Current rumors suggest that Samsung is attempting to steal Apple's thunder by releasing the Galaxy Note 8 ahead of the iPhone 8.
Samsung tried this strategy with the Note 7 and it worked, to an extent. The problem was, of course, the fact that the Note 7 had a bad habit of exploding. Fortunately, Samsung appears to have resolved this issue.
Galaxy Note 8 Release Date
According to the Korean Herald, Samsung is hoping to launch the Note 8 in August, "strategically ahead of the debut of the iPhone 8 in September."
While unconfirmed, this would make sense from a marketing perspective. By August, the hype around the S8 will have died down and all eyes will be on Apple's latest flagship. By launching the Note 8 early, Samsung may be able to tempt some users away from the iPhone 8.
Note 8 Design And Features
Current rumors suggest that the Note 8 will take some cues from the popular S8 and will feature an Infinity Display and an aspect ratio of 18:5:9. However, the screen will actually be a bit larger than the S8, as the Galaxy Note 8 is said to have a 6.3-inch display. This screen size makes the Note 8 one of the better smartphones for media consumption, which is becoming increasingly popular as smartphones eclipse tablets.
Another area in which the Note 8 may improve on the standard S8 is the camera quality. It has been reported that the Note 8 will feature a dual camera. While smartphones can't replace traditional cameras for professional photography, camera quality has become increasingly important to users, especially the front-facing camera which is used for selfies.
Samsung hasn't given any details regarding battery life, but rumors suggest that it may be the same size as the S8 Plus which features a 3,500 mAh battery. Given the fact that Samsung cited battery issues as one of the reasons the Note 7 exploded, it would make sense if they were wary of installing a larger battery in the Note 8.
The Note 8 offers no major surprises as regards software and will be running Android 7.0 Nougat.
Will It Catch Fire?
Considering the fiasco surrounding the Note 7, some users may be wary of buying another Galaxy Note phone, but reports indicate that Samsung has learned its lesson by beginning production early and implementing rigorous 8-point safety check. Obviously, we can't guarantee that the Note 8 won't explode, but the risk probably isn't any higher than from other smartphones.
