From what we’ve heard so far, here’s how the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is likely to compare to the Galaxy S8 Plus.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 hasn’ t been announced yet, but there have been a wealth of leaks and rumors, giving us a good idea of what to expect.
Assuming the most likely ones pan out how will the Galaxy Note 8 compare to the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus? That’s what we attempt to answer here, looking at the design, display, power and more of these two phones.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus is already a massive handset and the Note 8 is likely to have a similar design, so will it really be different enough overall to excite potential buyers?
The Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus has a metal frame wedged between a glass front and back, and the images we’ ve seen of the Galaxy Note 8 so far show an almost identical design, albeit with a dual-lens camera rather than a single-lens one on the back (more on that below) and a slot for the obligatory S Pen.
Disappointingly, the images also show a fingerprint scanner on the back, suggesting Samsung hasn’ t figured out how to put it under the screen – which is something the company has supposedly been working on for a while now.
However, the Galaxy Note 8’s design might be refined slightly, with rumors pointing to even smaller bezels above and below the screen, while the dust and waterproofing of the S8 Plus is almost certainly going to make a return.
One thing which might change for the worse on the Note 8 is the dimensions. It’s no surprise that this will probably be an even bigger phone than the 159.5 x 73.4 x 8.1mm S8 Plus, but one leak suggests the Note 8 will be 162.4 x 74.5 x 8.4mm, rising to 9.5mm thick where the camera apparently juts out of the back.
There’s no such jut on the Galaxy S8 Plus, but it might be necessary in order to pack in a dual-lens system.
As for color schemes, the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus is available in Midnight Black, Orchid Grey, Arctic Silver, Coral Blue, Maple Gold and Rose Pink (though not every color will necessarily be available in every region) .
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 meanwhile is rumored to land in a similar but possibly smaller selection of colors, including Midnight Black, Maple Gold, Deep Sea Blue and Orchid Grey.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus is already massive, with a 6.2-inch Super AMOLED display making it bigger than the 5.7-inch Samsung Galaxy Note 7 .
It’s 1440 x 2960 for a pixel density of 529 pixels per inch and uses a super-widescreen 18.5: 9 aspect ratio. That aspect ratio, combined with a near bezel-free, curved-edge design, is what Samsung’s calling an ‘Infinity Display’ and the same feature is rumored and expected for the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.
However, it’s likely that the Note 8’s screen will be even bigger, though probably not by much, with rumors pointing to a 6.3-inch or 6.4-inch screen.
The resolution isn’ t expected to change much if at all, but the bezels might be smaller and there’s talk of a pressure-sensitive screen a bit like Apple’s 3D Touch, which would bring up different options and menus depending on whether you give something a hard or light press.
Though we haven’ t heard a huge amount about this feature, so it might well not make the final phone.
In which case the Note 8’s screen might not be much different at all, though it’s sure to have the same features as the S8 Plus’s, including support for HDR content.
Power is one thing you shouldn’ t have to worry about with either of these phones.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus is currently one of the most powerful phones around, thanks to 4GB of RAM and either a Snapdragon 835 chipset (if you’ re in the US) or an Exynos 8895 one (in most other places) – both of which are top-end.
Rumors suggest that the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will have the same chipset, with the same division in terms of which countries get which, but that it might up the RAM to 6GB.
There’s likely to be even less difference when it comes to the operating system. Both will run Android and more specifically both are likely to run Android 7 Nougat. The S8 Plus already does, and with the Note 8 likely launching soon it probably won’ t have Android O on day one.
The camera could be one of the biggest changes, as while the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus has a 12MP single-lens snapper, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is rumored to be getting a 12MP dual-lens one.
Supposedly the second lens will be a telephoto one, offering either 2x or 3x optical zoom, and both lenses may have optical image stabilization.
The Galaxy S8 Plus already has a great camera, and if the Note 8’s is similar but with an extra lens it could be even better.
Less is known about the Note 8’s front-facing camera, but it’s likely that it will be an 8MP one, just like the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus has.
Battery size could also differ between these two devices, but not in the way you might expect, as while the Galaxy S8 Plus has a 3,500mAh one it’s rumored that the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will have a slightly smaller 3,300mAh one – despite almost certainly being a bigger phone.
It’s no surprise that Samsung would want to play it safe though, given what happened with the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 .
The S8 Plus isn’ t a cheap phone and the Note 8 won’ t be either. The former launched for $825/£780/AU$1,350, and although you can now find it cheaper if you shop around it’s still one of the most expensive phones on the market.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is sure to cost at least as much, and rumors put it at between $1,000 (around £770/AU$1,300) and $1,200 (roughly £920/AU$1,560) .
The sheer size of the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus is likely to have bridged the gap between Samsung’s main flagship range and its Note range, but that’s not to say there’ ll be nothing to choose between the two phones.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is still likely to be slightly bigger, and of course it will come with an S Pen Stylus. It may also be a bit more powerful, have a slightly smaller battery and – in what could be the biggest difference between the two phones – have an extra lens on its camera.
Whether that will be enough to tempt would-be buyer’s who’ ve resisted the S8 Plus remains to be seen, especially given the likely higher price of the Note 8, but even if the two phones end up very similar that’s not necessarily such a bad thing, since the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus is one of the best handsets of the year so far.
