The Galaxy Note 8 will be the most expensive Samsung smartphone ever once it launches in the second half of September, according to prolific leaker Evan Blass.
While the price tag is something that fans may have expected, Blass's statement that the Galaxy Note 8 will launch in late September contradicts reports that the smartphone will be unveiled in late August.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Could Cost $1,000
According to a VentureBeat report by Blass, Samsung will price the Galaxy Note 8 at €999 in Europe, which translates to a price tag of as low as $900 and as high as $1,000 in the United States, depending on currency fluctuations.
In comparison, the current flagship Galaxy S8 starts at a price of $750. Adding at least $150 to that price for the upcoming smartphone makes sense.
If the Galaxy Note 8 does indeed launch within the price range of $900 to $1,000, it will share another trait with Apple's upcoming iPhone 8. It is widely believed that the price of the premium device will start at $1,000 and will also be the most expensive smartphone ever offered by Apple.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Launch Date
The other big piece of news in Blass's article is the launch date of the second half of September for the Galaxy Note 8, which is against a previous report that Samsung is planning to announce the Galaxy Note 8 on Aug. 26.
For the Galaxy Note 7, Samsung rushed its production and launch date to beat Apple's iPhone 7 to the market. We all know how that turned out for Samsung, as the Galaxy Note 7 was recalled twice and eventually shut down due to its exploding batteries.
A late September launch date for the Galaxy Note 8 will align the smartphone's release with Apple's new iPhone models, as the company is also expected to unveil the iPhone 7s, iPhone 7s Plus, and iPhone 8 in September. Such a release time frame will also give Samsung more time to do everything it could to avoid the same embarrassment that it suffered with the Galaxy Note 7.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Specs
Blass also reported on the specifications of the Galaxy Note 8, with the smartphone expected to feature a 6.3-inch edge-to-edge AMOLED display found in the Galaxy S8. The Galaxy Note line traditionally offered a bigger screen compared to the Galaxy S devices, but the Galaxy Note 8 will instead bank on other features to differentiate it from the 6.2-inch Galaxy S8+.
The Galaxy Note 8 will use the same Exynos 8895 and Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipsets as the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, but it will offer higher RAM at 6 GB. It will also be the first Samsung smartphone with dual rear cameras, which will be arranged horizontally beside the flash and heart rate sensor.
Confirming previous reports, Blass said that the fingerprint scanner of the Galaxy Note 8 will still be at the back of the smartphone, as Samsung reportedly encountered issues in embedding the feature into its display. The position of the fingerprint scanner, however, will be moved to be farther away from the rear camera lens.
The Galaxy Note 8 will be powered by a 3,300 mAh battery, as Samsung avoids the trouble that came with the 3,500 mAh battery of the Galaxy Note 7. Samsung has also made certain improvements to the device's software, including giving the S Pen stylus more functions.
Will Samsung Bounce Back From The Galaxy Note 7 Fiasco?
The Galaxy Note 8 is a very important product for Samsung, as it hopes that the smartphone will allow the company to continue its recovery from the failed Galaxy Note 7.
The revelations made by Blass have not yet been confirmed by Samsung, but his reliability is among the best in the business. Will the device that he described in his report overshadow the Galaxy Note 7's shortcomings? We'll just have to wait and see.
