The Samsung Galaxy Note8, which was unveiled last month at an event in New York, has been launched today in India. The Galaxy Note8 is successor to last year’s Galaxy Note7 which was recalled and discontinued because of battery defects. While Samsung had launched the Galaxy Note7 in India, it never went on sale in the country because of its battery issues and global recall.
However, we are hopeful that the Galaxy Note8 won’t be marred with battery issues and explode as Samsung now puts its batteries through 8-point security check. The Samsung Galaxy Note8 has a bezel-less design similar to that of the Galaxy S8 and S8+ and sports the same Infinity Display which is a bit larger than the display on the S8+.
However, the Galaxy Note8 looks a bit more boxier as compared to the Galaxy S8 duo, especially from the back. At the front you will find 6.3-inch QHD+ Super AMOLED display above which is the 8 MP secondary camera and Iris Scanner. There isn’t anything below the display as Samsung has ditched the physical navigation buttons and moved the fingerprint scanner to the back.
Speaking of the fingerprint scanner, it’s still placed in an awkward position. But, you will no longer keep placing your fingerprint on the primary camera now as Samsung has moved the flash module between the fingerprint scanner and the rear camera.
Talking about the rear camera, the Galaxy Note8 is the first Samsung smartphone to come with two cameras at the back. The dual camera setup consists of a combination of two 12 MP sensors – wide-angle and telephoto. However, the good thing is that both of them come with Optical Image Stabilization and features like Live Focus.
Speaking of the innards, the Samsung Galaxy Note8 is powered by the company’s Exynos 8895 SoC which is laced with 6 GB of RAM and backed by Mali-G71 GPU. Of course, there’s a Snapdragon 835 variant as well, but as always, it’s restricted to the US market. Apart from that, the Galaxy Note8 also comes with S-Pen stylus, IP68 dust and water resistance, and, a dedicated button for Bixby. Speaking of Bixby, Samsung has said that Bixby Voice will be rolled out in India in the next few weeks for Galaxy S8, S8+ and Note8 with the ability to understand Indian English accent in a much better way.
Commenting on the India launch of the Galaxy Note8, Mr. HC Hong, President and CEO, Samsung Southwest Asia, said, “India loves the Galaxy Note for the infinite possibilities it offers with its big screen, unique S Pen and multi-tasking capabilities. I take this opportunity to thank all our consumers in India who have made Samsung the Most Trusted Brand, especially those who have patiently waited for their next Note. This time, we have made the Galaxy Note8 bigger and better and added ‘Make for India’ innovations that will transform lives yet again. Galaxy Note8 lets people do things they never thought were possible.”
Samsung Galaxy Note8 Specifications
- Display: 6.3-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity Display (2960 x 1440 pixels resolution | 521 ppi), Always On Display, Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on top
- Fingerprint Scanner: Yes, at the back (next to the rear camera)
- Iris Scanner: Yes
- Protection: IP68 Ratings (dust and water resistant), Scratch resistant Corning Gorilla Glass 5, IP68 for S-Pen
- Software: Android 7.1.1 Nougat, TouchWiz UI, Bixby Assistant
- CPU: Up to 2.35 GHz octa-core processor (4 x Samsung M2 cores & 4 x Cortex-A53 cores), 10 nm Samsung Exynos 8895 SoC
- GPU: Mali-G71 MP20 (546 MHz)
- Memory: 6 GB LPDDR4X RAM
- Storage: 64 GB UFS 2.1 internal storage, expandable up to 256 GB via microSD card
- Main Camera: Dual Cameras with Dual OIS, 12 MP f/1.7 Dual Pixel for wide angle, 12 MP f/2.4 for Telephoto, 2X optical zoom, 10X digital zoom, dual-tone LED flash, 4K 2160p video @30fps, 1080p video @60fps, Slow Motion 720p video @240fps
- Front Camera: 8 MP f/1.7, wide angle, Iris Scanning, Facial Recognition, QHD 1440p video @30fps
- Connectivity: USB 3.1 (type-c), Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5 GHz), VHT80 MU-MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, MST, GPS
- Sensors: Accelerometer, Barometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, Heart Rate Sensor, Proximity Sensor, RGB Light Sensor, Iris Sensor, Pressure Sensor
- Cellular: 4G LTE network, dual nano SIM (GSM Bands), SIM2 as MicroSD, VoLTE-enabled, Cat.16 5CA 1 Gbps (download) and Cat.13 2CA 150 MBps (upload) LTE modem
- Battery: 3,300 mAh Li-Ion (non-removable), Wireless Charging (WPC & PMA), Fast Charging QuickCharge 2.0
- Charging: Fast Charging on wired and wireless, Wireless Charging compatible with WPC and PMA
- Dimensions: 162.5 mm x 74.8 mm x 8.6 mm (Galaxy Note 8), 5.8 mm x 4.2 mm x 108.3 mm (S-Pen)
- Weight: 195 grams (Galaxy Note 8), 2.8 grams (S-Pen)
- Colors: Midnight Black, Maple Gold
Samsung Galaxy Note8 Price in India and Availability
- Price: ₹67,900
- Availability: Pre-orders start from today. Goes on sale from September 21 through Amazon India, Samsung Online Store as well as offline retails stores across the country.
Samsung Galaxy Note8 Offers
- One-time free screen replacement for those who pre-order
- Free convertible wireless charger for those who pre-order
- Up to 448 GB additional 4G data over 8 months to Reliance Jio customers along with complimentary Jio Prime Membership
- Cashback of ₹4000 for those who purchase the Galaxy Note8 using their HDFC Credit Card
