Today, in New York, Samsung released the next chapter in the story of their Note range. They even began with an apology and thank you to the loyal customers who were caught up in last years Note 7 fiasco, which is still fresh in the minds of most consumers.
But that was all before an incredibly impressive stage set up was used to demonstrate why the Note brand was not only back, but possibly, better than the competition!
Samsung Galaxy Note 8
The New Note 8 is a ‘Phablet’ version of the current flagship S8/+ series, taking some of their new features first seen on those handsets, and boosted for the bigger device!
New Features
An edge to edge screen brings the biggest display to the Note range with a 6.3 inch super AMOLED Infinity Display. Those who use or have tried the S8 will known how great these Infinity displays are, and now the Note 8 has an even bigger version of it. This should make the dual screen multi tasking of the device easier to use.
The Dual camera has a wide-angle lens and a 2x telephoto lens, both 12MP, and is the first smartphone to have optical image stabilisation in both of them. A demo was then shown comparing the Note 8 against the iphone 7plus, which is arguably the best smartphone camera on the market today! Within the camera app, the Live Focus option can enhance the image to focus on the foreground subject or to include great detail on the background, similar to Portrait mode on the iPhone but with more flexibility in the outcome.
The S Pen returns with a finer tip for more accurate use. It is more than just a digital notepad and pen, even if it does do that very well with the Screen Off Memo function. It’s not needed to operate the Phone but instead adds an additional dimension on use. The ability to select, highlight and translate foreign text is very impressive.
https://youtu.be/IyPuHBMNL-w
Specification
A big number is the onboard RAM, 6GB. Most new notebooks come with that as standard! Samsung have stuck with a Micro SD slot so you can choose how much storage you need, yet still has 64GB onboard storage!
Note 8 is water and dust resistant with an IP68 rating and has fast charge and wireless charging options. Unsurprisingly, the headphone jack remains which is just as well, thanks to the premium AKG by Harman headphones that will ship with the handset.
At launch, you will have a choice from two colours, Midnight Black or Maple Gold with another two expected soon.
Price
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will cost £869 and you can preorder from August 24th with Samsung, and sales will go live from September 15th. If you preorder a Note 8 you will receive a free DeX Station!
I will be visiting Samsung at the IFA event in Berlin next week and a full hands-on review of the Note 8 will follow!