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Samsung Unveils Galaxy Note8 With 6.3-inch Infinity Display, Dual Rear Cameras (venturebeat.com)

Posted by msmash on from the hot-phone dept.

VentureBeat reports: After months of leaks, Samsung today unveiled the Galaxy Note8 in an event in New York City. The company's latest stylus-equipped flagship smartphone is expected to be available for preorder starting tomorrow, August 24. The phone ships "in mid-September" with Android 7.1.1 Nougat, but you can expect it will be upgradeable to Android Oreo, which was only officially announced two days ago. The Galaxy Note8 succeeds the Galaxy Note7 (you may think that's obvious, but the Note7 succeeded the Note5). Samsung is likely holding its breath with the Galaxy Note8 given the Galaxy Note7 fiasco due to exploding batteries that led to a product recall. The direct result of this is that the Note8 has a smaller 3300mAh battery, which can be charged either via the USB-C port or wirelessly. Samsung's Galaxy Note8 features a 6.3-inch SuperAMOLED edge display (1440 x 2960 resolution, 18.5:9 aspect ratio, 521 pixels per inch) and has minimal top and bottom bezels which the company markets as Infiniti. For those wondering, yes, this is the biggest screen ever on a Note device. The phone is powered by an Exynos 8895 system-on-chip globally and Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 in the U.S., 6GB of RAM, and starts at 64GB of internal storage (128GB and 256GB variants also available, all expandable via a microSD slot). The device is also IP68-certified, meaning it is dust and water resistant. The phone weighs 195g and physical dimensions come in at 162.5mm by 74.6mm by 8.5mm. No word on pricing yet. Update: Between $930-$960.

95 comments

  1. What about the battery? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Strangely silent about the battery

    1. Re:What about the battery? by ranton · · Score: 1

      Smaller battery than the S8+ which is very disappointing. I have owned two Note phones, but finally bought an S8+ last week when Best Buy started offering $300 off. Other than the stylus, there doesn't seem to be any reason to go with the Note line of phones anymore. I have never used the stylus but bought past Notes just because they were the biggest. If the Note 8 had a half inch larger screen than the S8+ I would have paid $1500 for it, but with just an extra 0.1" it just isn't worth the price premium.

      --
      -- All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. -- Edmund Burke
    2. Re:What about the battery? by lgw · · Score: 0

      Strangely silent about the battery

      Perhaps it's a cutting-age incendiary device and the details are restricted by the Korean military.

      I'll never buy anything Samsung again - they're actually below Sony on my list. I've had two expensive Samsung products fail on me very early (TV after 3 years, phone after 1), and many of my friends have similar experiences across their product lines (lets not forget about the washing machines with a habit of "rapid unscheduled disassembly").

      They just don't seem to have durability or quality as part of their corporate culture. Sucks, but there certainly are viable alternatives.

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    3. Re:What about the battery? by hey! · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Sometimes a company with a complex product just sucks at one aspect of that product. When I was a kid back in the 70s Fords had a reputation for leaking oil. You'd buy a new Ford, park it in your driveway and there'd be an oil slick the next day. In the 90s, after the glory days of 1-2-3 on DOS, Lotus was never able to deliver any products whose UI wasn't a miserable failure.

      The thing is, dysfunctional companies produce dysfunctional products. If your car leaks oil or your users can't figure out your UI, you'd think the solution would be simple: hire an engineer with expertise in the relevant areas and do what he says. And yet it often takes years for companies to correct obvious deficiencies in their practices.

      I owned a Samsung S6, and it's battery life was comically bad. If I actually used it as a smart phone, I could actually *watch* the battery percentage drop as the phone became almost too hot to hold; I ended up carrying it in "super battery saving mode", which essentially turns it into a dumb phone, because that's the only way I could get through a full eight hour day and still have any battery left.

      So when the Note 7 fiasco happened, I simply wrote Samsung off. Obviously power management is something they suck at. Now maybe the S8 will be better, but I'll wait a generation or two of products; if the can go two or three years without a fiasco maybe I'll consider them again, but my experience with technology is not to assume a company will get its act together because you'd think they'd do it.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    4. Re:What about the battery? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They just don't seem to have durability or quality as part of their corporate culture.

      It's one of the biggest priorities. Just not the way you'd like it. Every product is carefully engineered to break after some time.

    5. Re: What about the battery? by KGIII · · Score: 1

      Every product?

      I'm thinking you're insane.

      --
      "So long and thanks for all the fish."
    6. Re:What about the battery? by lgw · · Score: 1

      It's one of the biggest priorities. Just not the way you'd like it. Every product is carefully engineered to break after some time.

      I think my TV broke within a week of being out of warranty, so you may be on to something. In Japan there's a word that translates as "sonytimer" that describes this effect for Sony devices.

      Samsung really seems to have followed the "Sony quality arc", just must faster.

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    7. Re:What about the battery? by notb666 · · Score: 1

      Just for your info, I have been using Samsung Galaxy S3 for almost 5 years now, will be 5 years in October.

    8. Re:What about the battery? by lgw · · Score: 1

      Yes, Samsung used to be good. Just like Sony back in the day. Don't replace it with another Samsung when it finally goes - that's my heartfelt advice.

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
  2. That new gadget is sure will fire-up consumers !!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    That new gadget is sure will fire-up consumers !!!

  3. I hate the sound of breaking glass by petes_PoV · · Score: 1

    and has minimal top and bottom bezels

    Next year marks my 30th anniversary with a mobile phone. During that time I have had many - and I have dropped pretty much all of them at one time or another.

    However the only one that has broken its screen was my last (and only) bezel-free model. I do not consider this to be a coincidence.

    So in future I'll be looking for a nice thick bezel ALL THE WAY AROUND my phone. If that means I don't appear cool and trendy, then that's another bonus, too!

    --
    politicians are like babies' nappies: they should both be changed regularly and for the same reasons
    1. Re:I hate the sound of breaking glass by AmiMoJo · · Score: 3, Funny

      I just super-glue mine into my hand, that way there's no chance of me dropping it!

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    2. Re:I hate the sound of breaking glass by Kernel+Kurtz · · Score: 1

      Maybe get an Otterbox or something similar if you plan on dropping it.

    3. Re:I hate the sound of breaking glass by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 1

      If you include pagers, I'll be hitting my 30th anniversary with mobile devices.

    4. Re:I hate the sound of breaking glass by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you count the Nintendo GameBoy and TI graphing calculators, I'm getting close to 30 years with mobile devices.

    5. Re:I hate the sound of breaking glass by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Got you beat. 35 years, maybe more.

    6. Re:I hate the sound of breaking glass by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      However, it does result in disturbing phone calls when you masturbate.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    7. Re:I hate the sound of breaking glass by Trax3001BBS · · Score: 1

      and has minimal top and bottom bezels

      Next year marks my 30th anniversary with a mobile phone. During that time I have had many - and I have dropped pretty much all of them at one time or another.

      However the only one that has broken its screen was my last (and only) bezel-free model. I do not consider this to be a coincidence.

      So in future I'll be looking for a nice thick bezel ALL THE WAY AROUND my phone. If that means I don't appear cool and trendy, then that's another bonus, too!

      I dropped my phone once and this over asphalt while I sat. It hit in the perfectly, if breaking the glass was ones intention. It hit on it's corner nicking the glass, during the months a break appeared across the screen radiating from that corner.

      I like a rubber covering around the bezel, Otterbox was mentioned above and good brand. I had one for my Xoom tablet, it was droppable but never was. I like Motorola and stick with that brand of phone, hard to find a good wrapper for it.

    8. Re:I hate the sound of breaking glass by torkus · · Score: 1

      I've never liked (or used) otterboxes. Cases make phones larger and heavier, but that's a whole different level.

      In general, I pick up a $10 knock-off case that I make sure covers the 4 corners and has a lip slightly higher than the screen (i.e. if face-down on a table, only the case touches the table.

      Number of phones I've cracked since the original iPhone days (or blackberry preceding but they were plastic cases) is exactly zero. This despite dropping them many times and having my phone with me pretty much 24/7. I did manage to crack one iPad but that lacked a case at the time.

      While my evidence is purely anecdotal, I don't understand how people manage to crack so many phone screens. Maybe if I dropped one while flying down the highway on my motorcycle?

      --
      You can get rich if you own a politician, but you have to be rich to buy one in the first place.
  4. Wanna avoid another battery fiasco? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Use replaceable batteries! DUH!

    Since customers are too stupid to create a market demand, replaceable batteries (with a real eject button) need to be mandated by the government. It's a basic safety issue, and you can ensure the phone is turned off.

    1. Re:Wanna avoid another battery fiasco? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      User replaceable batteries serve a niche market. Just like there is a niche market for phones that take micro SD cards because some people need a bunch of movies stored on their phones. Most people don't need replaceable batteries and wouldn't want the larger, heavier phones that result from it. I do hope those in the market niche that need them have an option for it. It seems more and more vendors are writing off that niche. It would be nice to see two vendors each offering a near flagship device with replaceable batteries for those folks that do have the need for it.

    2. Re:Wanna avoid another battery fiasco? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It seems more and more vendors are writing off that niche.

      That's exactly why it needs to be mandated. Imagine not being able to switch off the power in your house while there is a short circuit. Safety issues shouldn't be decided by market whimsy. Non-replaceable batteries are a proven hazard and should be banned.

  5. Apparently by batukhan · · Score: 1

    this is what it looks like http://i.imgur.com/78C1K68.jpg

    1. Re:Apparently by torkus · · Score: 1

      Actually, it's only slightly bigger than the S8+

      I know this since I had both in my hand earlier today at the launch. Granted the screen is only .1" larger than the S8+ so that's not hugely shocking.

      From what I can tell, the two reasons to buy the Note8 over the S8+ (or S8 and smaller screen) are because 1) the s-pen is a major feature for you or 2) you want the dual-lens camera.

      Otherwise they all support multi-tasking, high res screen, 64GB memory + expansion, dual-quad core CPU, water-resistant, high quality camera, wireless charging/USB3, edge screen, DeX docking...

      --
      You can get rich if you own a politician, but you have to be rich to buy one in the first place.
  6. Specs beat Pixel XL by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    But you know what? Who gives a fsck what specs any of these "devices" have, as the only way to get them to do what you actually want to do involves downloading from a shady website some obscure, proprietary security exploit to "root" the damn thing.

    What a waste of resources.

    We're all carrying around arbitrarily crippled computers, and then just throwing them away when it's time to upgrade to some new set of emojis.

  7. exciting by avandesande · · Score: 3

    Yay. Does anyone give a shit about phones any more?

    --
    love is just extroverted narcissism
    1. Re:exciting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not really, you can buy a pretty nice phone for $80 now...

    2. Re:exciting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Does anyone give a shit about phones any more?

      Sort of, but mainly because there aren't any (many?) good ones for sale. It's .. "exciting"(?) .. to see a company still faintly trying.

      Though that's subjective. The real lesson is that no two people want the same phone. (Two cameras? I barely even care about one camera.) Samsung has multiple models to try to cover more types of peoples' desires, and even _they_ don't currently make a phone that I would buy. (And it's nearly time to replace my S4. It's starting to have problems. But I don't see anything decent from Samsung.) Apple basically just has one model (with tiny, but insignficant variants) and, every fucking year, it looks like garbage too.

      It's not like these manufacturers suck, but for whatever reason, they just don't have the resources to market to everyone (especially Apple; Samsung has pretty much the widest audience and even they fail). Pixels also suck (weird expensive overkill in many areas, and useless worse-than-my-3-year-old-phone crap in other ways). I guess I need to check out Asus or LG, maybe.

      Phones are going to be worth bitching about, until it becomes reasonably practical to build your own, like we do for servers and desktops. And on the off chance that someone just happens to make something that I would buy, fuck yes that would be important news. I want a phone, but AFAICT nobody's selling. I can see why people would read up on new phones; there's always the hope that someone, maybe just maybe, finally made a good one.

    3. Re:exciting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      no, you cannot.

    4. Re:exciting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No. Nobody cares about the most popular computing and communications platform to ever exist.

      Of which the two most popular are based, at least in part, on open source software. (Linux and Darwin)

      Holy fuck. Slashdot is now just a nursing home for cranky old luddites.

      (And apk)

    5. Re:exciting by avandesande · · Score: 1

      What's the last thing exciting that got released on a phone. When apple removed the headphone jack?

      --
      love is just extroverted narcissism
    6. Re:exciting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Spend 30 seconds looking at a teardown or looking at an SDK.

      Plenty.

      What an astounding lack of insight, creativity, and general competence.

      Thank you for proving my point by being exactly what I called out above.

    7. Re:exciting by avandesande · · Score: 1

      You didn't answer my question. What feature would a consumer get excited about on a phone from the last few years? You know, something that might improve their life in some way.

      --
      love is just extroverted narcissism
  8. That's why the government will never support it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    However, the government wants your tracking device on at all times—even when it looks like it's off.

    Also, f*ck you for being one of those dweebs who yells "There should be a law!" when something isn't going your way. Using men-with-guns to enforce your little ideas is barbaric.

    1. Re:That's why the government will never support it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      See? you're exactly one of the stupid people I'm talking about, precisely the reason we need more regulation. The government has a right to make sure what we buy is safe. I don't want your phone to bring down the airplane I'm riding in.

    2. Re:That's why the government will never support it by mean+pun · · Score: 1

      See? you're exactly one of the stupid people I'm talking about, precisely the reason we need more regulation. The government has a right to make sure what we buy is safe. I don't want your phone to bring down the airplane I'm riding in.

      Please explain how making batteries removable makes phones safer, because I don't see it.

    3. Re:That's why the government will never support it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > The government has a right to make sure what we buy is safe.

      If you think the government cares about that, you're extremely naive.

    4. Re:That's why the government will never support it by mean+pun · · Score: 1

      Because... they're removable?? Are you really that dumb? Damn! No wonder Trump is president!

      Because... they're removable??

      Well, it is true that if you remove the battery from the phone and hand it over to experts for safe disposal you are left with an far safer device. However, the problem is that said device is no longer a phone, because it doesn't function as such any more. Therefore, engineers generally recommend that you do not remove the battery from the phone, despite the increased safety issues.

      You might argue that carrying the battery and the rest of the phone separately increases safety. Given that the biggest threat to a battery is structural damage, and given that phones form a sturdy box around their battery, I strongly doubt this is true in practice. Scientific studies to the contrary are welcome.

      Are you really that dumb? Damn! No wonder Trump is president!

      I agree that Donald Trump's election to president is still at many levels an event that requires further analysis, and the intelligence of the US voter is certainly an issue here, but I strongly doubt that the issue of removable batteries in cellphones is relevant to this discussion.

  9. S8+ by fred6666 · · Score: 1

    So it's an S8+ with a second rear camera and a pen?

    1. Re:S8+ by fred6666 · · Score: 1

      It also have more RAM. But still, I wonder why it took them 5 more months to release it.

    2. Re:S8+ by HumanWiki · · Score: 4, Insightful

      So it's an S8+ with a second rear camera and a pen?

      That's how I read it.. As a Note 3 and Note 5 owner.. I yawned through most of the other data and the release videos.. There's a few kinda neat tricks on Note 8 only, but, not worth it for me to jump ship to it.

    3. Re:S8+ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So it's an S8+ with a second rear camera and a pen?

      second rear camera..may be. But a second PEN?? no way.

    4. Re:S8+ by torkus · · Score: 1

      Yup.

      More RAM, smaller battery to account for the pen, and (maybe) a minor CPU revision though the core count is identical.

      If you don't need the s-pen and aren't trying to take "professional photographs" with a smartphone then the S8+ is a better bet TBH.

      --
      You can get rich if you own a politician, but you have to be rich to buy one in the first place.
    5. Re:S8+ by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

      The second pen is only on the DaVinci edition...

      --
      Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
    6. Re:S8+ by xlsior · · Score: 1

      Because the galaxy S and galaxy Note release dates have always been staggered, so there:s always a premium Samsung phone available that's less than 6 months old.

    7. Re:S8+ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      and less battery...

    8. Re:S8+ by fred6666 · · Score: 1

      The Galaxy S is new, but the Note is just a re-launch of the Galaxy S which is already 6 months old on day one.

  10. headphone jack? by denis-The-menace · · Score: 1

    {crickets}

    --
    Obama's legacy: (N)othing (S)ecure (A)nywhere and (T)error (S)imulation (A)dministration
  11. No word on pricing yet. by xfizik · · Score: 2

    In Canada it's $1299 CAD without contract - just over $1000 USD.

    1. Re:No word on pricing yet. by jgullstr · · Score: 1

      Well, if money burns a hole in your pocket...

  12. dual rear cameras - for navigation mode by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    New feature coming as soon as they get the software ready. Navigation mode. When engaged the camera will plot ones course through the world, you can keep your attention on the phone, arrows will appear in the display indicating which direction you are clear to move in.

  13. Such a shame - another iPhone wannabe by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The last good Note model was the 4. After that, they gave-up on targeting cell phone "power users" with tons of features (removable battery, etc) in their Note line and decided to go with something akin to electronic fashion clothing.
    DON'T WANT!

    1. Re:Such a shame - another iPhone wannabe by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I have a Note 4. While the Note 8 seems nice, I see no need to upgrade. When I do, I'll be looking for something with a removable battery and SD card. I couldn't care less if the bezel is 1/16" or 1/32". There's other phones which will offer the features I'll want, if Samsung isn't going to provide them.

  14. apps by bugs2squash · · Score: 1

    and all the latest applications: kindle, spark, firefox...

    --
    Nullius in verba
  15. Don't forget to... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 0

    Order a fire-proof and explosion-proof storage bags for your Samsung phone.

    1. Re:Don't forget to... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Direct Amazon link! Don't feed the whales!

  16. Is battery removable? by amigabill · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I see microSD card, check.
    I hope for a headphone jack, even with usbC.
    But I really wish for a removable/changable battery. After the Note 7 nonsense, how can they not do a removable battery? I'm still in my Note 4, which I can continue using by getting new batteries when they get old, and am still quite happy with it. Make a phone disposable, and I'm much less interested, especially if it tries to dispose of me or my car or house.

    1. Re:Is battery removable? by apoc.famine · · Score: 1

      After the Note 7 nonsense, how can they not do a removable battery?

      Because it's still cheaper to glue it in, when you sum up the cost across the entire product line to make all the batteries removable. And because only a small percentage of people will say

      Make a phone disposable, and I'm much less interested

      I thought I was one of those people when I had a Galaxy S4. I did like you and changed the batteries out, swapping multiple times per day when they got old. Always charging, removing, charging, removing. I got an S7 with a glued in battery, and so far I don't miss the removable batteries. The fast charge gets me 40% charge in 15 minutes, 80% charge in an hour, and that's plenty to keep me topped off. Wireless charging means I just drop the phone in the cradle. Compared to swapping batteries, it's sooooo much less effort. Sure, if I ever go backpacking for a few days it won't be as convenient, but for those sorts of one-off things I'll bring a charge pack or invest in a solar charger.
       
      I really thought that I needed removable batteries, but a year plus into the S7, and that's still not the case.

      --
      Velociraptor = Distiraptor / Timeraptor
    2. Re:Is battery removable? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I agree... also a Note 4 user here!

      If they would just have added a damn removeable battery, then it could have served as a worthy successor to the note 4!

      It has al the same features (including IR IIRC), including the dock.. sucks it cant use the old multimedia dock though (I have 3 of them!)...

      And with a removeable battery, we would have had the freedom to buy a larger unoriginal battery as I did with my Note 4 (I have 2x 8000 mAh batteries for it)

  17. Ah, a microSD again, now if only Android would use by magarity · · Score: 1

    ... it for anything other than media files. "Move app to SD" in every case moves maybe a few MB of app data to SD and never the muilti-GB app itself. Grrrrrrr

  18. Wireless charging... by Khyber · · Score: 1

    " which can be charged either via the USB-C port or wirelessly"

    And we know wireless charging tends to produce a good bit of heat due to inefficiencies even at millimeters of distance, so I recommend not using that method of charging anything other than Ni-MH or Ni-Cd batteries until they get that solid-state lithium battery done.

    --
    Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
    1. Re:Wireless charging... by Ksevio · · Score: 1

      Lots of people use wireless charging with lithium ion batteries. It gets a little warm, but they've taken that into account. The problems only occur when the batteries are defective.

    2. Re:Wireless charging... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Every modern phone refuses to charge if the phone temperature is too high to do so safely, and automatically shuts down if the temperature gets even higher. I wireless charge all the time here in Phoenix, including in my car - sometimes, I just have to wait for the A/C to bring the temperature down before charging will start. Parent is full of FUD.
      Can you imagine a cell phone with a NiCd battery?

    3. Re:Wireless charging... by torkus · · Score: 1

      Samsung has had wireless charging since what, the S5? (ya, i'm too lazy to google) so at least 4 generations...no, there's no problem with heat. Plus, it's super handy and I wish it was incorporated in more things/places. I've been debating hacking one into my car console.

      The Note7 issues were due to defective batteries, nothing more, nothing less.

      --
      You can get rich if you own a politician, but you have to be rich to buy one in the first place.
    4. Re:Wireless charging... by Khyber · · Score: 1

      "Can you imagine a cell phone with a NiCd battery?"

      Yes. My old Nokia stil runs for weeks on a single charge.

      --
      Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
  19. Surveillance Ready? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Any form of privacy on it?

  20. About security? Certainly. by emil · · Score: 1

    My Nexus 6 running LineageOS got the full August 5th security update on August 11th.

    My "gifted" Galaxy S7 is still sitting on the April update.

    I will not tolerate my vendor denying these updates to me. I will never run a Samsung phone as a daily driver again.

    1. Re:About security? Certainly. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      While I agree that every vendor should provide timely OS updates, your attitude makes you out to be a giant fag.

    2. Re:About security? Certainly. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      My note 5 applied the Aug 5th update last week.

      Most likely your issue is your phone carrier slugger.

  21. Camera & irda in headphone jack. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    i prefer to have one low-grade camera pointed at me for obvious face and object mapping above the computerphone amd instead of a headphone jack and volume keys ithink should be waterproofing and sensors and another camera.

    I would prefer hd camera be like weilding a irda remote control. Build it all back into the rim head like a remote control should be. Put a laser pointer on the phone vibrator too so it can paint dotmatrix grainy messages at far distances.

    And fir shitsakes cover the glass screen edge where it alwaysbreaks regardless of bulletrating and make it waterproof! ...and dual microSD and dual wifi...

  22. Re:Ah, a microSD again, now if only Android would by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    You mean like adoptable storage?

    https://www.androidcentral.com/adoptable-storage

    I've used it on a Moto E2 budget phone and it works flawlessly, all apps default to the adopted area. You just can't remove the sdcard thereafter.

  23. Re:That new gadget is sure will fire-up consumers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What! I want a phone with a 12-inch screen!

  24. They are slowly inching towards larger screens by Shompol · · Score: 1

    I currently use a 6.5" Huawei Honor Note 8 -- $400, ordered directly from China. The battery seems to last forever compared to last Samsung Galaxy Note minus the fire hazard. I am happy they realized there is a market for phablets in US but will stay away from the subpar battery at a premium price point.

  25. dualbattery redundancy is better by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    When one battery becomes less efficient or fails, I can change it out without poweroff.

    Speaking of which, if tech is so efficient then where are the Li-ion AAA batteries or whynot run my handheld on same batteries as my TI-92 calculator?

  26. How is that the role of government? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The airline should set policy about what can be brought on its planes. Then, you should set policy about which airlines you choose to employ.

    1. Re: How is that the role of government? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Fuck that! I want someone telling what to do all the time. That way I don't have to think as much.

  27. Re: That's why the government will never support i by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    He's saying everyone should remove their batteries and throw them out before getting on a plane. You know... for safety. Otherwise you are still bringing a battery that could take down a plane with you.

    Man phone companies are going to love this.

  28. Argh! (Fingerprint reader) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    STILL. PUTTING. THE. FUCKING. FINGERPRINT. READER. IN. A. DUMBASS. PLACE.

    Seriously, with all the feedback and PITA reports of people using it with cases, etc, you'd think they'd move it to a sensible place a-la-pixel/lg which is easily reachable when holding the device, rather than the fucking awkward position like on the S8+ (which is simply out of reach in a great many use cases, and even worse when you put a slightly thick case on it (think: leather wallet). The pixel doesn't have this issue as the fingerprint reader is in a sensible place, so you can reach it always, and even when you have a chunky case!

    The mind boggles! (well, at least mine does, at this really, really stupid thing)

  29. Right. by Type44Q · · Score: 0

    Between $930-$960

    I'd rather contract a case of Korean cock-rot.

  30. But does it have a removable Battery? by lordmage · · Score: 2

    Seriously. I have both the NOTE 3 and 4 and love them. The NOTE 4 and 3 are fantastic. Modular pieces of hardware inside makes simple replacement of power/usb ports. Replaceable Battery and MicroSD card slot. Simple things that mean a whole lot. I use the Headphone Jack to fly on planes with my serious noise cancelling headset. The NOTE's are Rooted and easy to update.

    So.. I am wondering: Is Samsung going to be smart and get my money back by putting simple things that make our life better? Did the NOTE 4 removable battery/MicroSD and easy maintenance cause Samsung to lose money? NO.. It just made life easier for the consumer. I blame Apple for "teaching" samsung to lock down hardware as a way to make money. I still use the older phones until I get a better NOTE!

    --
    I can program myself out of a Hello World Contest!!
  31. None of the specifications matter except one by nightfire-unique · · Score: 1

    Is the battery glued into the phone?

    If no: let's talk. I need a new phone. I still have a Note 3.

    If yes: I hope Samsung is forced into another recally due to battery issues (as long as no one is hurt), and I hope the stock price suffers dearly. No money for you.

    --
    A government is a body of people notably ungoverned - AC
  32. The ultimate in dorky phones by OneHundredAndTen · · Score: 0

    Unless you are built like your average NBA player. Otherwise, you might just as well walk around with a T-shirt with the message "I am a complete dork".

  33. Dual cameras, for 3D? by Trax3001BBS · · Score: 1

    Must be one of those features they put a lot of time into, released when no real market is out there. 3D is dead and Samsung was of the first to drop it... https://entertainment.slashdot...

    1. Re:Dual cameras, for 3D? by torkus · · Score: 1

      Not 3D, but faux-bokeh. The second lens lets you adjust background blur to simulate bokeh.

      Also kinda handy is the ability to capture a wide angle picture along with your close-up. Out of all the nonsense features, this one is actually useful to me. I can't count the number of times I've taken both shots back-to-back.

      --
      You can get rich if you own a politician, but you have to be rich to buy one in the first place.
  34. Almost as good as a Google Nexus 7 from 2014! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Seriously. The 2nd generation Nexus 7 tablet (which was available with or without phone capability) has never been matched in terms of bang for the buck, display density vs size (7" is a perfect e-reader, literally pocket and purse sized) or real use case performance (it ran generic android, so it got updates immediately and had no vendor bloatware).

    You could make dead clones of the 2nd gen N7 today and they'd sell like hotcakes. Put a stronger processor in and provide an SD card slot and you'd have the finest tablet on the market.

    Instead of concentrating on optimum display size and density, we get gimmicks like screens that wrap around, and instead of concentrating on delivering updates in a timely fashion, we get vendor bloatware. Phone and tablet vendors are their own worst enemies, they seem to have no idea what customers need, so instead they concentrate on convincing us that we want what they are selling.

    1. Re: Almost as good as a Google Nexus 7 from 2014! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I have one, but it has become rather slow compared to modern phones - which is why you suggested to upgrade the processor - but for some reason (aging ?) connectivity on WiFi and cell seems to have deteriorated too. Battery still mighty fine tho. It's like an old car compared to a new one. Would be interesting to check a new old stock one.

  35. Just another embarassment for Samsung by hackel · · Score: 1

    How absurd to release a NEW device that is *already* running an out-of-date operating system. It's not even Android 7.1.2—the latest version pre-Oreo. But the fact is Oreo has been out as a developer preview for months. (And what is Samsung, if not an Android developer and OEM?) Not only that, but the final build of Oreo is from June 23rd. Had Samsung gotten that release ready, they could have pulled the trigger the moment Google decided it was final. They've had 2 months. This is just ridiculous.

    STOP BUYING SAMSUNG PRODUCTS YOU FOOLS!

    1. Re:Just another embarassment for Samsung by Voyager529 · · Score: 1

      Shocking as this may be, there are more than a handful of people who are okay with running an ever-so-slightly-out-of-date version of an OS. I cannot point to a single Android feature since Jelly Bean that I would miss.

  36. Awesome, backup cameras! by goombah99 · · Score: 1

    it's a brilliant innnovation to have these cameras on the back so that the zombies walking around starting at their phones can see what is in front of them.

    --
    Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
  37. Smaller battery + Large screen = ? by AnthonywC · · Score: 2

    I have the Phab Pro 2.

    It is not a great phone by any means but it does has a 6.4 inches screen + 4050 mAh battery. The battery life I get out of that is only average (meaning daily charge). I wonder how the smaller battery will hold out for Note 8.

  38. Headline by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So, umm, what about the cameras mentioned in the headline?

  39. fucking fingerprint sensor in the most awkward p.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Seriously, nobody has 6ft long fingers. What the fuck samsung?

    At least the pixel and pixel XL got it in a sensible place that you can actually reach.

    I have had every samsung phone before this. However bixby trying to compete with google, that you can't disable, and that idiotly placed fingerprint sensor on the '+' versions basically forced me to the BB keyone instead. Samsung did make nice phones, now they're just annoying (and their wifi and bluetooth *still* is unable to work at the same time - try streaming a radio station over wifi to bluetooth speakers)