Samsung has unveiled its Galaxy Note 8, the latest addition to its range of plus-sized smartphones (sometimes called phablets), which come with a built-in stylus known as the S Pen.
The Galaxy Note 8 was revealed at Samsung’s “Unpacked” event in London today – just over a year after the launch of the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7, which was scrapped after a series of incidents involving the phones catching fire and exploding.
Design
In terms of design, the Galaxy Note 8 essentially looks like a larger version of the Galaxy S8, with the same glass body, and a 6.3-inch curved “infinity” display.
It measures 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.6mm – only a fraction bigger than the Galaxy S8+ – and weighs 195g.
The physical Home button has been removed, and replaced with a pressure-sensitive panel placed underneath the screen, so that the front of the device is a sheer pane of glass.
The fingerprint reader is now located on the back of the phone, next to the camera module, and is designed to be used with an index finger rather than a thumb.
As with previous models, the S Pen stylus slots neatly into a hole on the bottom edge of the device.
The Note 8 comes in four colours – Midnight Black, Maple Gold, Orchid Grey and Deepsea Blue – although only Midnight Black and Maple Gold will be available in the UK at launch.
Software
The Galaxy Note 8 runs the latest version of Google’s operating system, Android 7.1.1 Nougat .
This includes productivity features such as multi-tasking, which allows two apps to run on-screen at the same time, so you can continue watching a video on YouTube while replying to an email or browsing the web.
The Note 8 also comes with the Edge software, which allows you to add shortcuts to contacts and apps in a pull-out panel on the edge of the display, and enhanced security features.
As well as the fingerprint scanner, the Note 8 features an iris scanner and facial recognition software , so users can choose their preferred biometric authentication method.
Source: Mirror
