Samsung typically shows off new entries to the powerhouse Galaxy Note iphone glass replacement range at Berlin’s annual IFA technology tradeshow. This means either a very early September launch, or a debut on one of the last two or three days of August. This time, IFA 2017 runs from September 1 to 6, so we were expecting an August 31 launch for the Galaxy Note 8.
However, South Korean news outlet The Investor claims that Samsung has plans to debut the Galaxy Note 8 on August 23, one whole week earlier than expected. The event – which is expected to be a typical ‘Galaxy Unpacked’ affair – is tipped to take place is New York, although the article seems to suggest that sales of the phone won’t actually begin until September.
Samsung’s most recent phone launch took place in March with the Galaxy S8, a phone that has been incredibly well received by critics – we gave it a 5/5 score. As such, offering upgrades over the Galaxy S8 with the Note 8 will be difficult, given the comprehensive design the former already offers.
It’s expected that one of the major changes Samsung will make with the Galaxy Note 8 is the addition of a dual-camera module. This was a feature missed on the Galaxy S8, but offered by rivals like the iPhone 7 Plus, LG G6, OnePlus 5, and Huawei P10.
In any case, Samsung is under plenty of pressure to get the Galaxy Note 8 right, given the fate of the Galaxy Note 7. Last year, Samsung was forced to recall the Note iPhone parts twice, and eventually kill it off completely, on account of users reporting that their handsets were spontaneously combusting. It was later discovered that a battery flaw led to the fires, an issue Samsung will be desperate not to repeat this year.
Unfortunately, we won’t know anything for certain until Samsung makes an official announcement, so take all leaks with due caution until such a time.