Samsung Galaxy Note 8 : Worth the high price tag?

Meet the new Note from Samsung : Is it worth the hype !!

The new 6.3-inch device has an "infinity display" that wraps around the edges of the phone and Samsung's Bixby voice assistant, the virtual aide that launched yesterday. The Note 8 comes with the S-pen stylus, which can be used even when the phone's screen is off, such as to take notes or make a shopping list.

The Korean electronics giant will be hoping to recover the reputation of the Note model with the release of note 8. Samsung was forced to globally recall its Note 7 phone last year after a battery fault led to devices overheating and caused flames everywhere.

The Note 8 is Samsung's first smartphone to come with a dual camera lens, technology employed in the iPhone 7 Plus and Android challengers such as the Nokia 8 and OP5. It has two 12MP cameras on the back, which let users create depth effects and zoom further.

The Note 8 also showcases Samsung's Bixby voice assistant, its challenger to Apple's Siri, Amazon's Alexa and Google's Assistant. Bixby is activated through voice control, responding both to the wake phrase "Hi, Bixby" and when the button dedicated to Bixby is held down.

"Because it is controlled through the phone it is secure to the user," said Conor Pierce, head of Samsung UK, "it is not just sitting in the corner of the room listening to you."Pierce added the Samsung brand has "never been in better shape" in the UK, where the company launched its Bixby voice control on Tuesday.

The Note 7 didn't go well for Samsung , and though it is now out there as the Samsung Galaxy Note Fan Edition ( I know it's too large for a smartphone name 😟) , it isn't something Samsung can put head to head with the other flagships out there , at least after all those blasts . And though the S8 is still the best android flagship available currently in the market , a lot of people had been actually missing the 'Note' , and now Samsung has come up with its new Note , the Note 8 . 

The Note 8 has a gorgeous build . The back is still glass , similar to what we saw on the S8 . The 195g weight is evenly spread , so that you will not feel the heft . It supports a beautiful 6.3" QHD infinity display covered with gorilla glass 5 , with almost no bezels . Edge functionality and is still there , with a new feature called 'dual apps' . It helps you open two apps at once on a single click . There is also support for Samsung's Always On feature , but now with the S-Pen , you can set notes on the display . As expected from Samsung flagships , this display is very sharp , with great colours and excellent viewing angles . It is to be noted that this screen is also HDR certified by 4k alliance , just like the S8 . DisplayMate says that this is the best display they have tested on a smartphone ever . The 18.5 : 9 aspect ratio with 1440 x 2960 pixels makes the large display put in a compact shell , though it isn't for those looking for a single handed phone . Overall package is IP68 certified , including the S-Pen . This means you can take this with you while swimming to take underwater shots 😍 . 

Coming to the internals , the Note 8 is powered by the latest flagship processor by Qualcomm , the Snapdragon 835 ( though the Asian unit carries Samsung built Exynos 8895 ) , and comes with 6 gigs of ram , meaning a top-notch performance . Games run super smooth with no lag or heating whatsoever . Apps open super quick and the new UI helps in buttery smooth experience . The on board storage here is 64 gb , which can be expanded depending whether you buy the single sim model or the one supporting two sims .

Now focusing on what's new for Samsung , those dual cameras . It is the first time ever Samsung has put dual cameras on a smartphone ; and the results blow your mind away . It has dual 12 mp sensors , one with 26 mm lens and f/1.7 aperture , and the other with an aperture of f/2.4 and 52 mm lens . This setup is similar to the one seen on the iPhone 7 plus , except that this time both the sensors have OIS , and the results are as expected . Photos taken is daylight are excellent , with high level of details and excellent dynamic range . Just like the iPhone's portrait mode , there is option for background blur , something Samsung calls 'Live Focus' ; and I must say , the implementation is the best I have ever seen on a smartphone . And now you adjust set the level of blur even after clicking the photo , just like a lot of Huawei phones . When it comes to low-light photos , Note 8 is a beast , better than any other smartphone in the market , even the iPhone 7 plus and the S8 . The front is an 8 mp f/1.7 selfie shooter , just like the S8 and produces some of the best selfies on a smartphone . This is worth mentioning that this selfie camera is capable of 2k video recording . Overall , I can say that it is the best camera smartphones available in the market , way ahead of the iPhone 7 plus and the S8 .

And talking about what makes it stand out in the race of smartphones , the S-Pen . It helps you draw your own emojis , make animated GIFs , or handwritten message on photos . Now you can make your own notes without unlocking the phone . Just pop out the S-Pen and start writing . There is option to translate a text or magnify it just by hovering the S-Pen on the screen . Options like live message and smart select are pretty handy . And once again the S-Pen is waterproof , though it's just a gimmick to attract customers . Overall , using the S-Pen is quite fun and adds to the user experience .

For connectivity , the Note 8 offers 4g VoLTE , Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac , bluetooth 5.0 , GPS and NFC with Samsung Pay . Thankfully , the 3.5 mm jack is still there . The bottom of the smartphone houses a not so loud single speaker along with 3.1 usb type-C . The placement of rear mounted fingerprint sensor is way awkward , just like the S8 ; and you will often find yourself using the iris scanner and the face recognition feature . This overall package is powered by a 3300 mah battery , though there is support for quick charge as well as wireless charging . And now there are a lot of colour options to choose from , the midnight black , the maple gold , orchid gray , the deep sea blue and the star pink . Preorders have been started in US , while the India launch is expected in the second week of September . The US price is $950 , while it is priced at EUR 869 in UK . The Indian price is expected to be anywhere between Rs.65,999 to 71,999 .

Note 8 takes a lot of goods from the previous note , and a few from the S8 too . And it won't be wrong if someone calls it an S8 with a stylus . The internals are essentially the same as the S8 , except that dual camera setup , and the S-Pen stylus . Though it is an excellent phone , perhaps the best smartphone out there , but for Rs. 70,000 , I would not recommend it to budget-sneakers ; an S8 would be a far better deal at Rs. 55000 . But for anyone willing to spend money , it is the best buy ; the best Note for a bundle of Notes .