By Heather Hamilton, contributing writer
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8, announced on August 23, is, according to Samsung’s video, even bigger, featuring a wider infinity display and greater functionality for the S Pen, a stylus that fits inside the phone for easy storage. The phone, set for release on September 15 of this year, seeks to erase last year’s battery problems, promising a battery that has been rigorously tested.
Display
At 6.3 inches, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 boasts a larger display screen than the 7 and has an aspect ratio of 18.5:9 with Infinity Display (AMOLED panel with dual curved edges) and a pixel density of 522 ppi.
Design
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 doesn’t look drastically different from its predecessor, featuring the same integrated S pen storage and wide display. The 8 measures 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.6 mm, which is slightly larger than the 7 in both length and width and is water- (IP68 certification) and dust-resistant.
The phone is available in Midnight Black, Maple Gold, Orchid Grey, and Deep Sea Blue.
Hardware
The 8 utilizes Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 or Exynos 8895, which have 6 GB of RAM. You can purchase the phone with either 64-, 128-, or 256-GB internal storage and, if you choose, microSD support for additional storage.
The battery capacity is 3,300 mAh, and the phone offers both USB Type-C charging as well as fast-charging support. There’s a 3.5-mm headphone jack, improved iris and fingerprint scanning, and support for 32-bit audio.
Software
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 launches on Android Nougat with Samsung’s TouchWiz interface and has App Pair, in which two apps can operate simultaneously on a split screen. Live Message allows a user to draw and then turn those drawings into GIFs. The 8 also has enhanced Screen Off Memo, which allows you to write on the display when it is off, and an S Pen with 4,096 levels of pressure.
The Galaxy Note 8 comes with Bixby, a voice assistant that works with the S Pen.
Camera
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 comes equipped with a dual-rear camera, a first for Samsung. There are two 12-megapixel lenses — a wide-angle lens with an f/1.7 aperture and a telephoto with an f/2.4 aperture, which gives you a 2x optical zoom. The phone also has optical image stabilization.
The front-facing camera is 8 megapixels and has auto-focus.
Price
Though the phone’s release is still a few weeks away, interested parties can pre-order on the Samsung website. The Verge reports that Samsung is selling the phones unlocked, which is highly unusual.
For the 64-GB version, it will cost $929, or $38.75 for 24 months, plus tax, though shipping is free.
The phone will also be available for purchase through mobile phone carriers and some retailers.
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