The first Galaxy introduced by Samsung in 2011 – the Note – was the laughing stock of reporters who noted its “overly large” size, with a 5.3 inch display. However, it turned out to be a great hit with consumers. In addition to last year’s exploding batteries, Samsung found itself in a bit of fix seeing that most all releases in 2017 from competitor’s phones had smaller screen sizes.
However, the Samsung Note 8 takes the larger route for screen sizes, at 6.3 inches with a 1440 x 2960 Quad HD, being just a little larger than the Note 7. However, it is not that much larger than the Galaxy S8+ that was released earlier in 2017.
The Note 8 features an AMOLED Quad HD panel that has an 18.5:9 aspect ration. This is unusually large and in fact takes up the entirety of the device’s front. It is the first Samsung model to feature dual cameras and it is actually quite similar to the set of an Apple. One lens is normal and the other is a telephoto lens that allows for up close shots.
The main camera on the Note 8 is excellent, at 12 megapixels. It features a quick focus and the nearly the best low-light shooter to be found on the market. It is trumped at present only by the LG V30.
At the bottom of the Note 8 is the stylus slot that bears the official name, “S Pen”. It is plastic and, honestly, feels just a little bit flimsy. However, the 0.7mm tip gives you a superior experience in writing.
In China and the United States, Note 8 customers are powered by the Snapdragon 835 processor. The remaining countries carrying the product are powered by Samsung’s very own Exynos 8895 chip set. Both perform very much alike and are most likely the most powerful to reach the market up to this point.
Galaxy’s S8 had 4 gigs of RAM, but the Note 8 has been upgraded with 6GB of RAM. Android 7.1.1 runs on the Note 8 with a Samsung software skin atop that. The UI is almost exactly what can be found on the S8, with the exception of the stylus feature.
With a 3,300mAh battery, the battery life is lower than average, which is somewhat of a let down for this model. With normal to extended use, it is hard to make it through a whole day without needing to stop and recharge.