Galaxy Note 8 Is Pinnacle Of Smartphone Tech
PC Magazine|October 2017

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is a no-brainer. It takes the Galaxy S8, the best phone of the year so far, and adds dual cameras, a better screen, and the beloved S Pen stylus.

Sascha Segan
Galaxy Note 8 Is Pinnacle Of Smartphone Tech

The note 8 fills the shoes of the dearly departed Note 7 elegantly, and it’s certainly the best phone for creative types—but only those for whom price is no object. That’s because, at $930 for the T-Mobile model we reviewed, the Galaxy Note 8 is currently the most expensive flagship phone in the U.S.

PRICING AND DESIGN

Depending on your carrier, the Galaxy Note 8 is about $100 more than the Galaxy S8+. It’s $31.67 per month over 30 months on AT&T ($950), $40 per month over 24 months on Sprint ($960), $930 on T-Mobile, or $40 per month over 24 months on Verizon ($960). An unlocked model is $929.

Physically, the Galaxy Note 8 looks and feels like a larger Galaxy S8 (or, more to the point, an S8+). Its body is smooth, solid, and rounded. The screen has the very narrow bezels of the Galaxy S8, with slight sloping on the back reminiscent of the Note 5. This phone feels absolutely premium, and it comes in black or gray in the U.S. I’m a little concerned about durability, but no more so than with the S8 or with the current iPhones.

The Note 8 has both a USB-C port and a headphone jack. It’s compatible with Samsung’s Dex desktop dock, which essentially turns the phone into a desktop PC. But it’s too big to work with the current Gear VR headset. Samsung has a compatible model that will be available starting September 15 for $129.99.

The 6.3-inch, 2,960-by-1,440 screen has 15.63 square inches of area, larger than other competing displays. The Galaxy S8+ has 15.12, the LG V30 has 14.4, the Galaxy Note 5 had 13.88, and the iPhone 7 Plus has a mere 12.92. And yet the Note 8 doesn’t feel huge, because it’s tall, narrow, and nearly bezel-less. At 6.38 by 2.95 by 0.34 inches (HWD) and 6.88 ounces, it’s narrower, albeit taller and heavier, than the Note 5, and that width helps it fit in your hand.

This story is from the October 2017 edition of PC Magazine.

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