Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is now in India, priced Rs 67,900

While the world is going gaga over the iPhone launch today, Samsung just launched the latest flagship Galaxy Note 8 in India. We have no idea if Samsung intentionally went with this date or not, but seems like that’s not a big deal for the company. The smartphone was launched on August 24 in selected markets and is seeing delightful response till now. 

The Galaxy Note 8 is priced at Rs 67,990 in India, and will be going on sale from September 21 onwards. There’s no doubt that the smartphone is a great example of stunning design and powerful hardware, but it is yet to be seen if it really convinces Indian audiences to buy the phone at this price. The Galaxy Note 8 is one of a kind smartphone in it’s segment as there is no other phone right now that has pen support. The only competition it will face is the upcoming iPhone, and like always it would be interesting how Apple strategizes it’s entry in Indian market.

The Galaxy Note 8 comes with tons of productivity features and some additional pen function to put more sense into the hardware. It comes with several unique features that promises to literally boost user productivity. After last year’s Note 7 blast controversy, it was indeed a critical launch for Samsung in order to save it’s much loved Note line-up. 

App pairing is one of the interesting new features that lets you utilise that huge 6.3-inch display to its fullest. App pairing allows you to pair two apps that can be launched together from the homescreen or in App Edge. This feature opens both the apps in split screen mode, allowing you to do two tasks faster than ever before.

With the Galaxy Note 8 and its new S-Pen, Samsung has introduced a feature called Live Messages. This is in effect a GIF maker – using the S-Pen, you can now draw a sketch and the Note 8 will create an animated GIF out of it. You can then send this new GIF to your friends or save it to your device.

Samsung has added new DeX abilities to better use Galaxy Note 8’s power. With DeX Labs, a majority of the apps can now be used in full-screen mode. Samsung has also modified the DeX user interface to have an overview of more apps and optimised video conferencing and email experience.

The Galaxy Note 8’s build and finish is quite similar to the Galaxy S8 but the design has seen an overhaul in terms of shape and form factor. It has the Gorilla Glass 5 on the back and also comes with IP68 waterproofing. It also retains the IRIS scanner and oddly placed fingerprint sensor on the back. Like the S8, it also has the 3D Touch enabled home button embedded inside the display. It has a hybrid dual SIM slot that means it can support microSD card up to 256GB. 

In terms of specifications, the Galaxy Note 8 has a stunning looking 6.3-inch curved AMOLED full HD display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. While the US variant of the phone has the Snapdragon 835, the Indian variant of the phone will come with an octa-core Exynos 8895 and Mali-G71 MP20 GPU coupled with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. 

The Galaxy Note 8 features two 12-megapixel cameras on the back that both feature Optical Image Stabilisation. Samsung claims that this is the first time a dual camera setup has featured OIS on both the sensors. Additionally, the two sensors also feature Samsung’s Dual Pixel technology and Phase Detection Autofocus. On the front it has an 8-megapixel camera with f/1.7 aperture, 1/3.6" sensor size and dual video call.

The Galaxy Note 8 also comes with a feature called Live Focus that lets you shoot portrait photos with a fancy bokeh effect. Samsung says that you can adjust the bokeh effect before and after you take the shot.

Connectivity options include, Wi-Fi 802.11, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, and USB 3.1, Type-C 1.0. It is powered by a 3300mAh battery, which is slightly smaller the the Galaxy S8 Plus.

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Samsung Galaxy Note 8 launch offers

Those who pre-book the device can avail one time screen replacement and get free wireless charger. As part of Samsung's special launch offer, consumers using HDFC credit card for buying the Galaxy Note8 will get INR 4000 cashback.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 specifications

Display: 6.3-inch OLED Infinity Display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5

Resolution: 1440 x 2960 pixels

Processor: Samsung Exynos Octa-core 

RAM: 6GB

Storage: 64GB

Primary Camera: Dual 12MP (26mm, f/1.7, PDAF & 52mm, f/2.4, AF), OIS, autofocus, 2x optical zoom, dual-LED (dual tone) flash

Secondary Camera: 8 MP, f/1.7, autofocus, 1/3.6" sensor size, 1.22 µm pixel size, 1440p@30fps, dual video call, Auto HDR

Battery: 3300mAh

• Samsung Galaxy Note 8 vs Samsung Galaxy S8