Samsung Galaxy Note8 Quick Review Specs Price Philippines

Attended the Philippine launch of Samsung Galaxy Note8! Held a Samsung Music Hall at SM Aura, BGC last August 24, 2017. Finally, the Return of the Note.

Samsung seems to have put all their technologies and design into their latest flagship. Samsung Galaxy Note8 is tall, slim and sexy in aluminum metal plus curved front and back Gorilla glass 5.

Infinity display makes it way to the Galaxy Note 8 that will give you bigger screen  to work with. Sports a 6.3 inch at Quad HD+ Resolution Super AMOLED Display to provide a rich cinematic visuals as well as bigger canvass for  the improved SPen.

Looking inside, we find the latest Exynos 8895 Octa-Core Processor with Mali-G71 GPU that is supported with 6GB LPDDR4 RAM and will come in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB. If you need bigger storage then you can use the hybrid sim slot to act as microSD but sacrificing Dual Sim feature. We tested it via Antutu and gain a 175156 score and topped the charts. Well we expected this much to happen.

Samsung Galaxy Note8 Antutu

Dual Rear Camera of Galaxy Note8

Samsung joins the Dual Camera bandwagon as the Galaxy Note 8. Two cameras - one is the main camera with standard angle (focal length 26mm) lens at 12MP at f/1.7 aperture with Dual Pixel Technology while the second one is also at 12MP but f/2.4 with focal length of 52mm which makes it a telephoto lens brings 2x optical zoom. Galaxy Note8  gains new tricks such as the Live Focus to get those smooth bokeh blurred background shots or control what to focus with Dual Capture. Ohh if you are technical, the f/1.7 sensor is same S5K2L2 found on the S8 but no word for the telephoto lens. Optical Image Stabilization for both lenses keeps things steady to avoid camera shake and blur. For your selfies and video chats, 8MP with Samsung S5K3H1 at f/1.7 aperture which guarantee you better outputs even in challenging lighting conditions. Video recording for rear camera is up to UHD while front camera is at QuadHD.

Samsung Galaxy Notte8 Live Focus

4:3 or 18:9

Rear Camera

Selfie

Well as you can see, outputs turn out better than expected event in harsh lighting conditions. Live Focus feature creates clean smooth bokeh (blur). To maximize its 18:9 screen, you can also take 18:9 outputs. The main camera is just same as S8 but the added telephoto is good for doing portraits with its focal length of 56mm. For wide angle or landscapes, better use the main camera.

What makes it Note,is its SPen. It gets improved with finer tip and more pressure sensitivity. Samsung also introduces new ways to communicate with Live Messages that lets you share customize animated text. Translate Text and Convert foreign currencies at an instant are some other improved SPen functions.

Samsung Live Message

Galaxy Note8 also gets Bixby for which can now be enjoyed by most users with its global release. With Quick Commands, allows you to create a custom voice command to use in place of a sequence of one or more commands. Bixby also understands the way you actually speak, ask questions and make requests. Bixby is unique in that it is an intelligent interface built into the smartphone settings so that you can change phone options.Users can enable Bixby’s voice capabilities by pressing the Bixby button to begin onboarding. You can now activate Bixby by holding the dedicated button or by saying, “Hi, Bixby.” Try it!

IP68 certification for water and dust resiatannt is still present for the Galaxy Note8 as well as goes for its SPen. Other than that, you can also enjoy PC-like experience with Samsung Dex by docking it and project via external display and work with Multiple Apps at the same time. Runs latest Android Nougat 7.1.1

Samsung Grace UI

Samsung Galaxy Note8 plus AKG Speakers

Although we were surprise that it gets a 3300mAh battery only but I guess this can be attributed to space for the SPen and for slimmer profile. Wireless Charging and Quick Charge is present.
Pre-Order starts on Sept 8 and will be offered in Midnight Black and Maple Gold (as of now). I am sure it will be offered by Globe and Smart. Online channels are available the likes of Lazada. Visit nearest Samsung Experience Stores and retailers for demo units and other details. Priced for 49,990.

Samsung Galaxy Note8 PreOrder

Pre-Order is Sept 8 - 17, 2017 by going to any participating stores and accomplish pre-order form and deposit of 2000 Pesos. They can get a refund if they opt out of the pre-order offer. Customer gets exclusive offerings - Free AKG Speakers and 20% off on one (1) selected Galaxy Note8 Accessory.

 

Our thoughts? Samsung Galaxy Note8 is a solid flagship offering in terms of design, construction and features. Infinity display really compliments the Note as you have more working space or canvass with the use of your SPen. Dual Camera is another great addition to its arsenal as two lenses are better than one plus both lenses have OIS. However we are concern of lesser 3300mAh battery size compared to S8 Plus 3500mAh as the Note8 has bigger screen size and so may leave you less battery life. However, you could always adjust resolution to extend usage. Is the price tag justified? well for me yes as you do get the very best from Samsung with support of the latest features like Bixby, Dex and has IP68 certification. Some say you pay for the brand... well yes you pay for that too as Samsung is Top manufacturer in the world for mobile which give you assurance of quality and even after-service.

Samsung Galaxy Note8
Android 7.1.1 Nougat
6.3 inch Quad HD+ (2960x1440) Super AMOLED Curved Infinity Display
Gorilla Glass 5 Front and Back
Samsung Exynos 8895 CPU / Snapdragon 835(US)
6GB RAM
64GB/128GB/256GB Internal Storage
Expandable via microSD
Dual Rear Cameras
Wide-angle: 12MP Dual Pixel AF, F1.7, OIS
Telefoto: 12MP AF, F2.4, OIS
(2X optical zoom, up to 10X digital zoom)
Front Camera: 8MP AF, F1.7
Dual Sim (Hybrid)
4G LTE Cat. 16 / 3G / 2G
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz),
VHT80 MU-MIMO, 1024QAM
Bluetooth 5.0
GPS, Galileo*, Glonass, BeiDou
NFC, ANT+
Sensors: Accelerometer, Barometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor,
Hall Sensor, Heart Rate Sensor, Proximity Sensor, RGB Light Sensor, Iris Sensor, Pressure Sensor
3.5mm headphone jack
USB-C connectivity
3,300mAh battery.
Fast Charginge (QC 2.0)
Wireless Charging (WPC / PMA)
IP68 certification
162.5mmx74.6mmx8.5mm
Midnight Black, Maple Gold, Orchid Grey and Deep Sea Blue