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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  • H
  • Harsenik
  • QTb
  • 24 Aug 2017

To be honest, the I find the Edge screen really annoying... I always misstype a Q or a P when trying to text.

    • D
    • AnonD-689307
    • fmg
    • 24 Aug 2017

    Anonymous, 24 Aug 2017He was talking about cameras, not specs. I don't agree with... moreI wasn't talking about specs. He meant android phones never beats iPhone in terms of camera quality. I wanted him to know he's wrong cos Apple used to trash android phones in those years not anymore. And the pureview has only a larger sensor 41MP but megapixels don't mean better photos.

      • ?
      • Anonymous
      • CS@
      • 24 Aug 2017

      AnonD-689307, 24 Aug 2017Your comment is the most savage I've seen today. Lol Do yo... moreHe was talking about cameras, not specs. I don't agree with him, the brst camera on a phone to this day is still the PureView 808 (not even the Lumia version comes close), and that phone is five years old. But Apple hired most of the old Nokia camera staff and they have a team of nearly 800 people working on camera improvements. Thats more than six times the people working at OnePlus for example.

      So Apple has the potential to knock it out of the park in the camera department. We just haven't seen it yet.

        • ?
        • Anonymous
        • CS@
        • 24 Aug 2017

        Anonymous, 24 Aug 2017A size of a phone this big is just not practical guys, get... moreSorry but my size 10 hands need a larger phone to comfortably use. Use your S7 if you have Trump sized hands.

          • D
          • AnonD-694578
          • mtj
          • 24 Aug 2017

          No words....big phone with no stamina(lower battery than S8+ but bigger case???)

            • ?
            • Anonymous
            • U}}
            • 24 Aug 2017

            its just not for me, im staying with note4, cant deal with non removable battery phone

              • A
              • A Note 4 user
              • 0vw
              • 24 Aug 2017

              Anonymous, 24 Aug 2017The back design at the camera area looks good. That's how L... moreInfortunately i have to agree. But in your list "Note 8 is one of the worst phones. As opposed to LG V20, it has glass back, curved screen edges, curved screen corners, non-standard aspect ratio, no bezels. No removable battery, no FM radio, no IR remote" you forgot a major disadvantage: WEIGHT.

              200 grams for a phone that you are supposed to have in hands a lot of time, is just unacceptable. I'm sure the weight is added by the fragile glass back (programmed obsolesce), imposed on us by samsung.

              This phone looks so unattractive for a rational buyer that it has to drop in price quickly to some 400 EUR that it probably costs.

                • D
                • AnonD-687487
                • mAK
                • 24 Aug 2017

                Droid, 24 Aug 2017You call it innovation?? Ok so s8 to note 8 4g ram vs 6g r... moreYes I agree that the Note8 slightly has innovated compared to the S8(+). But I expected some more new stuff for 999 euros compared to other flagships. Furthermore the V30 will probably also come with 6 gb RAM over 4 gb, SD835 over SD821, bigger screen, even smaller bezels and HD TouchSense by Immersion.

                  • D
                  • AnonD-632062
                  • Hxc
                  • 24 Aug 2017

                  Good things about the Note8 that improve upon the already good S8+:
                  -Telephoto camera which also has dual pixel & OIS
                  -More rectangular design than the S8+
                  -S-Pen functionality

                  Bad thing:
                  -Battery could have been bigger

                    • D
                    • AnonD-689307
                    • NwL
                    • 24 Aug 2017

                    AnonD-694446, 24 Aug 2017Just wait for the iphone 8. Android cameras will never ever... moreYour comment is the most savage I've seen today. Lol
                    Do you live in 2011/12?
                    IPhones have only slight speed in gaming and ram management. Nothing else is better.

                      • ?
                      • Anonymous
                      • 6jr
                      • 24 Aug 2017

                      Fraud taking the form a phone ... that's what this phone is.

                      And here's people discussing it ignoring the fact that it is the S8+ the Spen.

                      Unless you *absolutely* need the Spen stay away. And if you do yet need the Spen, Stay away still and buy the Note 4 from the 2nd hand market, of which form factor is actually ideal for pen use (+ it is faster/better than Note 5).

                      This phone is cancer for the pro crowd (small sealed battery, unergonomic aspect ratio which is terrible for note taking).

                        • D
                        • Droid
                        • CAj
                        • 24 Aug 2017

                        AnonD-687487, 24 Aug 2017Uhm P-OLED over LCD and F 1.6 aperture over F 1.8?You call it innovation?? Ok so s8 to note 8
                        4g ram vs 6g ram
                        Single cam vs dual cam
                        Spen with ip68
                        256giga version with 8g ram
                        So???????

                          • D
                          • AnonD-687487
                          • mAK
                          • 24 Aug 2017

                          Droid, 23 Aug 2017So what is the innovation of lg v30 comparend to lg g6??Uhm P-OLED over LCD and F 1.6 aperture over F 1.8?

                            Rafe Firmani, 24 Aug 2017Only HTC U11 has 3D audio recording that you can zoom in an... more3D audio was already in lumias - 3years before in 830(3mics with 2 or 6 channel recording) and 950 series (4mics, ~145dB top, 16bit+96kHz in separate app).
                            Would welcome something like that with better low volume recording also with ability to turn off noise reduction.

                              • ?
                              • Anonymous
                              • 7sk
                              • 24 Aug 2017

                              Samsung & Apple - expensive and look at me attitude

                              Buy something else and set yourself free.

                                • D
                                • AnonD-653707
                                • bJb
                                • 24 Aug 2017

                                On Facebook, someone from country called me a retard when I pointed out the S8 burn-in issue and about Samsung using Diamond Pentile to lessen burn-in. Pathetic!

                                  • m
                                  • msm5
                                  • ixd
                                  • 24 Aug 2017

                                  Still no stereo speakers on a $1000 phone..lame!

                                    • ?
                                    • Anonymous
                                    • JG0
                                    • 24 Aug 2017

                                    The back design at the camera area looks good. That's how LG should have to make the G5's and V20's back. Instead of that face-like ugly design:
                                    http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=s5wq50&s=9

                                    But it has a single large camera glass like LG phones, so it might be susceptible to shattergate (fragile camera glass) like LG phones.

                                    However, Note 8 is one of the worst phones. As opposed to LG V20, it has glass back, curved screen edges, curved screen corners, non-standard aspect ratio, no bezels. No removable battery, no FM radio, no IR remote.

                                      • i
                                      • imRGZ
                                      • YQ$
                                      • 24 Aug 2017

                                      AnonD-694446, 24 Aug 2017Just wait for the iphone 8. Android cameras will never ever... moreThat was some 5 generations back. Current Android flagships have come a very looong way in camera segment, that each and everyone will wipe the floor with your iPhone. iPhone cameras are good...but cameras found in S8/XZP/Pixel are the best ones.

                                        • D
                                        • AnonD-659305
                                        • fqX
                                        • 24 Aug 2017

                                        Apple wasnt the first to come out with dual cam. however samsung is still lagging behind. dont worry samsung, youre only a year late. i personally will not buy another samsung. Apple is a good choice, i wont buy it either. I NEED ANDROID. I will give the Mate 10 a shot.