Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Release Price And Specs, Hands-On Preview

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 was announced last Wednesday at a press event in New York City. The smartphone is an incremental move in Samsung's phablet line, including many features already seen on previous models, such as the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 7. However, it does introduce some new features, such as camera, storage and memory upgrades, among others.

Check out our Galaxy Note 8 hands on preview of the device, its specs, features and release details.

The Galaxy Note 8 features a 6.3-inch Quad HD+ dual-edge infinity display, the largest display on a premium Samsung device to date.

The display has gotten a first ever A+ rating from the screen experts at Display Mate. Prior to this, Display Mate named the Galaxy S8 as having the best display on the market.

The Galaxy Note 8 introduces to Samsung's premium line, a dual camera set up, featuring a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens, both with optical image stabilization. The device includes new camera features, including Live Focus, which uses the individual lenses to create a depth of focus effect in images.

The device also features an 8-megapixel front camera.

The Galaxy Note 8 includes the line's signature S-Pen stylus, which supports 4096 pressure levels and several new Note-specific features.

Through Samsung's Pen UP community, Galaxy Note fans can use the S-Pen to create art or even simply color for enjoyment.

A new S-Pen feature, Live Message allows Galaxy Note 8 users to create active text to add a flare to messages.

Users can also use the Galaxy Note 8 S-Pen to translate text.

The Galaxy Note 8 feature's a 3,300mAh battery. Samsung confirmed it intentionally made the device's battery smaller than the 3,500mAh batteries on devices, such as the Galaxy Note 7 and the Galaxy S8+. The company notes that its Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (Samsung Exynos 8895) processor is efficient enough to make up for the lack of onboard power capacity.

The Galaxy Note 8 features four color options: Orchid Grey, Deep Sea Blue, Maple Gold and Midnight Black. Only the Orchid Grey and Midnight Black color options will be available in the U.S.​​

The Galaxy Note 8 joins the Galaxy S8 (left) and Galaxy S8+ (right), featuring an infinity display with an on-screen home button.

Many are disappointed Samsung opted to keep a rear fingerprint scanner for the Galaxy Note 8. However, reports indicate that the manufacturer wasn't able to perfect its on-screen fingerprint scanner technology in time to be released on the Galaxy Note 8. In addition, the Galaxy Note 8 also features an iris scanner and facial recognition.

The Galaxy Note 8 runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box. It will likely be one of the first Samsung devices to update to Android 8.0 Oreo, which was unveiled last Monday.​​

The Galaxy Note 8 features a USB Type-C port after the feature was originally introduced on the Galaxy Note 7 last August.

The Galaxy Note 8 runs Samsung's Bixby software out of the box, including its Bixby Voice feature, which has been slow in rolling out ever since launching on the Galaxy S8 in April.

Hardware features on the Galaxy Note 8 include 6GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage and external storage support up to 256GB. Other feature highlights include IP68 water and dust resistance and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The Galaxy Note 8 is currently available for pre-order and will release Sept. 15. Carriers including T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, AT&T, U.S. Cellular and Xfinity Mobile and retailers including Best Buy, Target, Sam's Club and Amazon will offer the device in the U.S. The device will sell for between $930 and $960. Many carriers will offer a payment plan option for purchasing the Galaxy Note 8.

Samsung is hosting a promotion, offering a Gear 360 camera or 128GB microSD card and a wireless charging pad for those who preorder or purchase the Galaxy Note 8.

There will be many other accessories available for the Galaxy Note 8, including several styles of protective cases.

Reports indicate that Samsung will offer former Galaxy Note 7 users a discount of up to $425 when trading in a device for the Galaxy Note 8. However, the deal has several stipulations, including consumers having to prove they previously owned a Galaxy Note 7 handset.