Samsung has finally unveiled the Galaxy Note 8 after much anticipation and a bunch of accurate leaks. While the South Korean company is claiming to the "next level", the new Galaxy Note 8 has many similarities with the previously launched Galaxy S8. The company has continued its trend of using an Infinity Display technology, iris scanner and an IP68-certified build. However, the Galaxy Note 8 does have some significant features that are making a whole new offering on the ground. We are here highlighting top five of them to help you pick the best among the Note 8 and the Galaxy S8.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 vs. Galaxy S8
Unlike the Galaxy S8 that Samsung is primarily targeting at the market segment of high-end, flagship smartphones, the Galaxy Note 8 is designed to be an ultra-premium model that aims to influence customers looking for a phablet (smartphone-plus-tablet). It is also worth noting here that the Galaxy Note 8 is the successor of the last year's Galaxy Note 7 that had brought turmoil for the company. Thus, Samsung has taken some serious measures to make the Galaxy Note 8 a real comeback for its Note lineup as well as the entire Galaxy range.
Having said that, the Galaxy S8 appears to be a reference design and the inspiration for the new Note model. Whether you look at the design or read their specs list, you'll find a deep closeness between the two. So where are the differences?
Smartly designed S Pen
Just like the previous Galaxy Note models, the Galaxy Note 8 comes with an S Pen. The pressure-sensitive stylus allows you to easily jot down important notes or sneak peek a video from your gallery.
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Samsung has also provided an improved tip on the new S Pen that is finer than the one that was debuted with the Galaxy Note 5. Additionally, there are features like a screen off memo to deliver you a completely different experience from the Galaxy S8.
Dual camera setup
With the arrival of the Galaxy Note 8, Samsung has finally entered the market of dual-camera setup. This is something that the Galaxy maker missed while launching its flagship S8 -- either strategically or technically. The Note 8 has a 12-megapixel Dual Pixel camera sensor with a wide-angle, F1.7 lens and optical image stabilisation (OIS) and a 12-megapixel telephoto sensor with an F2.4 lens. Both the sensors jointly make the smartphone capable of capturing objects with 2x optical zoom. Also, the dual-sensor system enhances image results by adding more contrast and vivid colours over the Galaxy S8.
More storage and memory
Unlike the Galaxy S8 family that was debuted in March with 4GB of RAM, the Galaxy Note 8 is the first in its range that take on contenders such as the HTC U11, Honor 8 Pro and OnePlus 5 with 6GB of RAM. The new Note also has 128GB and 256GB storage variants that have much more space than the 64GB Galaxy S8 and S8+.
Heavier build
While the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8 have least differences visually -- except the changes in their dimensions, one thing that separates the latter from the former is the weight. The Galaxy Note 8, due to a larger existence, weighs 195 grams -- which is 40 grams greater than the 155 grams weight of the Galaxy S8.
Animated messages
The last major feature that differentiates the newly announced Galaxy Note 8 with the Galaxy S8 is a fresh messaging experience. Called Live Message, the new feature allows you to send animated texts and drawings using the S Pen. The feature seems to be designed to Apple's iMessage that was enhanced with the iOS 10 release last year.
So, these are the features that are separating the two high-end Galaxy models. But it is yet to see how these features would help the Galaxy Note 8 compete against Apple's upcoming iPhone 8. Meanwhile, Samsung is set to start selling the new offering to make things difficult for the whole competition.
