Despite last year's Galaxy Note 7 crisis, Samsung apparently has the guts to challenge its arch rival Apple with a successive version of a device that made the company experience an unforeseen setback. The South Korean tech giant is now widely rumoured to take on Apple's upcoming iPhone 8 with its next flagship smartphone of 2017 – the Galaxy Note 8.
Samsung hasn't made anything official about the device so far, except for recently indicating that it would launch a new flagship smartphone in the second half of the year.
Key improvements to stem iPhone 8 excitement
However, various rumours about the Galaxy Note 8 have suggested that the device would come with a bezel-less display, much like the newly launched Galaxy S8 series. It's even expected to retain the same 18.5:9 aspect ratio as the Galaxy S8's Infinity Display.
In addition, the screen size of the Galaxy Note 8 is likely to be 0.6 inch larger than the Galaxy Note 7 and 0.1 inch than the Galaxy S8 Plus, according to reports.
Although Samsung has not yet reportedly finalised the location of the fingerprint sensor on the Galaxy Note 8, rumours suggest that it is considering embedding it into the display.
Rumours are also rife that the Galaxy Note 8 will be Samsung's first smartphone to feature a dual camera setup, including a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera and a 13-megapixel telephoto lens.
While Samsung is yet to launch a smartphone with dual cameras, it has already become a commonplace feature in many premium smartphones like LG G6, Huawei Honor 8, Apple iPhone 7 Plus and Xiaomi Mi 6.
Early launch to undercut iPhone 8
When it comes to unveiling the Galaxy Note 8, Samsung is expected to do it in late August. The move makes sense as it will give Samsung a crucial competitive edge over the iPhone 8, which is likely to be launched sometime in September, according to The Korea Herald.
Last year's ill-fated Galaxy Note 7 was also unveiled on August 2, and was officially released on 19 August. However, a manufacturing defect in the phones' batteries later forced Samsung recall the device worldwide in October, followed by a permanent halt of production.
Making the Galaxy Note 8 available to users ahead of a potentially $1,000 iPhone 8 will definitely give Samsung an opportunity to entice consumers looking to upgrade their existing handsets. After a record-breaking launch of the Galaxy S8 and S8+, the company is also expected to win its lost mojo back with another successful flagship device, without explosions.
