Samsung Galaxy Note 8 arrived with arrogance on the market to revive the phablet line with the pen. Performing and aesthetically beautiful, it is certainly not a device suitable for everyone.
Elegant aesthetic lines, but not so innovative
On an aesthetic level, Galaxy Note 8 is certainly very interesting. The "wow" effect provided by Galaxy S8 echoes in the phablet with the pen, which however does not have unique traits. It is simply a bit squarer than its smartphone version.
Therefore glass and aluminum are the main materials. Backpanel certainly not very oleophobic and the body of the phablet on the whole very delicate. Size of 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.6 mm and weight of 195 grams. The now traditional certification is also present IP68, which guarantees the protection of the device against water and dust.
Infinity display anche per Samsung Galaxy Note 8
Predictably, the phablet with the pen is also equipped with Infinity Display. The super AMOLED panel, with a typical 18: 9 aspect ratio, makes a fine show of itself with the bare minimum of edges. Maximum resolution 2K, previously set on FHD + to increase energy autonomy, and support forHDR.
It is useless to dwell on the goodness of visibility, flawless in practically all situations. I was a little disappointed with the automatic brightness adjustment, I had to intervene several times manually.
The central button, absolutely virtual, is the only one to enjoy 3D touch which allows the quick reactivation of the phablet. Not even theAlways On Display, with all its forms of customization and the now traditional attention to energy consumption. For me, it is undoubtedly one of the coolest features introduced on Samsung smartphones and phablets.
A technical sheet that is unrivaled
Under the body of Samsung Galaxy Note 8, a hardware equipment worthy of a high-level device.
- Processor: Exynos 8895, octa core
- RAM: 6GB
- Storage interno: 64/128GB
- Battery: 3300 mAh
- GPU: Mali-G71 MP20
- Main camera: 12MP dual sensor
- Front camera: 8MP with autofocus
Processor and RAM are well supported by a user interface that now hardly resembles the heavy Touchwiz. Samsung Experience, in the case of Galaxy Note 8 under Android 7.1.1, offers fluid use of the terminal. The hardware manages to give its best without ever going under strain. Even in gaming, I've never had any problems. Too bad about it speaker audio mono, which still offers good volume and crisp sound.
As for energy autonomy, a normal day of use can be covered without major problems. Present different forms of energy saving and fast charging via the entrance USB type-C. A complete recharge cycle takes about an hour and a half.
S-Pen, what a passion
Definitely, the peculiarity of the series Galaxy Note it is inherent in the presence of the pen. An aid for many professionals and beyond. This year, Samsung's smart stick is capable of even more things.
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In use I had no particular problems, but I realized that the combination with the Infinity Display is not the best. This is because the 18: 9 aspect ratio reduces side space, useful for resting your hand while taking notes.
The presence of digitizer, with sensitivity to 4096 pressure levels, allows you to draw with the phablet without particular problems.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is the first Galaxy with dual primary cameras
For the first time on a Galaxy series smartphone or phablet, the dual sensor for the main camera appears. The first (focal aperture f / 1.7), used for the main shot, is wide-angle lens. While the second (focal aperture f / 2.4) Is Telescopic and therefore allows an optical zoom (hybrid is more correct) up to 2X. Portrait mode definitely promoted and good zoom. Present optical and electronic stabilization, also for the benefit of videos, shot with maximum 4K resolution.
In my opinion, the inclusion of a dual camera - which takes advantage of all the technologies in the photographic field of the South Korean giant - has certainly added value to the phablet with the pen. However, I didn't notice much difference with the camera of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Plus version. The 8MP front camera has autofocus and offers interesting selfies.
High-performance but uncomfortable fingerprint reader. Upgrade the iris scanner
The sensor suite of Galaxy Note 8 it is very complete: accelerometer, brightness / proximity, compass, barometer, gyroscope and heart rate monitor. From the point of view of safety, present a good one fingerprint reader (placed for once again in an awkward position) and it iris scanner. The latter is slightly more powerful than the one present on the Galaxy S8 and S8 +, but it is not yet lightning-fast as one would expect.
Reception and forms of connectivity to the TOP
Excellent reception, the maximum form of mobile connectivity is theLTE. Do not miss the dual band Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC and GPS (with A-GPS, Glonass, Galileo and Beidou).
Samsung Galaxy Note 8: a concentrate of power, but not for everyone
With its strengths and weaknesses, overall I loved the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 very much. Aesthetically beautiful and decidedly powerful in practically every respect. However, given the high price and the great similarity with Samsung Galaxy S8 +, before choosing Note 8 it is necessary to ask yourself one question: "do I really need a smart pen?". If so, certainly the S-Pen is unrivaled on the current market. Otherwise, the performance of the super phablet with the pen is more or less the same as its "smartphone version", which however costs at the moment much less than the 1000 € recommended for Note 8. Finally, I remember that the gem of the South Korean giant it is also available in dual SIM version.
