Galaxy Note 8 vs Galaxy S8+ Specs Comparison: Is Note 8 Worth the Extra Bucks?
The main question surrounding the announcement of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is whether it is worth the extra bucks compared to its predecessor, the Galaxy S8+.
On Wednesday, Samsung held an event in New York City to present their top-end product to date, the Galaxy Note 8. Quite expectedly, the device resembled the Galaxy S8+ except for the major additions in its hardware specifications.
What's Galaxy Note 8 Has That Galaxy S8+ Doesn't?
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First, one of the main features that the Galaxy Note 8 has that was not in the Galaxy S8+ is the support for S Pen. It is also important to note that, this time, the S Pen provides a whole lot of unique experiences that Galaxy Note 8 can use.
One of the highlights during Wednesday's unveiling event was the new Live Message feature using the S Pen. With this, Galaxy Note 8 owners can directly add notes or scribbles on photos sent via text or other messaging apps.
The S Pen was also designed to perform the Smart Select feature. One of its functions is to allow people to directly select snippets of a video, convert it into a GIF image, and send it through messages.
On the other hand, Samsung has retained and upgraded a couple of S Pen functions for the Galaxy Note 8. The company has allotted up to 100 pages for Screen off memos that can also be directly pinned to Always on Display.
Above all, it is also worth noting that both the Galaxy Note 8 and the S Pen are rated IP68 — meaning they can be submerged in up to 1.5-meter of fresh water for as long as 30 minutes without suffering any damage.
As seen on many leaked photo renders ahead of the Galaxy Note 8's reveal, the device does have a 12-megapixel dual camera setup. This allows one favorite camera trick known as the bokeh effect — which is a common function that dual camera setups provide.
According to Samsung, Galaxy Note 8's telephoto lens is enabled with 2x optical zoom while both rear lenses are built with optical image stabilization features.
What Are the Similarities?
Normally, when manufacturers introduce a new device, the upgrades are applied to the core technical specs, but not in this case.
The Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy S8+ have a lot of similarities: an Infinity Display with 1,440 x 2,960 pixels resolution, Snapdragon 835 or Exynos 8895 processors, an Adreno 540 graphics processing unit, an iris scanner, fingerprint reader (and its location), and more.
Galaxy Note devices normally stand out with its much larger screen. However, this time, that is not the case. It is only 0.1-inch larger than the Galaxy S8+. The Galaxy Note 8 will be released in the market even before the Android Oreo so consumers can expect the latest Android Nougat update to come with it that is also already supported by the Galaxy S8+.
Ultimate Question: How Much is a Galaxy Note 8?
An unlocked Galaxy Note 8 costs $930. Meanwhile at Samsung's website, this device is priced to be $825 with the option of a trade-in to cut the cost by as much as $300. But a lot of retailers are currently selling the Galaxy S8+ at a sizeable amount of discount.
