With Samsung attempting to put the Galaxy Note 7 debacle firmly in the past, attention is already turning it to the now widely expected Galaxy Note 8.
There have been suggestions that Samsung would abandon the Galaxy Note
branding after the disaster of the Galaxy Note 7 infamously exploding,
but it is now expected instead that the Korean corporation will continue
with this popular phablet series.
Galaxy Note 8 Release date
There is already some debate over when the Galaxy Note 8 will appear on
the shelves. The natural release date for this phablet would be towards
the end of 2017, shortly before the release of Apple’siPhone 8.
However, it has been suggested in some quarters that Samsung could
release the next generation device earlier than would usually be the
case, in an attempt to recover from the financial losses incurred by the
Galaxy Note 7.
Possibly an earlier release date than the Galaxy Note 7 should be expected.
Display
Samsung has made its reputation with visual technology in recent years,
becoming the world’s largest seller of televisions back in 2008, and
retaining this title ever since. The trend has continued in its mobile
releases, with the curved screen technology introduced by Samsung over
the last few years proving particularly popular.
With this in mind, Samsung is expected to deliver some outstanding
technology with the Galaxy Note 8 display, in an attempt to get
customers back on side with the device range. And one of the
particularly intriguing suggestions for the Galaxy Note 8 display is
that Samsung could finally include the foldable screen technology which it first demonstrated at a trade show several years ago.
This could be coupled with the introduction of 4K resolution for the
first time in a Samsung handset, and the two elements together would
surely result in an outstanding device. This would particularly
facilitate virtual reality, which Samsung is pushing with its Gear
technology.
Home button
It has been further suggested that Samsung could eliminate the Home
button which has been resident in the Note range for many years when the
Galaxy Note 8 is released. This is a common and popular suggestion for
the Apple iPhone range as well, and both of the market leaders could
switch to touch-sensitive technology for Home button functions next
year.
Design
Little is known about the design of the Galaxy Note 8 at the time of
writing, but the general consensus of opinion is that Samsung is
unlikely to diverge too drastically from the metal and glass of the
doomed Galaxy Note 7. Bezels could be slimmed down significantly,
though, and already there have been the usual edge-to-edge concept
images suggesting a more radical departure from the norm.
Camera
It is widely anticipated that
the Galaxy Note 8 will include a dual-lens camera, but the potential
pixel resolution of this snapper has drawn particular excitement from
Android fans. It is suggested that Samsung could include a 30-megapixel
lens in the Galaxy Note 8 camera, and this would undoubtedly make the
photographic capabilities of the phablet among the absolute pinnacle of
the smartphone niche.
Battery
There will likely be power-saving features built into the next iteration
of the Android operating system, but Samsung may also decide to
increase the physical quantity of the cell as well. The Note 7 battery
is 3,500 mAh, and we may see this figure upped to in excess of 4,000.
Processor
Samsung has utilized a combination of its proprietary Exynos technology
in recent releases, but has also introduced Qualcomm back into the fold
with its Snapdragon series. And it has been suggested that, in an
attempt to overcome the technical difficulties experienced with the
Galaxy Note 7, that Snapdragon chipsets and processors will largely be
used in the Galaxy Note 8.
This could mean that the Snapdragon 830 will debut in the Galaxy Note 8,
meaning that the phablet will be powered by at least 3.2 GHz of
octa-core power. Alternatively, Samsung could utilize the Exynos 8895 in
East Asia; supposedly a 3 GHz octa-core chip.
Memory
Early rumors related to the Galaxy Note 8 suggest that the phablet will
be packed with a staggering 6 GB of RAM. This sort of massive memory
quotient may be a necessity if Samsung is to deliver a 4K resolution
display, and also to provide satisfactory virtual reality functionality.
Operating system
Either Android Nougat or Android O will be used in the Galaxy Note 8,
depending on when Samsung releases the device. The latter perhaps seems
more likely if Samsung sticks to something close to its usual release
schedule.
New features
Several new features have
also been linked with the Galaxy Note 8, with an iris scanner and
artificial intelligence assistant perhaps the most exciting innovations.
The former was, of course, included in the Galaxy Note 7, and it is
expected that a fingerprint scanner will also accompany the iris scanner
in the Note 8 once more.
An AI assistant, developed by some of those who worked on Apple’s Siri,
is mooted, and this is likely to be branded Bixby when it emerges.
Increasingly, consumers are expecting smart devices in what is an
increasingly inter-connected digital world, and Samsung will have its
eye on the ball in this department with the Galaxy Note 8. The feature
set of Bixby is not 100% clear as of yet, but there will be obvious
overlap with Siri.
Finally, Samsung is also expected to upgrade the S Pen stylus when it
releases the Galaxy Note 8, ensuring that it is both more user-friendly
and feature-packed.
Price
There will be pressure on Samsung to release the Galaxy Note 8 at a
lower and more competitive price point, particularly after the
unmitigated failure of the Galaxy Note 7. 2017 promises to deliver an
extremely competitive smartphone market, with Apple releasing a 10th
anniversary iPhone, and the niche generally becoming more organised and
competitive. Samsung must pay heed to this and deliver a Galaxy Note 8
at a price which will suit the pockets of contemporary consumers.
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