Samsung came back with a bang with their Note 8, which is a direct competitor to Apple’s iPhone 8! The company claims that their latest flagship phone is the baddest and the best phone to be launched.
The Galaxy Note 8 is finally available in Pakistan, but, it comes with a hefty price, a tag of Rs 109,000. This leaves you asking a very important question, is it actually worth it?
Before we come to a verdict, it’s important for us to understand why the Note 8 is priced at what it is. Here’s a quick breakdown;
Note 8 Specifications
Colors
Dimensions & Weight
Galaxy Note8 Dimensions: 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.6 mm Weight: 195 g
S Pen Dimensions: 108.3 x 5.8 x 4.2 mm Weight: 2.8 g
Display
- *Infinity Display: a near bezel-less, full-frontal glass, edge-to-edge screen.
- *Default resolution is Full HD+ and can be changed to Quad HD+ (WQHD+) in Settings.
- *Screen measured diagonally as a full rectangle without accounting for the rounded corners.
S Pen
S Pen Features
- Pressure levels: 4096
- Pen Tip diameter: 0.7 mm
- IP68
- Live message
- Samsung Notes
- Screen off memo
- Smart select
- Screen write
- Translate
- Bixby Vision
- Glance
- Magnify
Camera
Front
- 8MP AF
- F1.7 aperture
- Pixel size: 1.22µm
- Sensor size: 1/3.6″
- Sensor ratio: 4:3
- FOV: 80°
- Selective Focus
- Wide selfie
Rear
- Dual camera
- Dual OIS (Optical Image Stabilization)
- Optical zoom at 2X
- Digital zoom up to 10X
- Live focus
- Dual Capture
Front/Rear
- HDR (High Dynamic Range)
- Virtual shot
- Motion photo
- Filters
- Live stickers
- Stamps
- Gridline
- Location tags
- Timer
- Quick launch
- Voice control
*Voice control is available for some languages.
Telephoto camera
- Resolution: 12MP AF
- Pixel size: 1.0µm
- Sensor size: 1/3.6″
- Sensor ratio: 4:3
- FOV: 45°
- F.No (aperture): F2.4
Wide-angle camera
- Resolution: Dual pixel 12MP AF
- Pixel size: 1.4µm
- Sensor size: 1/2.55″
- Sensor ratio: 4:3
- FOV: 77°
- F.No (aperture): F1.7
- Pro mode
- Panorama
- Slow motion
- Hyperlapse
- Food mode
- Save as RAW file
Video Recording
- 4K video recording at 30 fps
- 1080p HD video recording at 30 fps or 60 fps
- 720p HD video recording at 30 fps
- VDIS (Video Digital Image Stabilization)
- Optical zoom at 2X
- Digital zoom up to 10X
- High CRI LED flash
- Slow motion video support for 720p at 240 fps
- Hyperlapse video with stabilization
- Continuous autofocus video
- Face detection
- Tracking AF
- Take 9-megapixel still photos while recording 4K video
- Playback zoom
- Video locations
Performance
AP
- Octa-core (2.3GHz Quad + 1.7GHz Quad), 64-bit, 10nm processor
- Octa-core (2.35GHz Quad + 1.9GHz Quad), 64-bit, 10nm processor
*May differ by country and carrier.
Memory
- 6GB RAM (LPDDR4)
- 64/128/256GB
*May differ by country and carrier.
*User memory is less than the total memory due to storage of the operating system and software used to operate the device features. Actual user memory will vary depending on the operator and may change after software upgrades are performed.
Network & Connectivity
- LTE Cat.16
*May differ by markets and mobile operators.
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), VHT80 MU-MIMO, 1024QAM
- Bluetooth® v 5.0 (LE up to 2Mbps),
- ANT+
- USB Type-C
- NFC
- Location (GPS, Galileo, Glonass, BeiDou)
*Galileo and BeiDou coverage may be limited. BeiDou may not be available for certain countries.
Expandable Memory & SIM Card
- Single SIM model: one nano-SIM and one microSD slot (can hold a microSD card up to 256GB)
- Dual SIM model: one nano-SIM and one Hybrid slot (can hold a microSD card up to 256GB or a nano-SIM card)
*May differ by markets and mobile operators.
OS
Audio
Ultra High-Quality Audio Playback UHQ 32-bit & DSD support
- PCM: Up to 32 bits
- DSD: DSD64/128
*DSD64 and DSD128 playback can be limited depending on the file format.
Audio playback format
MP3, M4A, 3GA, AAC, OGG, OGA, WAV, WMA, AMR, AWB, FLAC, MID, MIDI, XMF, MXMF, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, DSF, DFF, APE
*Some files may not be supported depending on codec used.
Bluetooth
Dual Audio: connect two Bluetooth devices to the Galaxy Note8 to play audio through the two devices simultaneously.
*The two connected devices may exhibit a slight difference in sound output.
Scalable Codec: Bluetooth connection is stable even with ambient radio frequency interference.
*Available only for certain accessories made by Samsung.
Recording
Recording quality is improved with the High AOP Mic that mitigates distortion in noisy environments.
*AOP: Acoustic Overload Point
Bundled Earphones
Pure sound By AKG
Hybrid canal type
2way Dynamic Unit
Video
Video Playback Formats
MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, WMV, ASF, AVI, FLV, MKV, WEBM
*Some files may not be supported depending on codec used.
TV Connection
Wireless: Smart View (Miracast 1080p at 30 fps, mirroring support available for devices supporting Google Cast)
With cable: supports DisplayPort over USB type-C. Supports video out when connecting via DisplayPort cable (DisplayPort 4K 60 fps)
Water Resistance
- IP68
*Galaxy Note8 and S Pen are rated IP68, meaning they are both protected against dust ingress and are water resistant. Water resistance rating is based on test conditions of submersion in up to 1.5 meters of fresh water for up to 30 minutes.
Battery
- Battery capacity
- 3300mAh
- Battery Life
-
- MP3 playback (AOD on): up to 47 hrs
- MP3 playback (AOD off): up to 74 hrs
- Video playback: up to 16 hrs
- Talk time: up to 22 hrs
- Internet use (Wi-Fi): up to 14 hrs
- Internet use (3G): up to 12 hrs
- Internet use (4G): up to 13 hrs
*Data based on devices released in Europe. Actual results may vary depending on usage and environmental factors.
Charging
Wireless charging compatible with WPC and PMA
Sensors & Buttons
- Sensors
-
- Iris sensor
- Pressure sensor
- Accelerometer
- Barometer
- Fingerprint sensor
- Gyro sensor
- Geomagnetic sensor
- Hall sensor
- HR sensor
- Proximity sensor
- RGB light sensor
- Buttons
-
- On/Off key
- Volume key
- Bixby key
Security
Authentication
- Lock type: pattern, PIN, password
- Biometrics lock type: Iris Scanner, Fingerprint Scanner, Face Recognition
Security
- Knox protection: real-time device monitoring and protection
- Virus, malware prevention (Powered by McAfee)
- Secure Folder: a secure space on the device to keep content such as apps, photos, movies, and files private using either iris scanning or fingerprint scanning.
Payment
Samsung Pay
- Credit & debit cards: supports MST/NFC
- Membership cards
- Gift cards
- Transit cards
- Reward point service
*Available in selected countries. Supported payment solutions and available features may vary by country.
Intelligence
Bixby
Press the Bixby button to go to Bixby Home, or press and hold it to
interact with Bixby using voice.
- Talk
- See
- Recommend
- Remind
*Some Bixby features may not be available depending on country, region, or language.
Customization
Edge Screen
Edge panels: Apps edge, People edge, Smart select, Reminder, Tasks edge, Quick tools, Clipboard edge, Device maintenance, Weather, Calendar
Edge lighting
AOD
(Always On Display)
AOD content
Choose from a variety of clock designs and information.
- Clock: Digital clock, Analogue clock, World clock, and Edge clock (option to choose color and wallpaper.)
- Active clock (with second hand)
- Calendar
- Image: select an image from Gallery or Smart Select and set it as wallpaper for the AOD screen.
- Other settings: set custom text, date, battery level, app notifications, and song information.
Face Widgets
Experience different widgets on the AOD screen by double-tapping the clock area.
Pin to AOD
- Pin text and images you wish to remember to the AOD screen. The pinned memo can be easily viewed or deleted.
- You can pin a memo to the AOD screen using Reminder and Share via.
AOD Themes
- Download AOD-exclusive themes from Theme Store.
- Decorate your AOD screen with various themes.
Samsung Themes
Themes are sets of wallpaper, icons, and other design details available to download to the Galaxy Note8.
Accessibility
Accessibility Features
To continue making our technology accessible to everyone, Samsung has developed and applied a variety of technical solutions. With solutions for vision, hearing, dexterity, and interaction, people with disabilities can easily use technology and take advantage of new and exciting features.
- Voice Assistant: screen reader for people who are blind or visually impaired
- High contrast theme, font, and keyboard: get a higher contrast on the screen, text, and the keyboard
- Magnifier window: enlarge part of the screen with magnified window
- Magnifier widget: use the rear camera as a magnifying glass
- Color adjustment: color correction setting for color vision deficiency
- Sound detector: detects the sounds of the doorbell or a baby crying for hearing-impaired users
- Flash notification: notify events such as calls, texts, and the alarm with rear camera flashes or blinks on the screen
- Sound balance: adjust the left and right volume
- Mono audio: switch from Stereo to Mono audio
- Universal switch: set custom switches and use them to control the features on your phone
- Assistant menu: allow better control of the device for people with reduced dexterity
- Direction lock: substitute password or pattern with a directional combination to unlock the phone. The combination is set by swiping in a series of four to eight directions
- Direct access: shortcut to accessing various accessibility features via hardware keys
In the box
Galaxy Note8
- Device with S Pen
- USB cable
- Earphone
- Ejection pin
- USB power adaptor
- USB connector (USB type-C)
- Micro USB connector
- Pen nibs
- Tweezer
- Case
- Quick start guide
*Actual components may vary by country or region.
Let us know what you think, is it worth the price-tag?
