What smartphone is the Samsung galaxy note 8? Special and very expensive. Like iPhone X, but in its own way. AndroBench memory speed test results

If this review could be boiled down to a single tweet, it would say "Buy the Galaxy Note 8" with emojis and hashtags. However, we will describe in more detail how we came to this conclusion, despite the fact that one smartphone is clearly superior to the other.

Both devices are large and powerful, beautiful and have software capabilities in quantities you will never need. Only the Note 8 has a dual camera that offers bokeh and 2x zoom. Only Note 8 has a digital S-Pen stylus for note-taking, drawing and image editing. Is this enough to make a choice in favor of an expensive device?

Design

In terms of look and feel, the two smartphones are quite similar in many ways. They have Infinity Display screens with minimal frames around the edges, which almost entirely occupy the front side of the case. This gives a futuristic look, as does the combination of glass and metal. When it comes to hand feel, many people like the curved corners of the S8+ better than the squarer Note 8.

The Infinity Display screen also has disadvantages, including a high probability of breaking if dropped. Due to their size, we had to move the fingerprint scanner to reverse side. There it is in an awkward position next to the camera, where it is difficult to reach and can stain the lenses.

In terms of durability, both have IP68 water and dust resistance. This protection also applies to the stylus, which can also be used in the rain.

If you look at the sides of smartphones, you will find the usual combination of volume rocker and power button. Also on these Samsung smartphones there is a button to launch the Bixby digital assistant. The purpose of this button cannot be changed, as many would like. It is also easy to press it accidentally, since it is located on the other side opposite the power button, so it can be confused.

Screen

The quality of the screens in none of these smartphones will disappoint you. It uses rich AMOLED panels with a resolution of 1440 x 2960 pixels. By default, the resolution is set to 1080p to save power. This is quite enough for most users, but if you want maximum detail, you can easily change the resolution in the settings.

Also in the settings there is different modes screen operation. The default Adaptive mode will suffice for most users, but color accuracy is better in the Basic mode.

Like the S8+, the Note 8 performs well in outdoor viewing. The blue color filter here is called " Night mode"and reduces eye strain in the dark.

By default, both smartphones have Always On Display mode, so you can see the time and unread notifications without turning on the screen. You can watch supported videos from YouTube.

Interface and functionality

This is where the comparison gets more interesting. At first glance, in terms of software, these smartphones are the same, since both run on Android Nougat with Samsung shell Experience. The presence of the S-Pen stylus determines the differences in the Note 8 interface, since the possibilities for interacting with the device become wider. Using the stylus, you can draw, write, sign images, and use it to navigate the interface.

It is unlikely that the S8+ can be called inferior without a stylus, so its absence will not be big drawback. On the other hand, it doesn't hurt to have a stylus as it can improve your work efficiency and make your entertainment more interesting.

Galaxy Note 8 interface

Apart from the stylus, smartphones can perform a number of software tricks equally well. On both, you can customize the location of the navigation buttons. Both support graphic themes. There are also iris scans, which are used instead of a fingerprint scanner, although the latter remains the most convenient option. Both devices have Samsung's Bixby virtual assistant. This list goes on and on.

Galaxy S8+ interface

A slight difference can be found in running two applications at the same time. On Note 8, you can create a combination of two applications. This predefined setting is a shortcut in Edge's sidebar that, when clicked, launches two programs side by side. This is convenient if you regularly use the same combination of applications. For example, on the one hand it can be opened in a browser with an article in English, on the other hand text editor, where do you translate this article into Russian.

These smartphones are among the most convenient for multitasking thanks to their large and long screens. Samsung interface is convenient for instant messengers, on-screen keyboard and YouTube videos.

Processor and memory

There is no need to go into details here, since these two devices are equally powerful. Both are powered by Snapdragon 835 or Samsung Exynos 8895 processor in Russia. These are the most powerful processors on Android at the moment, capable of easily handling heavy games and many applications at the same time.

There are differences in the amount of RAM: S8+ 4 GB, Note 8 6 GB. Theoretically, this will allow opening more applications At the same time, speed up the speed of loading applications and switching between them. In practice, it is difficult to see the difference even when running a dozen programs. The speed also depends on what kind of programs they are and how the device is configured. If demands increase in the future, the Note 8 will be better prepared to handle it.

The minimum amount of flash memory in both devices is 64 GB. This is enough to store 4K photos and videos in reasonable quantities. For unreasonable volumes, there are microSD memory cards.

Cameras

Double Note camera 8 is one of the most touted features of this smartphone. It is similar to the version from the iPhone 7 Plus. The main module with a resolution of 12 megapixels itself is capable of taking good pictures in any situation; the auxiliary module with telephoto lenses provides 2x optical zoom, which allows you to enlarge images without losing quality. Also, the second camera allows you to blur the background, and you can do this after the photo is taken. On the S8+ there is one rear camera with a resolution of 12 megapixels. This is the same camera as the main one on the Note 8.

Galaxy Note 8 camera interface

Since there's only one rear camera on the S8+, you won't find a Live Focus shooting mode in the camera app, nor is there a 2x zoom button. This is where the significant differences end. In both cases, the app contains a variety of shooting modes and controls, but rarely used settings are hidden in a separate menu.

Galaxy S8+ camera interface

Image quality

Since the cameras on smartphones are the same, the same quality of photos was expected, but on the Note 8 they turned out to be better. It seems to be all about the software. The Note 8 doesn't try to sharpen as aggressively as the S8+ does. If you zoom in on photos from the Note 8, there will be less glare around the edges.

Otherwise, the smartphones behave as usual for Samsung devices. In general, the quality of the photographs can be called excellent. There is a noticeable tendency to increase color saturation in certain scenes. In some cases this is appropriate, in others too vibrant colors can make the photo look unnatural.

Unsurprisingly, when you zoom in, there's more detail in photos from the Note 8. The difference isn't drastic, but it's noticeable, especially in daylight. When the light is too low, 2x zoom is not possible due to technical limitations, but even in low light, the 2x optical zoom performs better than the digital zoom on the S8+.

Selfie quality

The front cameras on both smartphones have a resolution of 8 megapixels and autofocus, the photo quality is good even in low light. HDR is supported; if backlighting is needed, the screen can turn on at full brightness. The difference in image quality is unnoticeable.

Video quality

Smartphones can shoot video at resolutions up to 4K, producing rich, highly detailed videos with sufficient light. The Note 8's dual camera system once again stands out with its 2x zoom, which retains detail better than the S8+'s digital zoom. Autofocus, as usual for Samsung smartphones, is fast. The audio on videos from the Note 8 is clearer and captures high frequencies better.

Multimedia

On both smartphones, the only speaker is located at the bottom; it produces sufficient volume and acceptable quality. The level is approximately the same on S8+ and Note 8.

Both smartphones are great for those who like to watch videos. The screens are large, bright and high quality. You can watch YouTube videos with HDR support.

Call quality

With all these features, you might forget that smartphones are also cell phones. There are no problems with communication on these devices. You and your interlocutors will not have any difficulties with sound quality.

Autonomous operation

This is one of the few areas where the S8+ excels. It uses a 3500 mAh battery versus 3300 mAh in Note 8. Due to this, the operating time of the S8+ is longer. IN real life the difference will be minimal. Both smartphones can last a full day under moderate use. A lot depends on the settings; If you disable Always On Display, the operating time will increase slightly.

Both devices support fast charging when you use the included adapter or a compatible replacement. There is also fast wireless charging.

Conclusion

As expected, there are many similarities between these two smartphones, otherwise the Note 8 has advantages. The presence of a stylus and a dual camera determines its superiority. The S8+ boasts a larger battery that offers slightly better battery life.

In terms of prices, the Note 8 costs more. Its price in Russia starts from 70,000 rubles, while the S8+ can be found for 45,000 rubles. Thus, if you do not need a stylus and a dual camera, the difference is 25,000 rubles. makes the choice in favor of S8+ obvious.

Pros of the Galaxy Note 8

• Dual camera with 2x optical zoom and bokeh effect
• Higher camera quality
• Stylus

• A little easier to manage
• Work time is a little longer
• Cheaper

Remember the last couple of years - all the analysts on all sides were shouting that the smartphone world was stagnant. Nothing much happens. Everything that could be invented has already been invented, and now companies are only engaged in improvements. But in March of this year, Samsung literally made the market move with the Galaxy S8. After another half a year, the company released its most expensive and advanced smartphone, Samsung Galaxy Note 8. Everyone says that this is a copy, but it is not. This is a completely different smartphone both in feel and in positioning and in the tasks that it solves.

Design

According to many, the design of the Note 8 is the same as that of the Galaxy S8. But this is not true. Note 8 soon men's smartphone. It is large, angular, looks very serious and respectable. Yes, the screen with a 2:1 aspect ratio makes these two devices similar. But on the Note 8, the display is less curved and the screen size itself is larger at 6.3 inches. If you look at the smartphones from the back, you will understand how different they are. As for the similarity of displays, it's time to get used to the idea that such elongated screens will become ubiquitous.

Note 8 is made of glass and metal. There is, of course, more glass here. There is a pretty good olephobic coating, but the smartphone gets dirty in any case. If you are upset by stains on the case, then do not buy the black version. Note 8 is available in three different colors, three of which are available for pre-order in the CIS: black diamond, yellow topaz and blue sapphire. And the blue color is very good. The color is unusual and rich. The glass on the screen and on the back is Gorilla Glass 5, which is strong and scratch-resistant. But it’s better not to drop such a smartphone. But swim, please. It is protected from water and dust according to the IP68 standard. All controls on the Note 8 are familiar, except for the Bixby smart assistant call button on the left side. The discouraging fact is that there is a button for a smart assistant, but there is still no assistant itself. A voice assistant in Russian will not appear soon, and it is impossible to reassign an application or action to this button in the standard way. It's time for Samsung to think about this. The design of this smartphone can be given 10 out of 10. At the moment, it simply has no analogues.

Display

Let's move on to one of the most important components: the display. It is a 6.3-inch screen with a resolution of 2960 x 1440 pixels and an aspect ratio of 2:1. The screen is elongated and this makes the smartphone look more compact and fits better in the hand. By the way, experts from DisplayMate called the Note 8 display the best in history and, for the first time in the mobile segment, gave it an A+ rating. You don't have to be an expert to understand that the screen is really good. Very bright, juicy, the picture on it seems to be alive. In the settings you can change the color profile and get calmer shades. The Note 8 has an Always On feature when the lock screen displays minimum set information - time, notifications, calendar, and so on. The function is very useful, and the picture level has been brought to ideal. In the display settings, you can customize almost every parameter, even resolution. The Note 8's display is really good, there's just nothing to complain about.

S Pen

The edges of the Note 8 screen are less rounded than the Galaxy S8 to make working with the S Pen stylus more comfortable. The presence of an S Pen is a unique feature that gives a lot of scope for creativity and work. Firstly, the stylus supports 4096 pressure levels and the tip thickness is 0.7 mm. You can fully draw with it, but not all applications support these degrees of pressure. There are several built-in applications to satisfy your creative urges. For example, a coloring book that has many ready-made pictures. In skillful hands, you can turn a banal drawing into a small masterpiece. Secondly, the S Pen has a huge variety of built-in capabilities for interacting with the system. For example, you can quickly take a long screenshot or, conversely, a screenshot of a certain place and immediately draw an arrow or write comments. You can select an area of ​​text on the screen and convert it into editable text. Thirdly, the ability to take quick notes even on a locked screen. What else? With the S Pen you can make a small animated GIF and send it to any messenger. You can translate the text or single word, and you can also relax your nerves by clicking the stylus like a fountain pen. In general, it is very convenient, but all these functions require some getting used to. Because most of us are accustomed to interacting with a smartphone using our hands.

Camera

The third main feature of the Note 8 is the new camera. It also has its own unique things, for example, optical stabilization and autofocus on both matrices. The first camera is the same as in the Galaxy S8 - 12 megapixels - with a fast f/1.7 lens and 26 mm optics. The second is also 12 megapixels, but the aperture is already f/2.4, and the lens is 52 mm. In principle, the application and camera capabilities are exactly the same as in the Galaxy S8, but there are two differences: 2x zoom and dynamic focus. The second means portrait mode with background blur. In Note 8, the degree of blur can be adjusted both while taking a photo and in the finished photo. The blur itself is still far from ideal, but in good light everything works out. The telephoto lens, like other smartphones with a dual camera, is slightly less sharp. In poor lighting, the smartphone does not use it at all, but takes pictures with the main camera and crops the picture. The quality of the photo, of course, suffers from this, but it simply would not have been possible to take the photo any other way. It should be noted that Samsung is not the only one who sins with this technique.

At night the photos are very good. Samsung uses HDR technology, stitches together several images and thereby increases detail, sharpness, and most importantly the amount of noise. The main camera here is the same as on the Galaxy S8. On our YouTube channel there is comparison of Galaxy S8 and Google Pixel. You can, in principle, draw conclusions about the capabilities of the Note 8 based on photographs of the S8. The front camera here is 8 megapixels with autofocus and a fast f/1.7 lens. The quality of the pictures is very good.

Specifications

For Europe and the CIS region, our own eight core processor Exynos 8895 and 6 GB of RAM. This is more than the Galaxy S8+. It’s impossible to say that there is a significant increase in performance, but the smartphone is a little faster. Any heavy games and programs launch and run without problems. But if you set the screen resolution to the maximum 2960 x 1440 pixels, then in some games you will experience a drop in FPS. It’s not critical, but it’s a fact. The default is Full HD+ and this resolution is quite enough. There is no fantastic difference with QHD.

I was a little surprised by the 3300 mAh battery capacity of the Note 8 - less than that of the Galaxy S8+. But here Samsung can be understood, because last year’s scandal requires maximum security from the company. What is 3300 mAh enough for? For a full-time job. It's amazing that with such a screen this is even possible. Of course, if you increase the display resolution, the operating time will decrease, but in Full HD+, from early morning until evening, the smartphone can easily cope with all tasks.

Launcher

Samsung can be commended for seriously simplifying and making its Clean UI launcher more airy. Everything looks modern, there are a lot of settings. It is the same as in the Galaxy S8. But there are a couple of differences. Of course, this is the S Pen and applications for it, and a side menu with quick access to contacts and applications. Moreover, it is possible to run two applications simultaneously in dual-screen mode. On this screen, you can use two applications, and in the settings you can choose how exactly the applications should be launched together. Swiping to the right on the home screen launches the Bixby page, which is somewhat reminiscent of a feed. Google Now. The settings menu was also seriously simplified and sections were introduced in it. Overall, Samsung has understood how important it is to have a modern, clean and uncluttered interface.

Cons

There are no perfect or ideal devices. Note 8 is no exception. Its main disadvantage is the price. The smartphone is very good, but its price is very confusing. For example, in the US, upon pre-order it will cost $930, plus you can choose either a Gear 360 camera or a wireless station and a 128 GB flash drive as a gift. In Europe, the cost of a smartphone is 1000 euros. In Russia, Note 8 pre-order costs 70,000 rubles, which is approximately $1,200. In Kazakhstan, the price is 400,000 tenge, which is approximately $1,180. In Ukraine, translated into American currency, the price is $1,163, and in Belarus, $1,240. In general, the Note 8 smartphone is definitely not for everyone, and primarily because of the price. No matter how beautiful it may be, not everyone will be able to enjoy this purchase.

At the very beginning of autumn, Samsung officially presented Russian market its next model from the already legendary series of Galaxy Note tablets. In Moscow, in Gorky Park, a demonstration of the eighth-generation new product was held. The device, called Samsung Galaxy Note 8, like the flagship Galaxy S8, received the same “limitless” (an epithet given by Samsung itself) screen with a very thin frame, and is also equipped with the best camera currently among Samsung smartphones and, of course, the indispensable an attribute of all Notes is the S Pen.

Main characteristics of Samsung Galaxy Note 8 (model SM-N950F)

• SoC Samsung Exynos 8895 Octa, 8 cores: [email protected] GHz (Exynos M1) + [email protected] GHz (ARM Cortex-A53)
• GPU Mali-G71
• there is also another modification of the smartphone based on SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 and Adreno 540
• Operating system Android 7.1.1
• Touch display Super AMOLED 6.3″, 2960×1440, 522 ppi
• RAM 6 GB, internal memory 64/128/256 GB
• Nano-SIM support (1 or 2 pcs.)
• MicroSD support up to 256 GB
• GSM networks (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
• WCDMA/HSPA+ networks (850/900/1900/2100 MHz)
• TD-SCDMA networks (B34, 39)
• LTE FDD Cat.16 networks (B1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 66)
• TD LTE networks (B 38—41)
• Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5 GHz) VHT80 MU-MIMO, 1024-QAM
• Bluetooth 5.0
• USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C, USB OTG
• GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, BDS
• Main camera 12 MP, f/1.7, autofocus, 4K video shooting
• Additional camera 12 MP, f/2.4
• Front camera 8 MP, f/1.7, autofocus
• Proximity, lighting, magnetic field, fingerprint, gyroscope, accelerometer, barometer, heart rate, iris sensor, step detector
• S Pen support
• Waterproof IP68
• Battery 3300 mAh, wireless charging
• Dimensions 163×75×8.6 mm
• Weight 195 g

Scope of delivery

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 comes in a black cardboard box with a minimalist design and rich contents.

The smartphone package includes a connection cable with a connector USB Type-C, network adapter with variable output current and voltage 5/9 V 1.67/2 A, tool for removing SIM cards, Micro-USB - USB Type-C adapter, USB - USB Type-C adapter, as well as high-quality wired dual-driver AKG stereo headphones with a set of interchangeable in-ear pads.

Appearance and ease of use

Samsung eventually brought both of its top lines of smartphones - Galaxy S and Note - to a single design, now the Galaxy Note 8 is almost indistinguishable from the Galaxy S8+, especially on the front panel.

Minor differences are noticeable only in the larger radius of curvature of the corner parts of the case and slightly differently located elements on the back side.

Of course, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 has a slot for the constant attribute of any representative of the Note series - an electronic pen, which even received its own unique name S-Pen. The pen is inserted into the end from below and securely snaps into place. Now you can’t stick it in with the other end, breaking all the insides, as happened with one of the previous models in the series - Samsung learns from its mistakes.

The body itself still consists of two absolutely symmetrical glasses with strongly curved sides and a complex metal frame connecting them along the perimeter. The frame widens at the top and bottom ends and narrows at the sides, which makes the design of Samsung Galaxy mobile devices recognizable; small Chinese artisans even began to copy it - the example of the Bluboo S8 is before our eyes.

A device with a 6.3-inch display cannot exactly be called miniature. This is a fairly large smartphone, but due to its narrow body with an aspect ratio of 18.5:9, it fits comfortably in the hand. Fingerprints may appear not only on the glass panels, but also on the side frame, since it is lacquered and glossy. However, the case does not slip in the fingers at all; this issue is well thought out.

On the back there is a dual camera adjacent to a flash, a fingerprint scanner and a heart rate sensor; the front panel contains sensors above the screen, a front camera, speaker and LED event indicator.

At the bottom under the screen there is neither a fingerprint scanner nor hardware buttons; the control buttons here are on-screen. The button panel can be removed from the screen at any time and called back, and upon startup certain applications, for example games, the system itself suggests switching to full-screen mode without displaying control buttons.

The side keys are located on both sides, there are not two, but three: another one has been added to the volume and power buttons to call the proprietary intelligent assistant Bixby, which still has not learned to work in Russian. The keys are quite large, have a soft but distinct stroke; traditionally there are no complaints about these elements in Samsung smartphones.

The slot for installing cards here is located not on the side, but on the top end. Using the included tool, the slide for SIM cards and microSD memory cards is pulled out of it. The “dual-SIM” hybrid version allows you to install either two Nano-SIM cards, or one Nano-SIM and one microSD.

The cover of this connector has a rubberized gasket, since the device is protected from moisture and dust getting inside the case according to the IP68 standard: the device can be immersed in fresh water to a depth of 1.5 m for 30 minutes.

In addition to the card slot at the top end there is an auxiliary microphone for the noise reduction system.

At the bottom end, accordingly, all elements are collected that are usually distributed over two ends: a 3.5 mm headphone minijack, a microphone hole, a row of holes for sound output from the main speaker, as well as a USB Type-C connector (as usual, asymmetrically located relative to the central axis). The above-mentioned electronic pen socket is also located here.

The device is available in black (Black Diamond), blue (Blue Sapphire) and gold (Yellow Topaz). The front panel under the glass always remains black.

Screen

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is equipped with a Super AMOLED display with protective glass curved on both sides. The screen dimensions are approximately 71x145 mm with a diagonal of 6.3 inches (excluding the rounding of the sides). The resolution is 2960×1440, the pixel density is about 522 ppi, and the aspect ratio is 18.5:9.

By the way, by default the smartphone has a reduced resolution. Full screen HD+ (2220×1080), and you need to manually change it to the maximum WQHD+ (2960×1440) in the settings.

The width of the frame around the screen is minimal: on the sides it does not exceed 2 mm, the indents at the top and bottom are only about 8 mm high.

You can adjust the display brightness manually or use automatic settings based on the ambient light sensor. Multi-touch tests diagnose support for 10 simultaneous touches.

A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the sample under study.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are better than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) screen (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photograph in which a white surface is reflected when the screens are turned off (on the left is Nexus 7, on the right is Samsung Galaxy Note 8, then they can be distinguished by size):

The screen of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is slightly darker (photo brightness is 109 versus 114 for the Nexus 7) and does not have a pronounced tint. The ghosting of reflected objects on the screen of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is very weak, which indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen. Due to the smaller number of boundaries (glass/air type) with very different refractive indices, screens without an air gap look better in conditions of intense external illumination, but their repair in the case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be replaced. On the outer surface of the screen of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effective, better than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much easier and appear at a lower speed than in the case of regular glass.

When displaying the white field in full screen and manually controlling the brightness, its maximum value was 335 cd/m² under normal conditions; in very bright light it rises to 510 cd/m². You also need to take into account the fact that in this case, the smaller the white area on the screen, the brighter it is, that is, the actual maximum brightness of the white areas will almost always be higher than the specified value. As a result, readability during the day in the sun should be at a good level. The minimum value is 1.9 cd/m², that is, the reduced brightness level allows you to use the device even in complete darkness without any problems. Automatic brightness adjustment works based on the light sensor (it is located to the left of the front speaker slot). The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment slider; with it, the user can try to set the desired brightness level in the current conditions. If you leave everything at default, then in complete darkness the auto-brightness function reduces the brightness to 7 cd/m² (dark), in an office illuminated by artificial light (approximately 550 lux) it sets it to 150 cd/m² (normal), in a very bright environment (corresponding to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight- 20,000 lux or a little more) increases to 510 cd/m² (to the maximum, as needed). We were not entirely satisfied with the result, so in complete darkness we slightly increased the brightness, resulting in the following values ​​for the three conditions indicated above: 12, 150, 510 cd/m² (ideal combination). It turns out that the auto-brightness function works adequately and to some extent allows the user to customize their work to individual requirements. At any brightness level there is significant modulation with a frequency of 60 or 240 Hz. The figure below shows brightness (vertical axis) versus time (horizontal axis) for several brightness settings:

It can be seen that at maximum (“100%+” - this is with additional illumination of the light sensor with bright light) and close to it, the modulation amplitude is not very large, as a result there is no visible flicker. However, as the brightness decreases, modulation appears with a large relative amplitude; its presence can already be seen in a test for the presence of a stroboscopic effect or simply with rapid eye movement. Depending on individual sensitivity, this flickering may cause increased fatigue.

This screen uses a Super AMOLED matrix - an active matrix on organic light-emitting diodes. A full-color image is created using subpixels of three colors - red (R), green (G) and blue (B), but there are twice as many green subpixels, which can be referred to as RGBG. This is confirmed by a fragment of a microphotograph:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

In the fragment above you can count 4 green subpixels, 2 red (4 halves) and 2 blue (1 whole and 4 quarters), and by repeating these fragments, you can lay out the entire screen without breaks or overlap. For such matrices, Samsung introduced the name PenTile RGBG. The manufacturer calculates the screen resolution based on the green subpixels; based on the other two, it will be two times lower. The location and shape of the subpixels in this version is close to the case of the screen of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and some other newer Samsung devices (and not only) with AMOLED screens. This version of PenTile RGBG is better than the old one with red squares, blue rectangles and stripes of green subpixels. However, some unevenness of contrast borders and other artifacts are still present. However, due to the very high resolution, they only have a minimal impact on image quality.

The screen has excellent viewing angles. True, the white color, when deviated even at small angles, alternately acquires a light blue-green and pinkish tint, but the black color remains simply black at any angle. It is so black that the contrast setting is not applicable in this case. For comparison, here are photos in which the screens of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 (profile Basic) and the second comparison participant, identical images were displayed, while the brightness of the screens was initially set to approximately 200 cd/m², and the color balance on the camera was forced to switch to 6500 K.

White field:

We note good uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field (with the exception of slight darkening and a change in hue towards the curved edges).

And a test picture (profile Basic):

Color rendition is good, the colors are moderately saturated, the color balance of the screens varies slightly. Recall that photography can't serve as a reliable source of information about color rendering quality and are provided for illustrative purposes only. In particular, the pronounced reddish tint of the white and gray fields present in photographs of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 screen is visually absent when viewed from a perpendicular view, as confirmed by hardware tests using a spectrophotometer. The reason is that the spectral sensitivity of the camera sensor does not exactly match this characteristic of human vision. Note that in this case, the image occupies in height (in landscape screen orientation) the entire area available for image display and extends onto the curved edges of the screen, which leads to darkening and color distortion. Also, in the light, these areas almost always glare, which makes it even more difficult to view images displayed on the entire screen. And even the picture of films with an aspect ratio of 16:9 comes to bends, which interferes with watching movies.

The photo above was taken after selecting a profile Basic in the screen settings, there are four of them:

Profile Adaptive display differs in some kind of automatic adjustment of color rendering to the type of output image and environmental conditions:

The saturation is greatly increased, it looks terrible. What happens when you select the two remaining profiles is shown below.

Movie AMOLED:

Saturation is slightly less.

Photo AMOLED:

The red saturation is slightly lower than in the case Movie AMOLED.

Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen (profile Basic).

White field:

The brightness at an angle for both screens has noticeably decreased (to avoid strong darkening, the shutter speed has been increased compared to previous photographs), but in the case of Samsung the drop in brightness is much less pronounced. As a result, with formally the same brightness, the screen of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 visually looks much brighter (compared to LCD screens), since you often have to look at the screen of a mobile device from at least a slight angle.

And a test picture:

It can be seen that the colors have not changed much on both screens and the brightness of the Samsung smartphone at an angle is noticeably higher. Switching the state of the matrix elements is performed almost instantly, but at the switching edge there may be a step with a width of approximately 17 ms (which corresponds to a screen refresh rate of 60 Hz). For example, this is what the dependence of brightness on time looks like when moving from black to white and back:

In some conditions, the presence of such a step can lead to plumes trailing behind moving objects. However, dynamic scenes in films on OLED screens are distinguished by high clarity and even some “jerky” movements.

A gamma curve constructed using 32 points with equal intervals based on the numerical value of the shade of gray showed that there is no significant blockage either in the highlights or in the shadows. The exponent of the approximating power function is 2.04, which is slightly less than the standard value of 2.2, while the actual gamma curve deviates slightly from the power function:

Let us recall that in the case of OLED screens, the brightness of image fragments dynamically changes in accordance with the nature of the displayed image - it decreases for generally light images. As a result, the resulting dependence of brightness on hue (gamma curve) most likely slightly does not correspond to the gamma curve of a static image, since the measurements were carried out with sequential display of shades of gray on almost the entire screen.

Color gamut in the case of a profile Adaptive display very wide - wider than DCI-P3:

In profile Movie AMOLED The coverage is a little narrower, it is almost equal to DCI-P3:

When selecting a profile Photo AMOLED coverage is adjusted to Adobe RGB boundaries:

When selecting a profile Basic coverage is compressed to sRGB boundaries:

Without correction, the spectra of the components are very well separated:

In case of profile Basic with maximum correction, the color components are already noticeably mixed with each other:

Note that on screens with a wide color gamut (without appropriate correction), the colors of regular images optimized for sRGB devices appear unnaturally saturated. Hence the recommendation: in most cases, watching movies, photographs and everything natural is better when choosing a profile Basic, and only if the photo was taken on Adobe installation RGB, it makes sense to switch the profile to Photo AMOLED. Likewise, profile Movie AMOLED appropriate when viewing video material with DCI-P3 coverage adopted in digital cinema.

The grayscale balance is good. The color temperature is close to 6500 K, while in a significant portion of the gray scale this parameter does not change very much, which improves the visual perception of color balance. The deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) remains below 10 units across most of the gray scale, which is considered good for a consumer device:

(The darkest areas of the gray scale can in most cases be ignored, since color balance there is not of great importance, and the measurement error color characteristics at low brightness it is large.)

For some reason only when selecting a profile Adaptive display It becomes possible to adjust the color balance by three adjustments of the intensity of the primary colors, but due to the too wide color gamut in this profile there is no point in correcting the balance.

There is a fashionable function nowadays Blue light filter, for which a more or less correct description is even given in the settings (in the menu at the level above there is nonsense written about “reducing eye strain,” but oh well):

Why such a correction can be useful is described in the article about the iPad Pro 9.7. In any case, when having fun with a tablet or smartphone at night, it is better to reduce the screen brightness to a minimum, but still comfortable level, and only then, to calm your own paranoia, turn the screen yellow with this setting.

Let's summarize. The screen has a very high maximum brightness and has excellent anti-glare properties, so the device can be used outdoors even on a sunny summer day without any problems. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. It is acceptable to use a mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works adequately. The advantages of the screen include an effective oleophobic coating, as well as a color gamut close to sRGB (if you choose the right profile) and good color balance. At the same time, let us recall the general advantages of OLED screens: true black color (if nothing is reflected in the screen), a noticeably smaller drop in image brightness than LCDs when viewed at an angle. Disadvantages include modulation of screen brightness. For users who are particularly sensitive to flicker, this may cause increased fatigue. However, overall the screen quality is very high. Separately, we note that from the point of view of image quality, curved edges are only harmful, since this design discovery introduces color tone distortions and reduces brightness at the edges of the picture, and in ambient light conditions it leads to inevitable glare along at least one long side of the screen.

Camera

The front module has a sensor with a resolution of 8 megapixels and a fast lens with an f/1.7 aperture without its own flash, but with autofocus. The shooting quality is impressive: the clearest, brightest picture with high detail and good sharpness across the entire field of the frame is obtained.

There's a Sticker mode that lets you add fun details to your portraits. But here the quality, naturally, is much lower. It is clear that such a program can always be installed on any other smartphone, but here it is already built in by default. Naturally, there is a self-portrait correction function (you can change skin tone, narrow your face, correct the shape of your eyes, etc.).

The main camera is a set of two modules with the same resolution of 12 megapixel matrices, but different lenses: one with an f/1.7 aperture, the second with an f/2.4 aperture. The main lens with 2x optical zoom allows you to get high-quality photos even in zoom mode. Both modules are equipped optical stabilization images.

The Live Focus function allows you to take spectacular pictures with bokeh (blurring the background), and with the ability to choose the depth of field. With dual-lens capability, the camera can take two shots at once: the main lens focuses on the details of the subject while the wide-angle lens captures the wider picture.

In manual settings mode, you can change the shutter speed (from 1/24000 to 10 s), photosensitivity (ISO 50 - 800), white balance, select focus type and exposure compensation). In this mode, you can save pictures in RAW format(in parallel with JPEG).

The camera can shoot video in a maximum resolution of 4K, as well as in Full HD (1920×1080) at 60 and 30 fps. Image stabilization works in all top modes, which is commendable. Compared to most modern mobile devices, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 camera copes well with video shooting, although stabilization sometimes adds some “jelly-like” distortion. And yet the image is clear, smooth, with good sharpness and high detail, almost accurate color rendition. The sound is also recorded clearly and cleanly, the noise reduction system with additional microphones copes with its tasks adequately.

• Video No. 1 (87 MB, 3840×2160@30 fps, H.264, AAC)
• Video No. 2 (59 MB, 3840×2160@30 fps, H.264, AAC)
• Video No. 3 (135 MB, 3840×2160@30 fps, H.264, AAC)
• Video No. 4 (39 MB, 1920×1080@60 fps, H.264, AAC)

	The text is well done.
	The camera copes well with macro photography.
	Good sharpness and detail in the field of the frame and in the plans.
	The camera does indoor macro photography well.
	Nice work with shadows.
	Sharping is practically absent.
	Even in the shadows the detail is good.

There's not much to say about a good camera other than that it's good. It's nice to know that progress in the field of smartphone cameras still does not stand still, and both “camera” giants delight us with new products this fall. Apparently, Samsung has stopped chasing frame size and dubious “features” that other manufacturers try to attach to their cameras in order to create the illusion of progress. Now quality is again at the forefront, and camera modules are still not working at one hundred percent, so they are being forced to do better.

JPEG	RAW
Lighting ≈ 3200 lux
Lighting ≈ 1400 lux
Lighting ≈ 130 lux
Lighting ≈ 130 lux + flash
Lighting ≈ 1 lux + flash.

The wide-angle module has not changed much: it still does not abuse software processing, works well on details across the field of the frame and according to plans and practically does not cause any complaints. Even if the maximum resolution value in JPEG is not so high compared to its competitors, RAW fully compensates for this. The manufacturer has not yet managed to overcome noise in low light enough to eliminate its influence on resolution measurements.

26 mm	52 mm

The fashion for telephoto lenses in smartphones has continued for two years now. Someone simply inserts a camera with a telephoto lens and then, recognizing the attempt as unsuccessful, tries to come up with a specific use for the module, while others bring it to fruition, creating a full-fledged “television camera”, almost as good as a wide-angle one. It was the second path that Samsung took, and now the smartphone has a telephoto lens that allows you to shoot distant objects in high quality with good detail. In fact, the smartphone now has a full-fledged 2x optical zoom.

Traditionally, we can conclude that the camera will do an excellent job with any subjects.

Telephone and communications

The communication capabilities of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 are rich: they include support for data transmission in most bands of LTE FDD and TD networks. Naturally, all the most common frequency bands in our country are supported (Band 3, 7 and 20 FDD LTE). There is also support for four TDD LTE bands (Band 38-41). LTE Cat.16 supported (up to 1 Gbps). In the city limits of the Moscow region, the device behaves confidently, the quality of signal reception is not satisfactory, the device demonstrates high speeds in the usual test places, and quickly restores communication after a break.

Two Wi-Fi bands are supported (2.4 and 5 GHz) VHT80 MU-MIMO, 1024-QAM, there is Bluetooth 5.0 LE, ANT+, you can organize a wireless access point via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth channels. Eat NFC module, but, unfortunately, it does not work fully with Troika travel cards and the “My Travel Card” application.

The navigation module works with GPS (with A-GPS), with the domestic Glonass and the Chinese Beidou. During a cold start, the first satellites are detected within tens of seconds, and the positioning accuracy in the Moscow region is satisfactory. There is a built-in magnetic field sensor for compass operation.

The phone application supports Smart Dial, that is, while dialing a phone number, a search is immediately carried out by the first letters in contacts. Methods for sorting and displaying contacts are standard for Android; contacts can be sorted by last name or first name, the same with displaying the caller's contact. There is a variant of the smartphone with support for two SIM cards, but our test unit only worked with one.

Software and multimedia

The software platform uses Android OS version 7.1.1 with the ability to update over the air (OTA). The proprietary shell here is the same as that of the Samsung Galaxy S8+, with the exception, of course, of programs for working with an electronic pen.

The electronic pen, the tip of which in the Galaxy Note 8 has become noticeably thinner compared to the Galaxy Note 5 (it is only 0.7 mm thick versus 1.6 mm), can recognize 4096 degrees of pressure. With it, you can cut complex shapes from images to share or paste into other images, and you can create handwritten photo captions and animated GIFs. There was even a social network called Penup, a special place to share your S Pen creations. Notes, as before, can be written down without waking up the screen when it is in Always On Display mode.

Another feature of modern Samsung Galaxy S and Note devices is the ability to use the curved sides of their screens. Due to the almost complete absence of a side frame, these sides of the screen are accessible for finger interaction. As before, you can display an illuminated virtual strip on the side of the screen, which, when pressed, opens a menu responsible for quick contacts and instant access to the most used applications. Also here it becomes possible to select and save any part of the screen with further text recognition.

There are few additional programs, and those that exist are represented mainly by a familiar set of proprietary utilities (Samsung Gear, Connect, Health, etc.), as well as a family of Microsoft applications. Noteworthy is the Game Launcher, which improves system performance when launching selected games to improve the gaming experience and allows you to record gameplay on video.

To listen to music, only the standard one is provided Google player Play Music, complemented by a powerful set of manual settings and equalizer presets, as well as Adapt sound technology for headphones. The smartphone comes with dual-driver AKG headphones with good sound quality for their level. The sound of the main speaker is not that impressive. It produces a rather monotonous and flat sound, without noticeable depth and richness, although there are no complaints about the purity and volume reserve.

The voice recorder with several settings demonstrates excellent sensitivity, the smartphone is quite suitable for recording interviews and lectures.

Performance

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 hardware platform is built on the Samsung Exynos 8895 Octa SoC with 8 cores in two clusters: 4 Exynos M1 cores with a frequency of up to 2.3 GHz and 4 ARM Cortex-A53 cores with a frequency of up to 1.7 GHz. The SoC is made using a 10nm process technology. The Mali-G71 video accelerator with support for graphics processing is responsible for graphics API Vulkan. The RAM capacity is 6 GB, and the built-in flash memory is 64 GB, of which about 2.7 GB of RAM and 51.7 GB of ROM are initially available. You can purchase more expensive options with 128 or 256 GB of flash memory.

It is worth noting that, traditionally for Samsung, Galaxy devices can be based on different SoCs: there is a modification of the Galaxy Note 8 on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 platform. The question of supply of one or another modification will depend on the region.

It is possible to expand the memory by installing microSD cards, and you can transfer applications to a memory card.

According to the results of SoC tests, Samsung Exynos 8895, as expected, showed maximum results; this is Samsung’s most powerful mobile platform at the moment. The smartphone confidently copes with any tasks in real scenarios, and thanks to a powerful video accelerator, it can handle any demanding games. Using the built-in Game applications Launcher can not only record gameplay on video, but also enable full-screen mode in any of the games. Despite the unusual aspect ratio of the screen, even if there are warnings, the game still ends up running without any problems.

Testing in comprehensive tests AnTuTu and GeekBench:

For convenience, we have compiled all the results we obtained when testing the smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks into tables. The table usually adds several other devices from different segments, also tested on similar latest versions benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry figures). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison it is impossible to present the results from different versions benchmarks, so many worthy and relevant models remain “behind the scenes” - due to the fact that they once passed the “obstacle course” on previous versions of test programs.

Testing the graphics subsystem in gaming tests 3DMark, GFXBenchmark and Bonsai Benchmark:

When testing in 3DMark, the most powerful smartphones now have the ability to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (which can cause the speed to rise above 60 fps).

Browser cross-platform tests:

As for benchmarks for assessing the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowance for the fact that their results significantly depend on the browser in which they are launched, so the comparison can only be truly correct on the same OS and browsers, and this is possible during testing not always. For Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.

AndroBench memory speed test results:

Thermal photographs

Below is a thermal image rear surface obtained after 10 minutes of battery testing in the GFXBenchmark program:

The heating is highly localized above the center and close to the left edge, which seems to correspond to the location of the SoC chip. According to the heat camera, the maximum heating was 41 degrees (at an ambient temperature of 24 degrees), this is the average heating in this test for modern smartphones.

Playing video

To test the omnivorous nature of video playback (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Internet. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is often impossible to process modern options using processor cores alone. Also, you shouldn’t expect a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are summarized in a table.

Further testing of video playback was performed Alexey Kudryavtsev.

This device supports DisplayPort Alt Mode for USB Type-C - outputs image and sound to an external device when connected to a USB port. We tested working in this mode together with a monitor that has a USB Type-C input, as well as with (the company). Video output is carried out in 1080p mode at 60 Hz frame rate. When the smartphone screen is in portrait orientation, the picture on the Full HD monitor is displayed with the height inscribed and with wide black margins on the sides, and in landscape orientation, the image is displayed in width with narrow black margins at the top and bottom. Note that at the same time as image and sound output, you can connect a mouse and keyboard to your smartphone via USB, turning it into a basis for a workstation, but for this, the adapter or monitor must allow connection external devices. The manufacturer also offers one that allows you to use regular peripherals for your workplace.

To test the output of video files on an external screen (4K files only) and on the screen of the device itself, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Method for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)"). Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped determine the nature of the output of frames of video files with various parameters: the resolution varied (1280 by 720 (720p), 1920 by 1080 (1080p) and 3840 by 2160 (4K) pixels) and frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 fps). In the tests we used the MX Player video player in the “Hardware” mode. The test results are summarized in the table:

Note: If in both columns Uniformity And Passes exhibited green estimates, this means that, most likely, when watching films, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and frame skipping will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect the viewing comfort. Reds marks indicate possible problems related to the playback of the corresponding files.

According to the criterion of frame output, the quality of playback of video files on the screen of the device itself is very good, since frames (or groups of frames) can be output with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without skipping frames. When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 (1080p) on a smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly along the narrow border of the screen, extending to the bends. The picture clarity is high, but not ideal, since there is no escape from interpolation to the screen resolution. However, for the sake of experimentation, you can switch to the one-to-one mode by pixel, there will be no interpolation, but the features of PenTile will appear: the vertical world through the pixel will be in a grid, and the horizontal one will be slightly greenish. The latter is true only for test worlds; the described artifacts are absent in real frames. The brightness range displayed on the screen actually corresponds to the standard range of 16-235: in the shadows there are about six, and in the highlights there are only a couple of shades merging with black and white, respectively. Note that this smartphone supports hardware decoding of H.265 files with a color depth of 10 bits per color, but the screen output is carried out in 8-bit mode.

Battery life

Fixed battery, installed in the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, has a capacity of 3300 mAh. Not to say that the hero of the review demonstrates records of autonomy, but in principle, given the huge high-resolution screen, everything is not so bad.

In real life, the device behaves the same way as most modern smartphones: it confidently survives until the evening charge, but you can’t count on more.

Testing has traditionally been done at normal power consumption levels without using power-saving features.

Continuous reading in the Moon+ Reader program (with a standard, light theme) at a minimum comfortable brightness level (brightness was set to 100 cd/m²) with auto-scrolling lasted until the battery was completely discharged for about 15 hours, and when continuously watching videos in high quality (720p) with the same brightness level after home network The Wi-Fi device operates for less than 12 hours. In 3D gaming mode, the smartphone can work up to 4.5 hours.

Fast charging is supported, the smartphone is charged from its own AC adapter within 1 hour 20 minutes with a current of 1.25 A at a voltage of 9 V. Wireless charging the smartphone also supports it, but charger will have to be purchased separately.

Bottom line

Thanks to the presence of an electronic pen with wide functionality (and accompanying software), the Galaxy Note series devices still have virtually no competitors among smartphones, so the manufacturer sets an even higher price for them than for very expensive ones Galaxy flagships S (in this case - S8 and S8+). Galaxy Note 8 is truly a mobile device that not everyone can afford. And most importantly, it cannot be said that the buyer pays 70 thousand rubles for uncompromising capabilities: not all the characteristics of the Korean tablet phone are the best of the best. At a minimum, this concerns autonomy, which is far from record-breaking. Well, the sound of the speaker (and only one, although many top competitors have a stereo pair) cannot be compared, for example, with the recently introduced Huawei Mate 10. But in terms of photography quality, the Galaxy Note 8 is one of the best mobile devices on the market. Many people also really like the design - the sleek, smooth contours of the glass panels with strongly rounded sides appealed to the taste of most users. There are no complaints about the quality of the display, the widest communication capabilities, or the hardware power of the device.

In general, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, like its closest relatives the Galaxy S8 and S8+, is a case where convincing or advising is useless, since part of the audience has a strong love for the Korean brand and always has its own special opinion on this matter. We can only add that the story of fires in the previous model of the Note 7 series followed by a recall from sale left no chance for thoughts like “whether to switch from previous version to a new one? For users who truly need the functionality of an electronic pen, with the Galaxy Note 7 disappearing from sale, too much waiting time has passed and there are practically no alternatives left. And this time the company simply had to take care of the safety of loyal users with triple force, so the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is certainly one of the safest smartphones on the market.

The updated Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is fantastic and super secure, but it lacks distinctive features. Here's our first review.

Samsung Galaxy Note owners have always been cut from a different cloth. The original Galaxy Note popularized "phablets" back in 2011, and many previous Note 7 owners loved their devices so much that they refused to return the recalled smartphones, which had a tendency to catch fire and explode.

In a global study of more than 4,000 Note users, Samsung reported that 8 out of 10 Note owners used the word “love” to describe their device. 85% said they were proud to display and recommend the phablet, and 74% described it as best phone, which they have ever owned. Samsung said Note owners are its most loyal and active customers. They use their phone more, take more photos, watch more videos, and use social media more.

But with great love comes great responsibility, and Samsung has realized that this is not a justifiable and critical problem in the Galaxy Note 7, it is their fault. “Our take on it is that we've learned why and applied that knowledge to new products,” said Tim Baxter, president and CEO of Samsung Electronics North America. “We're going to continue to offer a high level of innovation and bring it to consumers and enterprise users as we have done in the past.”

Samsung believes that the well-received Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus have significantly improved the company's brand status in the eyes of the customer, which brings us to the Note 7 successor.

In this Galaxy Note 8 review, we found that Samsung has done a great job with its latest flagship. Should I replace my S8 with it? Probably not, but it's a huge leap for Notes 5 owners.

Edge-to-edge screen and familiar Galaxy Note 8 design

Place the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 next to the Galaxy S8 Plus and you'll notice the same front-facing infinity display, known as the edge-to-edge design. You get far more screen real estate than ever before on all four sides, while maintaining a fairly small bezel. The S8 Plus has a 6.2-inch screen, while the Note 8 has a slightly larger 6.3-inch screen. It's hard to call it a phablet when the overall dimensions are slightly larger than 5.5-inch phones like the Google Pixel.

Three features distinguish Galaxy design The Note 8 from the S8 Plus features a bottom-mounted S Pen, dual cameras on the back, and the classic angular Note series look that's always been a departure from the curvier Galaxy S.

The Note 8's edges are sharper than the S8's, giving it a more boxy feel. This is the only noticeable difference at the front. The rear panel houses a dual-camera setup that protrudes slightly from the surface, and unfortunately, the fingerprint sensor is still in an awkward, hard-to-reach spot.

The headphone jack is still present at the bottom, next to the USB Type-C charging port and the acoustic grille. The power button is on the right, and the volume rocker is on the left, above the dedicated Bixby assistant button. You can use the Bixby button to call virtual Samsung assistant, which debuted on the Galaxy S8.

For those used to traditional 5.5-inch smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 won't feel big or awkward in the hand, as it's a bit narrower than many devices.

The Super AMOLED Infinity Display curves all the way to the back of the Galaxy Note 8 and has a resolution of 2,960 x 1,440 pixels (521 pixels per inch). The screen is bright and, like most Samsung phones, the colors are a bit oversaturated. However, it has deep blacks and a stunning edge-to-edge design that makes watching movies and videos more immersive.

Improved characteristics

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 has many of the same specs as other 2017 flagship smartphones. Namely Snapdragon processor 835 from Qualcomm (or Exynos 8895 from Samsung on international devices). However, instead of the 4GB of RAM found on the Galaxy S8, the Note 8 comes with 6GB. Is such a large amount of RAM really necessary?

In my short time with the phone, the Note 8's performance felt smooth and snappy. Apps opened quickly, easily scrolling through web pages that felt heavy. Multitasking was also no problem.

The Galaxy Note 8 has a MicroSD card slot, although native storage will be 64GB for US devices and 128GB or 256GB for international markets.

The phablet has NFC (Near-field communication), as well as MST technology for Samsung Pay payments. This means you'll be able to pay at restaurants using bump-to-pay terminals or most traditional magnetic credit cards.

IP68 water and dust resistance means you won't have to worry if you accidentally drop your Note 8 in the pool.

Updated software

Even though Android 8.0 Oreo was released this week, the Galaxy Note 8 will ship with Google's Android 7.1.1 operating system. Samsung said it is working to bring the update to the phone quickly, but did not share a timetable. Following the company's timeline for Nougat on the Galaxy S7, don't expect to see Oreo on the Note 8 until early 2018.

Samsung's TouchWiz UI is layered on top of Android, and it succeeds. The interface looks sleek and doesn't feel sluggish. Multitasking is a priority as one of the main features that Samsung has packed is called App Pair. It's accessed through the Edge Panel, a slide-out tray on the edge of the Home screen to which you can add apps, contacts, or other items for quick access.

Pair allows you to install two apps that you can run simultaneously in split screen mode. For example, configure the launch of a calendar above the application and telephone dialing, with just one click.

The Note 7's retinal scanning technology, which is used to unlock your phone, is also available on the Galaxy Note 8, along with facial recognition and a fingerprint sensor, giving you more biometric ways to unlock your smartphone.

S PEN stylus features

Compared to the Galaxy Note 5, the S Pen has been significantly improved, but keep in mind, it is almost the same stylus that was found on the Note 7. It has the same pen tip, which is close to the size of a ballpoint, measuring 0.7mm , which supports 4,096 degrees of pressure. The S Pen on the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 understands when you want a line to be thick or thin based on how hard you press (thanks to an on-screen pressure sensor).

The S Pen stylus is hidden at the bottom edge of the Galaxy Note 8, and it's slim and fun to use. This is an iconic feature of the Note series, and includes exciting new features like Live Messages, which let you quickly jot down a message or drawing and send it as animated GIF to your friends or on social networks.

You'll be able to pin notes to the displayed screen, edit them there, and even add up to 100 scrollable pages. The S Pen Note 8 can also translate text and increase its size by up to 300 percent or more. It also has an IP68 rating, meaning it can be used underwater.

Samsung has finally added dual camera to your devices. The Galaxy Note 8 has a dual 12-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization (OIS). The first lens is wide-angle with an f/1.7 aperture, while the second telephoto lens has an f/2.4 aperture.

There have been a lot of dual camera phones this year, it's nothing new. Exists Live mode Focus, which is similar to the portrait mode in the iPhone 7 Plus. It allows you to take a photo of an object with a lot of blur around it, simulating a DSLR camera. But, Live Focus is a step up from Apple's implementation because you can control how much blur you want before and after you take the photo. Dual Capture mode lets you take close-up photos and wide-angle shots at the same time, so you don't have to choose between capturing one or the other in the moment.

One of the most impressive additions is OIS on both Note 8 lenses. This means that when you go to 2x optical zoom or higher, your images are less prone to blur due to shaky hands.

The Galaxy Note 8 has an 8-megapixel front camera, and there are Snapchat masks that you can add to your face using the camera app.

Safe battery

The battery capacity of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is smaller than that of the S8 Plus, instead of 3,500 mAh it is 3,300 mAh. Samsung probably doesn't want to make it bigger, especially since the battery was the main cause of problems in the Note 7. Despite this, battery safety doesn't seem to be a concern. Samsung provided a quote from UL Consumer, an independent third party that tested the Note 8's battery.

“We are working closely with Samsung to make significant advances in smartphone quality and safety assessment,” said Sajeev Yeshudas, President of Consumer at UL. “As a result, Galaxy Note 8 has successfully completed a rigorous series of protocol tests for device and battery compatibility.” The new Note 8 went through the same 8-level battery safety checks as the Galaxy S8.

The battery is expected to last no more than a day on a single charge, if not less. The S8 Plus has a large battery and lasts almost a full work day. We'll have to test the Note 8's battery further, but we don't expect it to last all day.

Like most flagship Samsung smartphones, Note 8 supports wireless and fast charging technologies.

Availability and price of Samsung Galaxy Note 8

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will be available in four colors: black, orchid grey, blue and gold. Blue and Gold will only be available internationally. The black version and gray orchid are planned to be sold in a wider range, online and through retailers. Smartphones will be available starting September 15. Pre-orders begin August 24th.

Depending on where you buy the Galaxy Note 8, the price will vary. But in any case it won't be cheap. Prices for the Galaxy Note 8 will range from 930 to 960 US dollars (55,000 to 57,000 rubles). If you pre-order a smartphone from August 24 to September 24, you will get the opportunity to choose a free samsung cameras Gear 360 or maps Samsung memory 128 GB EVO+ and fast wireless charger.

The Note 8 is the second Samsung phone to be compatible with Dex Station, which lets you turn your smartphone into a work interface. It should be noted that in its marketing campaign, Samsung will compare many of the "improvements" in the Note 8 to the 2015 Galaxy Note 5.

Bottom line

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 does not have innovative features. It's a slight improvement over the non-explosive battery Galaxy Note 7, which is similar to the Galaxy S8 Plus. But, it's a good phone, and for people who have a Note 5, it's definitely a worthy upgrade.

If you are looking for a phone now, look at the reviews section, there you can find a device for every taste and budget.

Benefits of Galaxy Note 8

• Gorgeous display
• IP68 waterproof
• S Pen stylus
• Both rear cameras with ISO

Disadvantages of Galaxy Note 8

• Fingerprint sensor location
• No Android 8.0 Oreo OS

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 preview - video

If you find an error, the video does not work, please select a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

Samsung has been at the forefront of Android development for many years and makes some of the most technologically advanced smartphones on the market. In turn, the most technologically advanced Samsung devices were and remain the Galaxy Note smartphones. Unfortunately, last year was very unsuccessful for this line and due to mass defects and multiple cases of fire, Note 7 was discontinued and withdrawn from sale. This year, it was more important than ever for the manufacturer to make the perfect flagship; Note 8 came out in an updated frameless design with an unreal 6.3-inch screen, a powerful system-on-a-chip and a dual main camera. I simply could not help but review this model, and did so as soon as the opportunity arose.

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Appearance and ergonomics

The packaging of the Galaxy Note 8 is quite consistent with the status of a flagship device; the black box is covered with a matte film that is pleasant to the touch and has an unusual opening method. Inside the box, in addition to the smartphone, you can find as many as seven accessories: a synchronization cable, a power adapter with support for fast charging, an adapter from micro USB to USB type C, a USB Type C male to USB Type A female adapter, a set of pen nibs with a special a tool for removing them, a paper clip for opening SIM tray, and AKG in-ear headphones with replaceable ear pads.

The smartphone belongs to the third generation of devices in a glass case; Samsung has thoroughly developed its hand in creating such cases over the past three years. If some things looked ridiculous and illogical, then in the new product all design elements are in their places. The transition between glass and metal is truly seamless, with the high-gloss lacquered finish of the aluminum frame blending perfectly with the glass back and front surfaces. There is no corporate logo on the front, and the number of shiny elements on the body tends to zero, even the cap of the pen very neatly sticks out from the body. The company is consistently getting rid of the Asian design and this is good, the Galaxy Note 8 is definitely a beautiful device. Speaking about the appearance of the smartphone, one cannot fail to note the fact that the so-called framelessness looks and feels very impressive. But it’s not just about the spectacular appearance, the lack of frames made it possible to fit a huge 6.3-inch diagonal screen into a case comparable in size and weight to a case in which the screen diagonal is only 5.5 inches! A significant advantage of the new product is protection from water and dust according to the IP68 standard, which means that the device can operate underwater at a depth of one meter for more than 30 minutes, while the iPhone can only be submerged for a short time to a depth of no more than one meter.

In addition to the standard six buttons for Android, the Note 8 has another side button that calls up the proprietary voice assistant Bixby. It is possible to reassign this button to any other function, but for this you will have to download a special application. The smartphone has a rather unusual implementation of the Home button; it is virtual, but at the same time physical. The fact is that in the place where the Home button is located there is a pressure-sensitive area, so you can press it at any time, even when it is not displayed on the screen. The main feature of the Galaxy Note line was and remains the electronic pen, which provides more precise input compared to a finger, which allows you to write notes, more accurately select areas of the screen and take screenshots, and even draw. For me personally, the most requested feature was the ability to take handwritten notes on the locked screen.

Screen

The Note 8 screen is the pinnacle of engineering and at the same time the main advantage of the smartphone. An AMOLED matrix with a diagonal of 6.3 inches and a resolution of 2960 * 1440 pixels is installed here, even taking into account the pentile, the effective resolution will be no less than 2094 * 1018 pixels. There is support for HDR, the contrast is almost endless, and the maximum brightness reaches an unrealistic 1240 cd/m²! The native color gamut of the matrix is ​​almost one and a half times greater than sRGB; in addition, the screen can operate in P3 and sRGB modes, for which it is ideally calibrated at the factory. One reputable English-language resource called the Note 8's screen the best among smartphones at the moment, and it's hard to argue with them.

It’s a shame that Android doesn’t allow you to fully exploit the capabilities of such a screen, because... normal management of color profiles. I advise the user to switch to Basic mode, in this case the colors will be displayed without distortion. I would like to find fault with the curved edges of the screen, which distort the image, but only slightly; in last year’s Galaxy S7 Edge, everything was much worse in this regard. The Always On Display function deserves special mention; if it is active, the clock, battery charge, alarm information, today’s schedule and the Home button will be displayed on the screen of a locked Note 8. This function has virtually no effect on battery life due to the features of the AMOLED screen.

Hardware platform and performance

The US version of the Note 8 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835. The review includes the international version, which runs on the Exynos 8895 Octa SoC of its own design. The system-on-chip includes four “strong” cores, four “weak” cores and a Mali-G71 MP20 video accelerator, 6GB LPDDR4 RAM. Internal memory is 64GB, there is a slot for a memory card. It would be unnecessary to say that the smartphone has a huge performance reserve, as evidenced by benchmark numbers and everyday experience.

Traditionally for Samsung, optimization at the OS level leaves much to be desired, which is why the Note 8 may be slightly inferior to its competitors in a head-to-head comparison of operating speed. I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that the smartphone’s body does not heat up under any conditions; even after the fifth AnTuTu run in a row, it remains cold, and the test results may even increase (!). I declare with all responsibility that the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is the coldest smartphone I have ever tested.

Cellular communications and interfaces

The review includes a smartphone model number SM-N950F/DS, it has two slots for nanoSIM cards and one radio module. The card tray is hybrid, which means that either two SIM cards or one can be installed at the same time SIM card and one memory card. The Note 8 modem supports all used Russian operators cellular communication frequencies LTE. Familiar set wireless modules supplemented with a Bluetooth module of the fifth version with a peak transmission speed of 2 Mbit/s. Interesting feature Bluetooth module is the ability to transmit sound simultaneously to two pairs of wireless headphones. The wired interface complies with the USB 3.1 Gen 1 standard with a Type-C connector and data transfer speeds of up to 450 MB/s.

Battery and autonomy

Some may think that the 3300 mAh battery installed in the Note 8, given the huge screen and flagship hardware, may not be enough for good autonomy. But Samsung engineers have once again worked a miracle; the smartphone shows confident results in mono tests, and in mixed mode it can easily last from early morning until midnight under average or above average load. Of course, Note 8 supports fast charging technology, in which the supplied power adapter will charge a completely discharged battery to 100% in 1 hour 25 minutes (from 0% to 75% in 55 minutes).

Note. Testing was carried out in appropriate modes with the maximum resolution set to 2960*1440 according to the method: – listening to music on headphones at maximum volume with the screen turned off; – viewing 1080p video from the device memory at 50% backlight brightness and maximum sound volume in headphones; – active browsing (constantly opening new tabs, actively scrolling pages, etc.) via Wi-Fi at 50% backlight brightness; – 3D games (Real Racing 3) at 50% backlight brightness.

Cameras, photo and video quality

Samsung Galaxy Note 8	Apple iPhone 8 Plus

The quality of the resulting photos is traditionally excellent for Samsung. In absolutely all objective parameters, the Note 8 camera is one of the best today. Problems with strong software sharpening and oversaturated colors are a thing of the past; smartphone images demonstrate a truly mature approach to image creation. As before, the camera tends to make photos appear warmer.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8	Apple iPhone 8 Plus

The disadvantages can very roughly be attributed to two points. Firstly, although there is no vigorous oversharping in the camera, in some photographs the processing algorithms still tend to exaggerate small details, showing them as if schematically. Secondly, shadows are often cut off in contrasting scenes; large areas of the photo do not carry any information about color, they are simply black. I would not focus your attention on such points in the review of yet another Chinese flagship killer. But Note 8 received the maximum score in the DxOMark test and many consider it the best camera phone, and accordingly, the requirements for it are higher.

The greatest advantage of Galaxy smartphone cameras has been and remains the most discreet and accurate HDR mode. The dynamic range, as expected, expands by selecting the edges of the spectrum, but the algorithms do not try to push out the middle of the spectrum or somehow embellish the picture. Implementation this mode very similar to that of the iPhone.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 HDR	Apple iPhone 8 Plus HDR

The front 8-megapixel camera is equipped with a lens with an F1.7 aperture and an equivalent focal length of 25 mm. Photos taken this camera They turn out quite good, but nothing more.

The smartphone records video in a resolution of up to 3840*2160 pixels at 30 fps, although, like all modern Android smartphones, the video duration is limited to 10 minutes; when shooting video in FullHD resolution, there is no such limitation. The picture quality in the resulting footage is excellent; in this regard, the Note 8 is second only to the iPhone. Optical and electronic stabilization works during recording; it effectively suppresses shake when shooting handheld while standing, but in footage taken on the move there is a pronounced jelly effect. The system camera has a slow motion mode in HD resolution at 240 fps, while all 240 frames and sound are recorded in the file.

Operating system features

The smartphone out of the box runs on the Android 7.1 operating system with Samsung's proprietary shell installed on top. The manufacturer has thoroughly redesigned the graphical interface of the system and most of the system applications; in addition, several proprietary applications have been added.

Samsung Connect– an application for controlling smart home elements: TVs, speakers, robotic vacuum cleaners, washing machines and more.

Samsung Health– an application for logging physical activity and physiological indicators, such as: blood pressure, caffeine consumption, blood oxygen saturation level, number of steps taken, heart rate and others. Some indicators can be recorded using the smartphone itself, for example, the pulse is measured by a sensor located to the right of the main camera; for others, additional devices will be needed.

Galaxy Apps- Samsung's proprietary application store. I personally don’t understand why it is needed.

Samsung Gear is an application for working with companion devices: smart watches, fitness bracelets and wireless headphones. It allows you to manage battery consumption, internal and RAM memory, and device security.

Samsung Members– an application for access to the club of owners of flagship Samsung smartphones.

Samsung Pay– an application for the mobile payment service of the same name, which has been operating in Russia since last fall.

Samsung Notes– a note-taking app deeply integrated with the S Pen.

Worthy of special mention is the ability to work with Note 8 in desktop mode using the DeX docking station with appropriate interface adaptation. The smartphone is connected to DeX via a USB connector, and the monitor, mouse and full-fledged keyboard are connected to the docking station itself. All native and some third party applications fully adapted to work in this mode.

To summarize, let’s briefly go over the main positive and negative aspects of the new product. The advantages of Note 8 include: a nice body with neat transitions between glass and metal, a huge screen with accurate color reproduction and a large brightness margin, a powerful and cool system-on-a-chip, excellent main cameras with perfectly implemented optical zoom, decent sound in headphones and good, although not record-breaking, autonomy. The disadvantages, very loosely, include the clumsy and not the most convenient shell over Android and the high cost. The frustrating fact is that there is essentially nowhere to use the extended color gamut of the screen; even the system camera takes photos and encodes them in sRGB, let alone the rest of the content. The conclusions about the new product will be exactly the same as they were two years ago in the review of the fifth laptop, namely: Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is the most advanced smartphone on Android, and if not the best representative of the green robot camp, then definitely one of the best. Despite this, I will not advise anyone to buy it, because it is very expensive.