The latest Note 8 is Samsung's biggest phone yet, in more ways than one. Not only does it have a generous 6.3-inch display and is packed with top-tier specs, but it faces major scrutiny given the company's battery fiasco last year with the Note 7.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8
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Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus
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Samsung Galaxy S8
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Display size, resolution
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6.3-inch; 2,960x1,440 pixels
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6.2-inch; 2,960x1,440 pixels
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5.8-inch; 2,960x1,440 pixels
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Pixel density
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522 ppi
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529 ppi
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570 ppi
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Dimensions (Inches)
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6.4x2.9x0.34 in.
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6.3x2.9x0.32 in.
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5.9x2.7x0.31 in.
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Dimensions (Millimeters)
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162.5x74.8x8.6 mm
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159.5x73.4x8.1 mm
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148.9x68.1x8 mm
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Weight (Ounces, Grams)
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6.9 oz; 195g
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6.1 oz; 173g
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5.5 oz; 155g
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Mobile software
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Android 7.1.1 Nougat
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Android 7.0 Nougat
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Android 7.0 Nougat
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Camera
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Dual 12-megapixel
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12-megapixel
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12-megapixel
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Front-facing camera
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8-megapixel
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8-megapixel
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8-megapixel
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Video capture
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4K
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4K
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4K
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Processor
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Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (2.35GHz+1.9GHz) or Octa-core Samsung Exynos 8895 (2.35GHz+1.7GHz)
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Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (2.35GHz+1.9GHz) or Octa-core Samsung Exynos 8895 (2.35GHz+1.7GHz)
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Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (2.35GHz+1.9GHz) or Octa-core Samsung Exynos 8895 (2.35GHz+1.7GHz)
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Storage
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64GB
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64GB
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64GB
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RAM
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6GB
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4GB
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4GB
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Expandable storage
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Up to 2TB
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Up to 2TB
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Up to 2TB
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Battery
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3,300mAh
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3,500mAh
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3,000mAh
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Fingerprint sensor
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Back cover
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Back cover
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Back cover
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Connector
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USB-C
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USB-C
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USB-C
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Special features
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S Pen stylus, water resistant (IP68), wireless charging; Gigabit LTE-ready
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Water resistant (IP68); wireless charging, Gigabit LTE-ready
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Water resistant (IP68); wireless charging; Gigabit LTE-ready
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Price off-contract (USD)
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AT&T: $950; Verizon: $960; T-Mobile: $930; Sprint: $960; U.S. Cellular: $963
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AT&T: $850; Verizon: $840; T-Mobile: $850; Sprint: $850; US Cellular: $785
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AT&T: $750; Verizon: $720; T-Mobile: $750; Sprint: $750; US Cellular: $675
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Price (GBP)
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£869 (may be differ)
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£779
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£689
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Special Features
Perhaps the easiest way to determine whether the Note 8 or S8 is right for you is to ask yourself whether you want to use a stylus. The S Pen is back for the Note 8, allowing you to take notes with ease — even when the screen is off.
The Note 8 improves on the Screen Off Memo feature that debuted on the Note 7, this time letting you jot down up to 100 pages of notes without even unlocking your phone. Other notable S Pen features include Live Messages, which let you sketch your own GIFs, as well as improved translation capabilities.
Takeaway
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 isn’t much different to the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus, at least on paper, but it does add a few significant features, namely an extra lens on the camera, more RAM, a longer screen and an S Pen stylus.
Does that make it a better phone? We’ll let you know in our full review, but we are a little annoyed with the reduction in battery size.
It certainly sounds like a great phone though, and could be a strong choice if you want the biggest screen possible.
If it sounds like 0.1 of an inch too far though, or you don’t much care about the S Pen, then the Galaxy S8 Plus could be the phone to choose, especially as it’s likely to be a bit cheaper.
The iPhone 8 is still to come, and likely to be almost as big.
