Samsung Galaxy Note 8 to Launch Today: How to Watch, What to Expect

It’s a big day for Samsung as it gears up to unveil the Galaxy Note 8 smartphone to the world. The South Korean giant is hosting a Galaxy Unpacked 2017 event in New York at 11am EDT (8.30pm IST) on Wednesday, August 23. The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 has a lot to redeem, given its predecessor Galaxy Note 7 was recalled due to faulty batteries that posed a fire hazard.

The Galaxy Note 8 has been leaked on several occasions running up to the launch, and the smartphone is expected to come with a dual camera setup, a large Infinity Display and much more. Here’s everything that we know about the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and all the details to help you watch the event live.

Watch Galaxy Note 8 event live

As mentioned, the Galaxy Unpacked 2017 event will begin at 8.30pm IST (11am EDT in New York), and it will be live streamed by Samsung for the global audience to see. You can watch the live stream on Samsung India’s English and Hindi website. Furthermore, you can even head to this link to watch the live stream, just in case the Indian websites face difficulties.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 price, availability

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is tipped to cost around EUR 1,000 (roughly Rs. 75,400) in Europe when it will start to ship in September. This hefty price tag may meet with apprehensions; given that the last year’s fiery Galaxy Note 7 was priced at EUR 849 (roughly Rs. 63,900). However, this is still not the official price, and we’d recommend you to wait it out till the event when the availability and pricing details will be unveiled.

Tipster extraordinaire Evan Blass recently suggested that the Galaxy Note 8 will be made available for pre-orders starting August 24, just a day after its launch and will be released by the company on September 15. Additionally, Blass suggests that the users who pre-order the smartphone will get an option of either a free 256GB SD card and wireless charger or a free Samsung Gear 360 camera. In Europe, the pre-orders will come with a free DeX dock.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 design

Leaks suggest that the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will be available in eight colour variants – Midnight Black, Arctic Silver, Orchid Gray/Violet, Coral Blue, Dark Blue, Deep Sea Blue, Pink, and Gold colour variants. Renders suggest that the front panel on all colour variants is said to be Black, while the S Pen matches the colour variant you buy.

The smartphone is expected to sport a dual camera setup, glass back, bezel-less front (Infinity Display), and a S Pen, which looks the same, but is said to have improved touch sensitivity and slightly changed dimensions. The fingerprint scanner is at the back as well, alongside the camera setup. The power key sits on the right edge, while the volume and Bixby button sit on the left edge.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 specifications

Previous rumours suggest that the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 may sport a 6.3-inch QHD (1440×2960 pixels) Infinity Display with an aspect ratio of 18.5:9. It is expected to be powered by Exynos 8895 SoC globally, but use Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 in the US, just like the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+.

It is tipped to come with a dual camera setup with two 12-megapixel sensors. The primary wide-angle lens comes with an f/1.7 aperture and dual-pixel autofocus, while the secondary telephoto lens has an f/2.4 aperture and enables a 2x optical zoom. Both the lenses are also said to offer optical image stabilisation as well. It is expected to pack 6GB of RAM, 64GB of built-in storage, which will be further expandable via microSD card. It has also been reported recently that the 256GB storage variant might just be launched exclusively in South Korea and the 128GB storage variant might be launched elsewhere. The handset is expected to measure 162.5×74.6×8.5mm. Galaxy Note 8 has been tipped to house a 3300mAh battery that can be charged either wirelessly or through USB Type-C.