with 32GB onboard storage which is expandable up to 256GB via a microSD card. The smartphone runs Android 7.1.1 with Samsung’s custom UI on top.
In terms of optics, the smartphone features a dual-camera setup at the back. The 13MP primary camera with an f/1.7 aperture and a secondary 5MP camera with an f/1.9 aperture work together to create bokeh effect shots with blurred out backgrounds. The second camera captures depth information to provide post-shot focusing capabilities. On the front of the device is a 16MP camera with an f/1.9 aperture and a single LED flash.
The Galaxy J7+ also features Samsung’s AI assistant, Bixby albeit, no dedicated Bixby button. Thanks to the large bezels, the physical home button sits below the display and houses a convenient fingerprint sensor.
There is no official word from Samsung about the Galaxy J7+’s availability in India, yet. The Samsung Galaxy J7+ is an upgrade to the previous gen Galaxy J7 and Galaxy J7 Pro in terms of camera performance, at least on paper, but, the smaller battery and no real slimming down of the phone maybe backward move by Samsung. What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments!
The launch of the Samsung Galaxy Note8 in India isn’t too far as pre-registrations begin for the device on Samsung’s official website. The Samsung Galaxy Note8 will be priced at Rs 74,999 in India.
The Samsung Galaxy Note8 was globally unveiled in New York on August 23 and it seems like the phone will be in India in the coming day, less than a month after its global announcement. The Samsung Galaxy Note8 succeeds last year’s Galaxy Note7 which was globally recalled due to a battery fault. The Galaxy Note8 hence packs a smaller battery as Samsung chose a safer route this time around. The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will be available in only two colours in India – Midnight Black and Maple Gold.
The Samsung Galaxy Note8 has a 6.3 inch 2960 x 1440 px Super AMOLED display with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio, similar to the Galaxy S8 and S8+. The phone runs Android 7.1.1 with Samsung’s custom UI on top and is powered by 3,300 mAh with QuckCharge 3.0 capabilities. Under the hood, the Galaxy Note8 has the Exynos 8895, 2.3GHz Quad-Core (Custom CPU)+1.7GHz Quad-Core (Cortex-A53) processor, Mali-G71 MP20, 6GB RAM and 64GB/128GB/256GB storage options for the Indian market. The onboard storage can be expanded up to 256GB via microSD card. In a disappointing move, Samsung retained the awkward placement of the fingerprint sensor right next to the dual cameras at the back.
Talking about cameras, the Galaxy Note 8 is the first phone from Samsung to feature dual-cameras with a 12MP dual-camera setup, the primary camera has a wide-angle 12MP lens with an f/1.7 aperture and the secondary camera has a 12MP telephoto lens with an f/2.4 aperture. The telephoto lens enables a 2X lossless optical zoom and has features such as the Bokeh effect, much like the iPhone 7 Plus. The dual-cameras are capable of capturing 4K videos at 30 FPS On the front is an 8MP camera with an f/1.7 aperture and captures 4K videos at 30 FPS.
What makes the Note series stand out from the flagship crowd is the S-Pen. The new Galaxy Note 8 comes with a new S Pen with improved functionalities. The Galaxy Note8 and the S Pen are both also IP68 certified water and dust resistant. The S-Pen comes with a host of new features such as Smart Select, which allows you to easily select, clip and copy the content that you like. You can also send .gif messages via the S Pen. The S Pen will be available in Midnight Black and Maple Gold colours.
Samsung launched the highly-anticipated Galaxy Note8 in New York on August 23 during its ‘Unpacked 2017’ event. Priced at Rs 74,999 the Galaxy Note8 is the first Samsung to feature a dual-camera setup. Both the cameras are 12 MP and both have OIS, one has a wide lens while the other a telephoto lens. The Galaxy Note8 also has an IRIS scanner on the front, sadly the fingerprint sensor still sits on the back of the phone next to the cameras.
Apple looks all set to launch the new iPhone on September 12. Apple has been hosting its iPhone launch events in September since 2012. September 12 also falls on a Tuesday, which is in line with the previous iPhone announcement events. It is rumoured that the main iPhone 8 will be available in extremely limited numbers at launch. Along with the new iPhone 8, the launch of the iPhone 7S, 7S Plus, Apple TV with 4K video output, LTE enabled Apple Watch is also expected.
The follow-up to last year’s lineup of Pixel devices, the pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 could be launched on October 5th according to a tipster. This tip comes after specifications of the Pixel 2 were leaked through an FCC filing document. In his tweet, Evan Blass claims that both the devices will have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 836 chipset, instead of the much-anticipated Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset.
Google officially launched the next generation of its Android OS, 8.0 Oreo during the first Solar Eclipse in the USA since 1917 on August 21. The Google Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 are tipped to be the first sdevices to run Android 8.0 Oreo while many other smartphones will soon follow suit.
Features such as the new picture-in-picture mode, auto fill framework, notification dots and much more will be available when the Android 8.0 Oreo starts rolling out to devices later this year.
Lenovo-owned Motorola is set to launch the Moto G5S Plus in India on 29th August. The smartphone will be an Amazon exclusive in the beginning and will be available at offline retailers later.The Moto G5S Plus’ widely speculated feature, the rear mounted 13MP dual-camera with an f/2.0 aperture and dual tone LED flash, comes with video stabilization and 4K video recording at 30 FPS.
The Galaxy Note 8 wasn’t the only device announced at the launch yesterday. Samsung confirmed that the company is releasing another iteration of the Gear VR headset as the previous variant wasn’t big enough to fit the newly launched Note 8. The new Gear VR headset is designed to support the Galaxy Note 8’s 6.3-inch display and can be paired with Samsung’s new wireless controller. Apart from the size difference, no such significant difference could be spotted between the new and the previous Gear VR.
Both the devices are powered by Oculus and come with a physical controller which offers quicker selection and interaction, Samsung claims. The Gear VR headsets feature a wide interface and an ergonomic design for an interactive and immersive gaming session.
The Gear VR launched a few months back had a 101-degree field of view and the latest edition is no different. The previous iteration was compatible with the Galaxy Note5, S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge+, S7 and S7 edge and the S8 phones. It appears to be that Samsung didn’t put in much thought whether the device would be capable of supporting the next Note or not. Hence, the new and bigger Gear VR headset.
The Gear VR (Galaxy Note8 Edition) will support Android Lollipop 5.0 or later devices. The headset weighs 345 grams and will be compatible with Galaxy S8+, S8, S7, S7 edge, S6, S6 edge, S6 edge+ and of course the Galaxy Note8. The Gear VR headset can be connected via Bluetooth, USB Type-C & micro USB and has an additional USB Port, Type-C for power connection, OTG USB Memory, 3rd-party controller.
Samsung promises that the new Gear VR will let you explore the multi-dimensional worlds in virtual reality, offer enhanced gaming experience with organic, intuitive responses, etc. Well, you won’t have to wait too long to find out as the Gear VR – Note8 Edition, which costs $129.99 (approximately Rs. 8,325) is already available on the company’s website for ordering.
Samsung has just announced the Galaxy Note8 for global markets and the phone is said to go on sale in September some time. However, for the south Korean company getting their Note series back on track will be a bigger game. Markets like India majorly remained unaffected by the Note7 recall, because the Galaxy Note7 was never launched in said markets. Samsung has a huge void to fill in the premium upmarket business phone segment, which was ruled by the iPhone 7 Plus thus far. Considering that officially any revisions to the iPhone will go on Sale in India starting October, Samsung may get the upper hand by launching the Galaxy Note8 in September in India.
The Galaxy Note8 which has a similar Exynos processor for the India market will also launch only in two variants in India, the 64 GB and 128 GB storage options, with fewer colours available at launch. The 256 GB variant and other colour options will be launched later in the year. The new Galaxy Note 8 also features IP68 water and dust resistance which also applies to the new S Pen which is independently IP68 rated. The Note8 will also have a dual sim/hybrid tray in India, allowing for either one sim card + expansion via micro SD for upto 256GB of additional storage or two SIM cards.
Samsung’s new Note is also the first Samsung smartphone to be featured with dual cameras, both are 12 MP and both have OIS, one has a wide lens while the other a telephoto lens. The Note8 also has an IRIS scanner on the front, sadly the fingerprint sensor still sits on the back of the phone next to the cameras.
Samsung will also launch the phone with several offers including a zero percent instalment (or EMI) option that will allow potential owners to buy the phone without worrying about the hefty price tag. Samsung will also bundle up the wireless charger for those who pre order. The updated Samsung Dex docking station will also receive and official launch in India alongside the Galaxy Note8.
After today’s much-anticipatedlaunch of the Samsung’s new Galaxy Note 8, the company hopes to rebuild consumer confidence and reinvigorate the Note series. Until last year, the Galaxy Note series was amongst the top flagship devices but, the recall of the Galaxy Note 7 due to battery issues had a significant impact on sales and consumer perception. So, from the Galaxy Note 7 to the Galaxy Note 8, what has changed?
The new standout feature – Dual-lens Camera
Unlike its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is equipped with a horizontally placed two 12-megapixel cameras at the back with a fingerprint scanner right next to it. Many criticized the odd placement of the fingerprint sensor at the back when the Galaxy S8 was launched, and nothing has changed on this front in the Galaxy Note 8.
The 12MP primary camera has a wide-angle lens with an f/1.7 aperture whereas the secondary 12MP camera has a telephoto lens with an f/2.4 aperture. The dual-camera setup is capable of 2X lossless zoom and other features such as Bokeh effect and selective focus for background blurring. The rear camera setup records video in 4K at 30 FPS and features phase detection autofocus, dual optical image stabilization (an industry first, claimed by Samsung) and an LED flash. On the front is an 8MP camera with an f/1.7 aperture which captures 4K videos at 30 FPS whereas, the Galaxy Note 7 had a 5MP front camera with 1920×1080 full HD video recording at 30fps.
Another widely anticipated feature is the new and improved S-Pen.
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Similar to the Note 7 stylus, the new S Pen is water resistant and has more levels of pressure sensitivity. The latest S-Pen features include capability of taking notes up to 100 pages in the Screen Off Memo mode, a live messages which are saved as GIFs and the user can also hand-write a message or picture with the S Pen. Also, the translate feature, introduced on the Note 7, is making a come back in this year’s Note 8. To translate a sentence, a user has to simply highlight the text and the S Pen will instantly translate the sentence into 71 languages.
On the design front, both the Galaxy Note 8 and the Note 7 feature Corning Gorilla Glass 5 panels on the front and the back. Samsung is offering an almost all-screen front with a metal and glass body design along with a built-in stylus. The smartphone sports a 6.3 inch 2960 x 1440 px Super AMOLED display with curved edges. With an 83.1% screen-to-body ratio and almost bezel-less design (compared to the Note 7), Samsung is aiming to rival other similar flagship devices.
Coming to what’s under the hood, the newly launched Galaxy Note 8 runs Android 7.1.2 Nougat with a promised update to 8.0 Oreo in near future.
Galaxy Note 7
As is with all Samsung flagship devices, the Galaxy Note8 will ship with two different chipsets, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, 2.45 GHz octa-core processor with Adreno 540 GPU for USA and China, and the Exynos 8895, 2.3GHz Quad-Core (Custom CPU) + 1.7GHz Quad-Core (Cortex-A53) with Mali-G71 MP20 for the remaining markets. The device will have 6GB RAM and onboard storage options of 64GB/128Gb/256GB which will be expandable via microSD card up to 256GB.
Powered by a 3,300 mAh battery with QuickCharge 2.0 via USB Type C port and the rear glass panel allows the Galaxy Note 8 to support wireless charging. Thanks to Galaxy Note 7’s 3500mAh faulty batteries, Samsung has opted for a slightly smaller battery for its new flagship.
For added security, Samsung is offering plenty of biometric security options to choose from, such as iris scanner and facial recognition, apart from a fingerprint scanner. The Galaxy Note 7 was amongst the first of Samsung smartphone to feature iris scanner for unlocking the device.
The smartphone will be available in four colour variants (two of which were leaked ahead of its launch)– Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Deep Sea Blue and Maple Gold.
In term’s of how the Galaxy Note 8 will stack up against it’s recalled sibling, the Galaxy Note 7, here’s a little something to help you figure out.
Specifications
Galaxy Note 8
Galaxy Note 7
Price
£869 (Approximately Rs. 71,100)
Launched at US $ 849.99 (Approximately Rs. 59900)
Dimensions
162.5 x 74.8 x 8.6mm
153.5 x 73.9 x 7.9 mm
Weight
195 grams
169 g
Design
Corning Gorilla Glass 5 Front
Corning Gorilla Glass 5 Back
Metal Frame
Corning Gorilla Glass 5 Front
Corning Gorilla Glass 5 Back
Metal Frame
Colors
Midnight Black
Orchid Gray
Deep Sea Blue
Maple Gold
Blue Coral
Gold Platinum
Silver Titanium
Black Onyx
Display
6.3-inch Super AMOLED
5.7-inch Super AMOLED
Screen Resolution
2960 x 1440 px
2560 x 1440 px
PPI (Pixels Per Inch)
521ppi
518ppi
Display Protection
Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Chipset
Option 1: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
Option 2: Exynos 8895
Option 1: Qualcomm Snapdragon 829
Option 2: Exynos 8895
CPU
Snapdragon 835 Variant: Octa-core 2.45 GHz
Exynos Variant: 4×2.3 GHz custom CPU and 4×1.7 GHz Cortex-A53
