Galaxy Note 8 release date, price and specs: Smartphone smashes Samsung pre-order records
SAMSUNG HAS OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED the Galaxy Note 8, its big-screened flagship for 2017.
Naturally, Samsung has been keen to extinguish the controversy surrounding last year's Galaxy Note 7, which was binned following reports of handsets catching on fire and exploding. The Note 8's battery, it claims, has undergone rigorous testing to ensure it isn't hit by a similar scandal.
Related: Galaxy S9 price, release date and specs
If you're looking to pick up a Galaxy Note 8, we've rounded everything we know about its UK availability below. You can also check out our full Galaxy Note 8 review.
Release date
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 went on sale in the UK just moments after its unveiling and will start shipping on 15 September - the same day that iPhone 8 pre-orders are tipped to begin.
Some early buyers are reporting that their Galaxy Note 8 is arriving ahead of Samsung's promised 15 September date. Punters in the US who have ordered the smartphone via Samsung, Best Buy, Verizon and Sprint are reporting early shipments, but it doesn't appear UK retailers are following suit.
The Galaxy Note 8 has been quick pre-order records too, according to Samsung. "More people in the US have purchased the Galaxy Note 8 than previous Samsung Note phones during the same time period," the company said, albeit failing to mention how many handsets it has managed to flog.
Price
Samsung's own website has started taking Note 8 pre-orders. The smartphone, along with a dual-SIM variant, can both be picked up for £869 SIM-free.
Carphone Warehouse has started taking pre-orders for the Galaxy Note 8. It's on sale for £869 SIM-free, and the retailer is also offering handset on tariffs with EE, iD, O2 and Vodafone, with prices starting from £56 per month for a 24-month contract with 10GB monthly data. It's also throwing in a free DeX station worth £139.99.
EE is also offering a free DeX dock to those who pre-order before 14 September. The firm is recommending its £62.99 per month tariff, which comes with 15GB data and an upfront cost of £49.99.
O2 has been quick to open up pre-orders. Over on its website, the Galaxy Note 8 can be picked up for £49.99 on a choice of £56, £66, £76 and £96 (!) tariffs, which come with 3GB, 10GB, 30GB or 50GB monthly data.
Three is taking pre-orders and is also chucking in a free DeX dock. It's offering 1GB data for £48 per month (with a £99 upfront cost), 12GB data for £56 per month (£79 upfront) and 100GB data for £64 per month (£79 upfront).
Virgin Media's mobile arm has started taking pre-orders for the Note 8 and is offering it for free from £43 a month with 1.2GB monthly data. This can be increased to 6GB for £49 per month, or 16GB for £52 per month.
Vodafone has started taking orders for the Note 8 and, surprise surprise, is also offering a free DeX. Prices start from £44 a month with a £300 upfront cost, which gets you 500MB data and 500 minutes per month. If you're after more data, Vodafone is offering 16GB and 32GB for £60 and £66 a month, respectively, with a £50 upfront cost.
Specifications
- 6.3in 1440x2160 Super AMOLED curved Infinity Display with 18.5:9 ratio
- S Pen support
- 163mmx75mmx8.6mm
- Iris scanner/fingerprint scanner
- Built-in 'Bixby' AI assistant
- Samsung Exynos 8895 CPU, 6GB RAM
- 12MP dual rear-facing camera, 8MP front-facing camera
- USB-C connectivity, 3.5mm headphone jack
- Android 7.0 Nougat
- IP68 certification
- 64GB built-in storage, microSD expansion
- 3,300mAh battery.
- Fast charging, wireless charging support
- Midnight Black, Maple Gold, Orchid Grey and Deep Sea Blue colour options.
Latest news
The Galaxy Note 8 is official, and it has few surprises in store. There's a 6.3in QHD+ AMOLED Infinity display with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio at the forefront of the Galaxy Note 8 and, unsurprisingly, and this comes with support for Samsung's new-and-improved S Pen which supports a finer tip and better pressure sensitivity.
An update rolling out to Verizon customers in the US, and hopefully the rest of us soon, will see the facial recognition speed made faster. Perhaps not fast enough to use all the time, but a lot better.
The S Pen also comes with a new 'Screen Off Memo' feature that lets users doodle on the display while it's switched off, while Live Message allows users to scribble animated doodles and easily turn into a GIF.
Looks wise, the Galaxy Note 8 sports the same metal and glass chassis as that first seen on the Galaxy S8. It boasts the same IP68 resistance against water and dust, and both fingerprint sensor and iris scanners for unlocking the device.
Under the hood, in the UK at least, you'll find Samsung's homegrown Exynos 8895 processor, which comes paired with 6GB RAM and 64GB built-in storage, which can be expanded up to 256GB via the built-in microSD slot. There's also a 3,300mAh battery, and Samsung has been keen to point out that this has gone through rigorous testing and probably won't, er, explode.
This supposedly fire-proof battery comes with support for both fast charging via USB-C and wireless charging baked-in.
Camera-wise, there's a dual 12MP sensor setup on the rear of the phone, which packs Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) on both the wide-angle lens and the telephoto lens. There's also an 8MP camera on the front, which offers both OIS and optical zoom.
Despite the recent launch of Android Oreo, the Galaxy Note 8 runs Android 7.0 Nougat, which comes topped in Samsung's usual custom user interface. Bixby, unsurprisingly, is included and can be accessed via the smartphone's dedicated Bixby button.
Samsung DeX support is also included, when means when the Galaxy Note 8 is docked, it will offer a desktop experience.
At launch, the Galaxy Note 8 will be available in Midnight Black and Maple Gold colour variants in the UK. There's talk that two additional colours, Orchid Grey and Deepsea Blue, will be made available at a later date. µ
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