Samsung Galaxy Note 8 has been unveiled by the South Korean company and the device will be available for $930 (on AT&T) and $960 (on Verizon) in the US. But this hefty price, there also comes the responsibility of justifying the worth as, since its unveiling, all people are talking about is the fact that Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is just a Galaxy S8+ plus a stylus and dual camera.
We are not saying that it’s not true because on paper this is what the specifications sheet reflects. However, a company, which has been looking to overcome the biggest fiasco in the smartphone business with the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, won’t just launch its best offering near the $1000-mark, as they want Note 8 to sell like hot cakes.
But after having spent a lot of time with the S8+, we can’t help but wonder, what exactly is the difference between the two phones? And do we have to pay this much for the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, if it is just 0.1 inches bigger than its cousin?
For that, we had to go into the depths of Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and that is what we did!!
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Specifications
- 6.3-inch Quad HD+ (2960 × 1440 pixels) Super AMOLED Infinity display offering 522ppi, 18.5:9 aspect ratio and protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
- Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 coupled with Adreno 540 GPU or Octa-Core Samsung Exynos 9 Series 8895 SoC with Mali-G71 MP20 GPU.
- 6GB LPDDR4 RAM and 64GB/128GB/256GB internal storage options, expandable up to 256GB with microSD.
- Android 7.1.1 Nougat with Samsung’s own TouchWiz UI on top.
- Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano / microSD) and fingerprint scanner at the rear.
- 12MP Dual Pixel rear camera with LED Flash, wide-angle lens, f/1.7 aperture, OIS and a secondary 12MP camera with f2.4 aperture, telephoto lens, OIS, 2x optical zoom and up to 10x digital zoom.
- 8MP auto focus front-facing camera with wide-angle lens and f/1.7 aperture.
- Both cameras support 4K video recording at 30fps, 1080p HD video at 30fps or 60 fps and 720p HD video recording at 30fps.
- 3300mAh battery with fast charging both on wired and wireless (WPC and PMA).
- Water and dust resistant (IP68)
- Sensors: Accelerometer, Barometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, Heart Rate Sensor, Proximity Sensor, RGB Light Sensor, Iris Sensor, Pressure Sensor.
- 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac (2.4/5GHz), Bluetooth v 5.0 (LE up to 2 Mbps), VHT80 MU-MIMO, GPS with GLONASS, USB Type-C 3.1, NFC and MST.
- Dimensions:162.5 x 74.8 x 8.6mm; Weight: 195g.
- Color Options: Midnight Black, Orchid Grey, Maple Gold, and Deep Sea Blue.
Apart from the dual cameras, Stylus and 6GB of RAM, everything else seems to be just like the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus, which is not a bad thing as the older offering has been one of the highest selling flagships of the year.
Also Read: Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus Review
However, there is much more to Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and the reasons we are going to state now, might be enough to justify its price tag.
1. The Best Dual Camera Ever
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 comes with the best rear camera setup. While we already heaped praises for the S8 Plus cameras, those single-lens devices are nothing compared to the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.
The latter has a secondary telephoto lens for the users to play with and not only does it have 2x the optical zoom (which helps in achieving less distortion when zooming in as compared to digital zoom), both the 12MP rear cameras have dual optical image stabilization to avoid blurry pictures that occur with shaky hands, as well.
Users will also appreciate Samsung Galaxy Note 8’s ability to see wide-angle ‘normal’ photo even when they’ve shot a snap in Live Focus, and it will give them a chance to find a better result in what they’ve pictured.
If both the front and rear cameras excel in something, then it has to be the class leading picture quality in both outdoors and low lighting conditions.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is clear challenge to iPhone 7 Plus, which also has a dual camera, but its secondary sensor doesn’t even have optical image stabilization. (all hopes on iPhone 8, now)
2. It’s Easy To Multitask Now
Multitasking on a smartphone is somewhat of a struggle and if it’s a Samsung Galaxy Note 8 with a 6.3-inch screen, it truly seems impossible. But the good news is, Note 8 is making multitasking way easier in two different ways.
First, the 6.3-inch screen makes a lot of difference when using it with the S Pen stylus as it gives a bigger canvas for smaller inputs than your finger.
Secondly, Samsung Galaxy Note 8 comes with App Pair which slides out from the Edge menu. This feature pairs two different apps into one pre-set multitasking window, for example, Youtube and Gmail, Facebook and Phone etc.
This will not only save you several steps but will also reduce the number of S Pen strokes to setup these multitasking windows.
3. 6GB RAM Makes The Difference
The new benchmark for Android smartphones is 6GB of RAM for high-end performance, and Samsung Galaxy Note 8 has joined the likes of OnePlus 5 and a few other smartphones from China in this feat.
This particular specification is meant for power users who like to multitask with a lot of apps at once and love to play the newest as well as the heaviest 3D and VR games. 6GB RAM is ideal for both work and play.
Combined with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, the 6GB RAM might not mean much to you but once you have spent months with the device, it will still run like a champ, making Samsung Galaxy Note 8 the perfect powerhouse.
4. The Best Screen In The Business
Two things that Samsung’s smartphones has always been a benchmark for, are displays and camera quality, and while we already told you about the camera quality, it’s time for you to know more about the 6.3-inch AMOLED display.
People still love big displays without giving a damn about practicality and so do we. The trick that Samsung has played here is, increase the size of its screen from the S8 Plus but not the size of the phone, by reducing needless bezel as well as ignoring the old-age home button.
As a result, here we are with the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 having the best dual-curved display for the best HDR experience you can get to date.
5. The S Pen Understands You
The S Pen is something users will either love to use all the time, or just let it be there into the embedded holster and forget about it after the first week.
Samsung Note Series fans have shown a lot of love for the stylus and the list of its capabilities has been growing every year.
From notes, off-screen notes on the always-on display to screen writing on screenshots. The S Pen is the most practical device for everyday use. It helps in magnifying parts of the screen and even translates words, when required.
The addition for the Samsung Galaxy Note 8’s Stylus is the handwritten “Live Messages” as well as ability to capture and create animated GIFs.
So these are the five top reasons that justify the hefty price tag of Samsung Galaxy Note 8 but that being said, here are some ‘not so good’ attributes of the smartphone that we want our readers to know.
- The fingerprint scanner is still oddly placed near the rear camera but this time the flash, as well as Heart Sensor, saves us from the trouble of cleaning the snapper off our fingerprints.
- Just like Samsung Galaxy S8, the company is expected to launch the Exynos 9 Series 8895 SoC-powered Samsung Galaxy Note 8, world wide, which has been irritating its loyalists as they are not able to get their hands of the SD 835 powered Samsung device.
- With all these heavy duty specs, the 3300mAh feels a tad bit under-powered.
- The back being an all-glass unit is attracts a lot of smudges and scratches.
- Having said everything, Samsung Galaxy Note 8 still feels a large device to handle and can cause a heart-attack if it falls from a considerable height.
- Samsung Galaxy Note 8 still seems on the expensive side.
Now, you will be having a good intellect to know whether the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is for you or not but if it is the price that is holding you back, let us tell you, the iPhone 8 is also expected to be priced near the $1000 mark and if it comes with such a price tag, iPhone 8 will have to prove its worth against Samsung Galaxy Note 8, because despite its ‘little’ flaws, it is the most gorgeous, powerful and practical device to date.
What do you think about the Samsung Galaxy Note 8? And does the S8 Plus still feels like a better package to you? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.