Samsung Galaxy Note 8 (SM-N950F) - SIM-Free Smartphone - 64GB - Midnight Black

Product Information

This is still one of the most powerful Samsung phones with a stylus. It does, however, cost you in multiple ways. First, it’s too big for some. You’re going to need a Note 8 case to confidently hold this unwieldy glass beast, and two hands to operate it. Stretching your fingers is well worth if you can physically manage it. Its expansive 6.3-inch display – now without a physical home button – has an unheard-of 83% screen-to-body ratio. The iPhones have a 67% screen-to-body ratio for comparison. That's a lot less screen for such big phones, at least until iPhone 8 arrives to change everything. And, because this is an AMOLED panel, contrast levels are unbeatable, at a perfect Infinity:1, and maximum brightness reaches a respectable 330cd/m2. Switch on adaptive brightness, and that figure creeps up to a blinding 981cd/m2. No more squinting at your Facebook feed in direct sunlight.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 - Expert Reviews

These features – usually reserved for pro-level tablets or 2-in-1 computers – are even handier on a phone. After all, the best note-taking device is the one you have with you all the time. That means we’re treated to a massive 6.3in QHD+ display – 0.6in larger than last year’s effort – and it’s a great screen. Just like the Galaxy S8 and S8+ before it, it benefits from Samsung’s Super AMOLED technology, so we’re getting effectively perfect contrast levels and an image quality like no other. The Note 7 also debuted S Pen features like GIF Capture and Translate, but these will be new to most Note 8 users. And new to the Note 8 is the ability to write out ‘Live Messages’, creating sparkly animations that you can send to anyone in GIF form.

The Galaxy Note 8 rises from the ashes of its predecessor; but can Samsung get back in your pocket?

Samsung keeps topping itself, launching phones with the world’s best display every six months. Its maximum brightness, 3K resolution with Mobile HDR Premium, and wider color gamut are hard for anyone else to compete with. It's Always-On Display continues to be an appealing feature in a smartphone. Lit up, the all-screen Note 8 feels like we’re carrying around a piece of light when we’re out and about.It's much better than the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL display, Google's biggest weakness.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Mobile Phones in Uganda - Jiji.ug Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Mobile Phones in Uganda - Jiji.ug

The Note 8 is IP68 water-resistant, so it can survive up to 1.5m (5ft) underwater for 30 minutes, and it uses the reversible USB-C standard. Both are new perks for most Note fans. There’s also no camera bump, and that gaudy Samsung logo has been moved to the rear, no longer staring you in the face. Unfortunately, the fingerprint sensor has moved there, too. The fingerprint sensor has marginally improved Why buy this instead of the 6.2-inch Galaxy S9 Plus? The extra tenth of an inch of screen is insignificant and doesn’t matter, but Note fans adore the S Pen stylus functionality and its more square shape. Over the S8 Plus, the Note 8 also benefits power users with 6GB or RAM and a superior dual-lens camera, both features passed on to the S9 Plus. That telephoto lens is a fantastic addition to the Note, producing detail-rich images with very little noise compression or artefacting. It isn’t quite as good as the wide-angle lens next to it, but it’s a significant improvement over the OnePlus 5’s telephoto snapper, which tended to produce inconsistent, irregularly detailed shots in lower light. Samsung Galaxy Note 8 review: Performance and battery lifeFor in the end the Note 7 drew headlines for all the wrong reasons. A spate of exploding batteries and the resultant bad press (it was even banned on flights) forced Samsung’s hand, and the Note 7 was recalled. There were fears the Note brand had been killed off for good. The smaller manufacturing process also typically means improved power efficiency, so we should have expected to see the 3,300mAh battery last a decent bout longer than its competitors. If Samsung’s previous launches were anything to go by, I certainly didn’t expect to see battery life cut. For any content that you submit, you grant SAMSUNG a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free, fully transferable right and license to use, copy, modify, delete in its entirety, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from and/or sell and/or distribute such content and/or incorporate such content into any form, medium or technology throughout the world without compensation to you. Of course, it's not quite a match for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, but given its lower price it doesn't have to be. Can your wallet, and the extent of your grip, handle the Note 8? That’s pretty much all that you – if you have faith in Samsung again – need to ask yourself before buying this phone. Price and release date