The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 has launched in India. Here's how it fares against competition, at least on face value.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 was first announced in an event in New York, rounding up Samsung’s flagship launches for 2017 (insert customary Note 7 mention). The smartphone has now been launched in India with support for the Bixby voice assistant which understands Indian accents.
Although the Galaxy Note 8 has a bunch of flagships to content against, Samsung would have its eyes set on Apple’s upcoming iPhone 8. We will get you deeper insights after spending some quality time with the phone, but the specs do reveal some information.
Samsung may have confirmed the iPhone 8’s rumoured $1000 pricing
Buying an unlocked Note 8 in the United States will cost you $929 or more, while carrier locked versions can be a tad more expensive. In India, the device will cost Rs 67,900. That makes the Galaxy Note 8 Samsung’s most expensive smartphone ever. If you consider the fact that iPhones are almost always more expensive than Android flagships, the iPhone 8’s rumoured $1000 pricing may indeed be true.
So, god save iPhone 8 buyers this year.
The S-Pen
The Galaxy Note line has always been known for the S-Pen. It’s the one feature Samsung’s flagship has that no one else can offer. The S-Pen has some new features this time, although they’re software centric features. Hardware-wise, Samsung’s new S-Pen is no different from the one on the Galaxy Note 7.
On the software side, you can now take down 100 pages of notes on the Always On display. In addition, the S-Pen allows you to send “Live Messages”. The feature is similar to Apple’s doodles on iMessage, but drawing should be more convenient with the S-Pen. Furthermore, you can use the S-Pen to translate text on the screen now.
Infinity Display
Flagship class phones have 18.5:9 displays today, or at least that’s what Samsung and LG want them to be. Samsung chose a 6.3 inch display this time, so the Note 8 should be almost the same size as the Galaxy S8 Plus. However, its form factor is more rectangular, which could make the Note 8 somewhat difficult to use, especially given the slippery glass back.
Samsung’s first dual-camera
Everyone’s doing dual-cameras nowadays, but the Galaxy Note 8 brings OIS on both its rear cameras. Theoretically speaking, that should allow faster shutter speeds, even when zooming in under low light. Samsung’s cameras have been excelling at low light photography for a couple of years now, so one could expect the Note 8 to be the best yet. Does Apple need to worry?
Iris Scanner
In our experience, the Iris Scanner on the Samsung Galaxy S8 isn’t very intuitive. Yet, Samsung makes it one of the mentionable features of the Galaxy Note 8. Iris Scanners do make for secure biometrics, and you would probably want to use it for payments etc. However, it isn’t the way to unlock your phone, at least in our experience.
Battery Life
Samsung probably didn’t want to take any chances with the battery this time. So, while the 3300 mAh battery is certainly smaller than expected, we can’t help but question resulting battery life. The Galaxy S8 Plus has a slightly bigger battery, but it’s battery life also tops our at about a work day. As long as the Note 8 can match that, Samsung will be satisfied. We, won’t.
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