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Samsung Galaxy Note 8

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 won’t just be your average next-Galaxy, when it arrives. It will be the follow-up to the most troubled Samsung device ever. For many users, it is the first Note they can buy since the Galaxy Note 4, back in 2014. Needless to say, the pressure is on for Samsung. Let’s recap some of the most important rumors about the device.

Galaxy Note 8 rumors

At this moment, Galaxy Note 8 development is very much in full swing. Many details have likely not yet been decided, but we’ll discuss some of the more notable ones. We're looking at the device's most important features and specifications: design, display, internals, camera, battery and release date

Galaxy Note 8 display

After it was established that Samsung will indeed be making another Note this year, rumors quickly surfaced suggesting the next Note could come equipped with Samsung’s first commercial 4K UHD AMOLED display. Aside from rumors, so far there is no indication yet that this will indeed happen. As for the size of display and, consequently, the device itself, information points to a 6.3-inch diagonal.

An alleged Note 8 screen protector suggests the phone has a more traditional 16:9 screen ratio, unlike the 18.5:9 ratio of the Galaxy S8. However, when the device surfaced in the database of an HTML5 test website, the display resolution does suggest a screen ratio of 18.5:9. However, everything point to the Galaxy Note 8 having an Infinity display, with minimal bezels and no physical home key.

Galaxy Note 8 design

With the Galaxy Note 8 sporting a display much like that of the S8, it should surprise nobody if the device ends up looking like similar. Needless to say, the device's body will no doubt be water resistant and dust proof, as this has been standard fare for Samsung's recent flagship devices.

Still, no Note without S Pen. Therefore, we fully expect the Galaxy Note 8 to be slightly thicker than the S8 because space will have to be made to house Samsung's famous stylus. We do not count on Samsung cutting back on battery capacity, so only a slightly bigger body can accommodate both S Pen and battery.

Galaxy Note 8 internals

Traditionally, new Note devices lean heavily on the Galaxy S-flagship the preceded it in any given year. Under the hood of the Galaxy Note 8, therefor, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 or Samsung's own Exynos 8895 could be doing the honors. However, some rumors have surfaced, suggesting an upgraded soc in the form of a Snapdragon 836.

Since the Galaxy S8 ships with 4GB RAM, but a Note is heavier on the software front, the Galaxy Note 8 could very well be the first Galaxy with 6GB RAM in all versions. We will have to wait and see if Samsung decides to increase the phone's flash storage as well, or if it deems 64GB enough for the Note 8.

Galaxy Note 8 camera

On the camera-front, the Note 8 could bring a first for Samsung: a dual-lens setup. Although the Galaxy S8 was expected to come with two rear cameras, such a setup never made to the final version of the device. However, we have seen prototypes touting such a camera module, apparently having one twelve, and one thirteen-megapixel sensor. The first is believed to be a wide-angle lens and the second a telephoto lens. Together, this setup should deliver up to three times optical zoom.

It is too early to tell if Samsung wants to add its own twist to such a camera configuration. However, patents have suggested nifty features like a kind of tracking ability where the wide-angle lens captures the broader picture, while the telephoto lens tracks a particular subject.

Galaxy Note 8 battery

We have yet to come across tangible information about the Galaxy Note 8's battery. In the light of the Note 7, Samsung will probably not try to squeeze the maximum capacity thinkable into the phone's body. Still, since the Galaxy S8+ has a 3500 mAh battery, the Note 8 will very likely end up with a capacity below that value. As mentioned above, the battery capacity of the Note 8 ultimately depends on how thick Samsung is willing to make the device.

Galaxy Note 8 software and other features

Of course, the Galaxy Note 8 will have room for an SD-card, and be Bluetooth 5.0 compatible. Fast charging using a USB type-C port is a giving in this class, as is Bixby. Samsung is surely working hard to make the intelligent software assistant much more functional before the Note 8 launches.

Earlier, rumors suggested that the Galaxy Note 8 will come with Android 7.1.1 out of the box. Android O will only arrive on the phone later in 2017, or even early 2018. It remains to be seen what, or even if, Samsung has updated the Samsung Experience UX, given how clean and functional it is on the S8.

Whether Samsung will have its fingerprint-sensor-under-the-display-tech ready in time for the Galaxy Note 8 launch remains to be seen. For the moment, the most likely scenario is that the sensor is once again on the back, but in a position that is easier to reach. We have heard some whispering that Samsung actually has come up with a solution to the in-screen sensor problem, but that has to become much more tangible before we can take it seriously.

Galaxy Note 8 release date

Speculating about the Galaxy Note 8 release date is surprisingly tricky. On one hand, Samsung has always released new Note devices in a steady yearly rhythm. A launch before the IFA convention in Berlin, scheduled to take place from 1 till 6 September, seems logical. However, new rumors have pegged the launch event even sooner. A launch in New York on August 26 is in the cards, all of a sudden, with a global release sometime in September.

However, we should not forget the Galaxy S8 arrived relatively late this year, and with the Galaxy Note 8 too, Samsung will take its time rather than push it out too soon.