Samsung Galaxy Note 8 rumors are starting to pick up steam and a newly leaked Galaxy S8+ prototype holds some clues as to what the phablet may look like.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ made their official debut in late March and are about to hit store shelves later this week, but leaked renders of purported prototypes are still relevant because they offer precious hints about the design of the upcoming Galaxy Note 8.
This means that although we already know what the Galaxy S8 looks like, leaked prototype renders offer a better idea about what Samsung was considering in terms of design. Even if it didn't implement all of its ideas with the Galaxy S8 series, it might be saving some for its next flagship device.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Design
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is expected to hit the scene later this year and have a design similar to the Galaxy S8 in many respects, but with a few critical differences. Just recently, some images purportedly showed some Galaxy S8 prototypes that looked nothing like the smartphone Samsung unveiled.
Those prototypes featured a different design with a dual rear camera setup, as was rumored at one point for the Galaxy S8. At the same time, the prototypes showed no rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, lending credence to the claim that Samsung would launch the Galaxy S8 with in-display fingerprint authentication.
Samsung Galaxy S8 Leaked Prototype
Another Samsung Galaxy S8+ leak from Russian tech blogger Eldar Murtazin now shows two more images of a purported Galaxy S8 prototype and they're not like the final design either (the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ have the same design, but in different sizes). The Galaxy S8 launched with a single rear camera and an oddly-placed fingerprint scanner right next to the rear camera.
In fact, this fingerprint reader placed on the upper rear part of the handset, next to the camera, is considered a Galaxy S8 design flaw that Samsung could not avoid unless it significantly delayed the smartphone's release. Having run out of time for in-display fingerprint authentication, Samsung ultimately went for the weird placement on the smartphone's back instead.
The purported Galaxy S8+ prototype leaked by Murtazin shows a dual rear camera combo with a vertical orientation, with the flash and heart rate sensor below it. Again, no fingerprint scanner is present on the back of this alleged prototype. Murtazin says that the Galaxy S8 was envisioned like this, but this design will not go to waste — it will grace the Galaxy Note 8.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Expectations
Building on the design of the Galaxy S8 makes perfect sense, especially under these circumstances. First off, we have the Galaxy Note 7 flop that set the world on fire, leaving Samsung with quite a lot to make up for with its next-generation Note flagship. Secondly, we have the weird rear-mounted fingerprint scanner of the Galaxy S8, which seems cumbersome to use and will surely lead to a lot of accidental smudges on the camera lens, but is acceptable if Samsung ran out of time — at least it didn't compromise on other major aspects.
That said, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is expected to resemble the Galaxy S8 to some extent, but boast a dual rear camera and a fingerprint reader embedded into the display. Being part of the Note line, the Galaxy Note 8 will also come with S Pen stylus support.
