Samsung Galaxy Note8 hands-on review: First impressions

23 August 2017
The successor to the Samsung Galaxy Note 4/5 is finally here - meet the Galaxy Note8. Wait, what? Okay, Europeans didn’t get the Note5 because Samsung, and we all know how the Note7 lived a shorter product life than it deserved. So in a way, a few of us Note lovers have been stuck with three-year-old Notes, looking at some poor S-Pen-less S7 edges and S8s to fill the void.

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  • boy iman scammer
  • Gyq
  • 12 Sep 2017

Anonymous, 02 Sep 2017I can't believe they didn't include IR port, it's very usef... morestop using phone while driving sir. its can harm yourself. love your family's.

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    • Anonymous
    • 0VP
    • 02 Sep 2017

    I can't believe they didn't include IR port, it's very usefull to me.
    Fingerprint on back? So, no using it in my car, and no quick tapping while working... Terrible.
    Curved screen for stylus? Not sure samsung knows the best anymore, so I must see for myself how it works. Maybe it's good.
    Battery could be removable, I don't swim with my phone.

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      • Anonymous
      • 0VP
      • 02 Sep 2017

      Anonymous, 01 Sep 2017You can't beat the galaxy note 5. Still the king of all the... moreYou mean Note 4?

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        • Anonymous
        • krW
        • 02 Sep 2017

        Anonymous, 01 Sep 2017You can't beat the galaxy note 5. Still the king of all the... moreThat would be the Note 4 to a real Note user

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          • alexander
          • 8mM
          • 01 Sep 2017

          its heavy. 195 g. very heavy. Like a can of beans...

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            • Anonymous
            • qP}
            • 01 Sep 2017

            AnonD-115391, 27 Aug 2017I am an Android User.. an Ex samsung user, however after my... moreYou can't beat the galaxy note 5. Still the king of all the galaxy models

              AnonD-402029, 23 Aug 20171) it will explode 2) "our battery capacity is not big, u ... moreIts more: they can get away with it!

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                • Anonymous
                • AIA
                • 30 Aug 2017

                Im not impressed with those cameras being recycled

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                  • Anonymous
                  • krW
                  • 30 Aug 2017

                  Sam.Smythe, 30 Aug 2017It's no witchcraft nor wizardy. It means they found out how... moreSo it was wizardry lol.
                  But it it's definitely nice to see the effort

                    Anonymous, 30 Aug 2017So it got bigger....And brighter...with a smaller battery..... moreIt's no witchcraft nor wizardy. It means they found out how to tweak the Android OS to play nice with their SoC and manage the system efficiently. The reviews will benchmark this new gadget, and the customers will provide the long term test by using them for at least one year long.
                    What can I say? Competition is great and even greater if R&D team members know how to to their best to please us demanding customers.
                    Will patiently wait what other R&D competitors will bring to the table if this Note8 turns out to be good in efficiency. Long term use, of course.

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                      • Anonymous
                      • krW
                      • 30 Aug 2017

                      Ghostwolf, 30 Aug 2017I think more hype and wishful thinking than wizardry.I didn't say what if it got this or I think it will get. These are results from reviewers.
                      Seriously. You just purposefully took that out of context.

                        Anonymous, 30 Aug 2017So it got bigger....And brighter...with a smaller battery..... moreI think more hype and wishful thinking than wizardry.

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                          • Anonymous
                          • krW
                          • 30 Aug 2017

                          So it got bigger....And brighter...with a smaller battery...
                          Yet somehow not only can last up to 6 or 7hrs screen on time at max brightness, but even bests the 7+ in a speed test????????
                          What wizardry is this?

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                            • Anonymous
                            • krW
                            • 30 Aug 2017

                            Apparent even at full brightness the note can still achieve 6 to 7hr screen on time.
                            Don't know how. If it's the extra ram, 7.1.1, software tweaking, new efficient components elsewhere, SoC or software gimping...ot witchcraft.
                            Or a big combination.

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                              • Anonymous
                              • w9x
                              • 29 Aug 2017

                              Put Nova launcher .. but other app is laggy .. what to do ? Galaxy s8

                                Biggest problems I see from the beginning:

                                1) Pathetic battery size. I mean really, instead of using the retarded 2:1 screen ratio to make it too long, make it a 16:9 or even better 16:10 device and use the space for more battery capacity. Another couple millimeters thicker could get a 4,000 or 4,200 m.a.h. rated battery.
                                Power users will burn that little battery up straightaway.

                                2) Edge screen. No need to say more.

                                3) Glass body. Just something more to break. Why pay $1,000 for a piece of glass that requires a case be on it from day one of ownership? How many people do you actually know who have a Samsung phone who DON'T have a case on their phone? So what is the logic in buying over-priced shiney junk that assured to break?

                                I have a case on my LG V20, but that is so I can carry my work ID, drivers license, and a couple credit cards. Not to protect the V20, it is a bullet proof beast that goes all day on one charge and still runs like a champ after a year.

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                                  • Anonymous
                                  • krW
                                  • 29 Aug 2017

                                  Sailfish , 28 Aug 2017Nokia 9 One could only hope

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                                    • Sailfish
                                    • L7W
                                    • 28 Aug 2017

                                    A Note 4 user, 27 Aug 2017Many people know already that curved edges not only give ho... moreNokia 9

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                                      • Anonymous
                                      • krW
                                      • 28 Aug 2017

                                      mzboy, 28 Aug 2017Sorry to hear about your loss. It is common that we sometim... moreWell this one was the Z3. My Z3 had other issues and I still don't have it working :(.
                                      But that one and others...Mostly of similar or older gen... Were known for such things. It was his keys in his pocket. Twice.
                                      But even my S7 has taken drops and come out fine. And if anyone remembers the S6 Edge tests the thing was a beast.
                                      All phones are fragile sadly. One drop can kill any phone. Sometimes in the most unexpected way. Like carpet and in a case.
                                      Likewise they can survive things and just leave you in awe of it's skills

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                                        • mzboy
                                        • 9Cd
                                        • 28 Aug 2017

                                        Anonymous, 27 Aug 2017That can happen with any phone. And after i convinced my fr... moreSorry to hear about your loss. It is common that we sometimes drop our phones unintentionally. I too have Sony Xperia Z5 Premium and it has drop like dozens of time during my use since 2016. It is still working like a new. On internet, there is hardly any long term review of smartphones after 2-3 years of usage.

                                        Yesterday, saw the Note 8 in local electronic store for pre-order...indeed its a great device but very fragile screen...one single drop will bring cracks.

                                        Yes, we do like Bezel-less design..but in long run, phones will bezels do their job. Sony should decrease their bezels but not like Samsung where the corners are also made of glass.

                                        Peace.