Samsung Galaxy Note 8 review: The epitome of a business-first smartphone

the primary component most people believe of when the topic of Samsung’s notice line comes up is remaining yr’s bear in mind of the notice 7. Exploding batteries have a method taking on the conversation, and rightfully so.

After detailing the flaw that lead to the word 7’s loss of life, apologizing for it time and time once more, Samsung is ready to put the be aware 7 behind it. Of path, it’ll need consumer’s assist to do exactly that.

CNET evaluate: Galaxy word 8 is costly, potent and does it all | also: See the notice 8 from every attitude | note eight reveal sports record-breaking brightness

Samsung’s Galaxy note eight looks similar to the S8 Plus, and has identical specs to the S8, however has a couple of tricks up its sleeve. The S-Pen is more desirable, new software facets add effective performance, and there are now two rear-facing cameras.

For the past 10 days or so, i’ve been using the note 8 as my leading cell. And with out spoiling the fun, this is one darn good telephone.

standards

working equipment	Android 7.1.1 with Samsung event eight.5
measurement	162.5 x 74.eight x 8.6 mm, 195g
display	6.three-inch super AMOLED QHD+ (2960×1440, 521ppi)
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 in US, Exynos elsewhere
memory	6 GB
Storage	64 GB in US, 128GB/256 GB accessible elsewhere
Rear camera	1x 12-megapixel extensive attitude (F1.7), 1x 12-megapixel telephoto (F2.4). both with Optical photo Stabilization
front digicam	8-megapixel auto-focus (F1.7)
Battery	three,300 milliamp-hour
Connectivity	802.eleven ac Wi-Fi, NFC, MST, USB-C, Bluetooth 5.0
shades	Black or gray in US. Blue and Gold elsewhere

similar design

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The notice eight appears like a boxier Galaxy S8 Plus, however only ever so slightly. The entrance of the mobilephone is practically all screen, and not has a house button with an embedded fingerprint sensor. The appropriate aspect is the place you’ll find the vigour button, and the left aspect is domestic to a committed Bixby button and the extent controls. On the backside is the headphone jack, a USB-C port, and the S-Pen that pops out with a press.

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Samsung additionally stored the same fingerprint sensor placement as the S8, on the back of the phone next to the twin digital camera setup. With the S8, I failed to have an awful lot difficulty with its placement because of the size of the mobile and not having to stretch my finger up to the sensor to use it. With the note eight, my view of the position has modified. The note 8 is plenty taller, and or not it’s far more awkward to attain the sensor when keeping the phone with one hand. commonly times I discovered myself the usage of my left hand simply to contact the fingerprint sensor while protecting the mobilephone in my right hand. The aspect of a fingerprint sensor for unlocking the cellphone is to streamline the procedure, not complicate them.

Face cognizance and iris scanning can be found, although, as a result of donning glasses the journey with both function is less than top-rated. in fact, I don’t imply the use of face unlock because of the fact it will also be tricked with a photograph of your face.

the primary week or so of use, I felt as if the notice 8 was too massive. however the longer I’ve used it, the greater I’ve adjusted. i might actually love a note device the same dimension because the Galaxy S8, or I wager I should say a Galaxy S8 with S-Pen guide, however it’s not likely to ensue.

dual-digital camera

as the fashion of including a secondary digital camera to smartphones continues, the word eight is becoming a member of in on the fun. as an alternative of effectively asserting me too!, Samsung has covered some new aspects that set it other than how Apple or OnePlus has applied a 2nd digicam.

each cameras have Optical picture Stabilization (OIS), whereas the common thus far has been for under the leading camera module to have OIS. for instance, the common broad-perspective camera on the iPhone 7 Plus has OIS, while the telephoto digicam doesn’t. by way of adding OIS to both cameras, the word 8 should seize clearer photos and video clips regardless of which camera was used.

are living center of attention is the name of Samsung’s depth-of-container feature. With a area roughly four feet far from the digital camera, the observe eight uses both cameras to trap depth advice and then blur the history, commonly referred to as bokeh. When performed right, a bokeh can turn a common image into whatever you’re happy with.

With extra high priced cameras, the bokeh is reliant on hardware. For smartphones, the equal function depends on a mixture of hardware and software. because of that, outcomes can also be mixed.

With Samsung’s are living center of attention feature, you can adjust the quantity of blur used on a photograph before and after it’s captured. here is handy, principally in cases where the utility has a hard time settling on the edges of the field – most ordinary when the subject and the history share similar hues. Adjusting the blur could make up for the software’s struggles, and depart you with a photo it’s nonetheless usable.

I’ve captured in reality, in fact first rate pictures with the notice 8’s twin digicam setup, and that i’ve captured some pretty bad pictures. The equal may also be said about my use of the iPhone 7 Plus or the OnePlus 5.

A pattern picture enthusiastic about the be aware eight’s are living focal point characteristic.

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The above photograph become captured on a whim, with out an awful lot time taken for proper composition or framing, and it looks wonderful.

Left: close up with alternative to alter blur. right: dual trap mode.

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yet another neat feature Samsung has brought due to the dual cameras is known as twin capture. When taking a reside focus picture, each lenses catch a photo and save it. as an alternative of having just the shut-up image to share, you also have a large-angle shot which you can use.

twin capture is an non-compulsory function and might be enabled or disabled with every photograph.

With the observe eight, Samsung took the already miraculous digicam of the S8 line and gave it a match improve. I haven’t any complaints in regards to the camera’s capabilities on the note eight.

i’ll present some sage suggestions, however, for those the use of a twin digicam smartphone for the first time. don’t are expecting a magical adventure each and every and every picture you take with it. there’s a studying curve to the ins and outs of which photographs will take talents of reside focus.

performance

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The spec sheet of the word eight is kind of the same spec sheet you will find for the Galaxy S8 line. probably the most notable changes outside of overall size, contain the additional camera (see above), battery dimension, and expanded RAM. The note 8 uses the same processor, identical 64GB of storage, and equal decision monitor.

As for the battery, the word 8 is geared up with a 3300 milliamp-hour battery, which is smaller than the Galaxy S8 Plus’s 3500 milliamp-hour battery regardless of having a bigger housing. Samsung claims the dimension discount is due to utility optimizations to still achieve all day battery life. while I agree with that’s truly part of it, the observe 7 remember also comes into play here.

In most likely an overabundance of caution, Samsung used a smaller battery and brought protect rails across the battery to more desirable offer protection to it from drops, and new software algorithms will more suitable display screen speedy charging and depletion.

All of that said, battery life on the note eight is only adequate to get through a full day of use. it be no longer somewhat on par with what i will get from my Galaxy S8, however it’s shut. Odds are after a couple of months of use, you’re going to deserve to can charge it at some aspect during the day if you plan on going out after work or turn up to be touring.

With an additional 6GB of RAM, i noticed apps weren’t stopped in the historical past as often as on the S8 which has 4GB of RAM.

standard, efficiency is only as I anticipated – the equal because the S8, simplest with a bit of worse battery existence.

application tweaks

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Samsung made it a degree to kill off the TouchWiz name after it received a popularity as bloated utility layered atop Android. changing it with a new identify you’ll be tough pressed to listen to a Samsung spokesperson say, Samsung event edition eight.5 is put in on the word 8. (on the time of this overview, the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus have Samsung journey eight.1 put in.)

With the newest application tweaks, the word 8 has some facets that are unique due to the S-Pen, while others will ultimately make their way to the leisure of the Galaxy line. Samsung could not deliver a timetable on when points like App Pair or live Messages would demonstrate up on different Samsung contraptions.

App Pair is a type of aspects that make you ask why no one else has carried out it yet. With multi-window mode now standard throughout all Android 7.0 gadgets, a edition of Samsung’s App Pair feature simplest makes experience.

With App Pair, clients create a shortcut containing two apps, that when activated will launch in multi-window help. as an example, Chrome and YouTube, or Calendar and Gmail, make experience as an App Pair.

I don’t use Samsung’s aspect Panel all that often, which is where App Pair shortcuts are stored and want I may create a home reveal shortcut in its place. all over my testing, youngsters, I discovered App Pairs useful.

live Messages, one other new feature, is found after casting off the S-Pen in the Air Command menu. the usage of the pen, you can draw or write messages that you should then share via any messaging app. The be aware 8 information the drawing in true time, then converts it to an animated photo, or GIF, the recipient can view. The characteristic is very similar to Apple’s Digital touch messaging feature in iOS. best as an alternative of being constrained to sharing simplest with Apple clients, reside Messages works more or much less in every single place.

reveal-off memos have been on of my favorite points of the Galaxy Tab S3, and, yes, even the notice 7. With the note 8, Samsung elevated its capabilities, via including a 100-page restrict.

in its place of having to raise an extra workstation to jot notes, a quick removing of the S-Pen when the word eight is locked and start writing. all through a recent domestic brewing session, I took notes all through the total method, noting temperatures, amount of time elapsed between steps, and different observations all on the observe 8 with no need to be concerned about the place I placed my computing device or if one of my kids ran off with my pen.

a huge upgrade

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The notice line has lengthy been designed for artistic and company clients, and the note eight is the epitome of each. It has a huge vibrant screen, and the S-Pen, combined with software aspects to maximize each. I cannot suppose of a more robust-outfitted company oriented smartphone, and i don’t see that changing each time soon. What as soon as felt like a gimmick, and scoffed at by using yours basically, the S-Pen has turn into an critical tool when the use of the observe.

current clients of the observe 5 are in for a big improve to the word 8. be aware fans have a device to be excited about, and rightfully so. Samsung has already passed the test of releasing phones that do not capture fireplace with the S8 line, so there should still be little subject concerning the be aware 8 following the identical path as the note 7.

I believe the largest hurdle knowledge notice eight valued clientele will have to overcome is the cost tag. The notice eight is priced between $ 930 and $ 960, depending on provider. Even with the stability cut up up in a carrier price plan, it be an expensive smartphone. With rumors circulating that Apple will quickly unlock a mobilephone across the equal rate, the near-$ a thousand smartphone may additionally quickly develop into the norm. nonetheless, it’s hard to justify spending that plenty on a mobilephone.