Samsung’s[1] Galaxy Note series phones have set benchmarks for the company, featuring the absolute best it has to offer in terms of mobile technology. The big differentiating factor from the S series has been bigger screens and the S-Pen stylus, and this formula has worked well for Samsung for years now. However, ever since the Galaxy S6 Edge+[2], the company has been fragmenting its S series too, offering multiple sizes, thereby slowly bridging the gap between the S and the Note series.
The Note brand took a hit because of the fiasco that was the Galaxy Note 7, but clearly, Samsung loyalists weren’t going to let it fade into the history books. According to the company, The Note 8[3] has seen a record number[4] of preorders and that demand has been equally strong in India too[5]. Samsung has launched the Galaxy Note 8 in India at Rs. 67,900, which is merely Rs. 2,000 more than the price of the 6GB version of the Galaxy S8+[6] (Review[7]). With barely any price difference between the two - though the S8+ is presently available at a discount[8] - common sense would suggest grabbing the Note 8 over the S8+, but is that all there is to it? Are the dual cameras and S-Pen worth the weight and potential ergonomics trade-off? We find out.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 design and build
The Galaxy Note 8 is more than just a slightly stretched Galaxy S8+. Its body is more rectangular and the curves at the corners are less pronounced. The metal frame on the sides is also thicker, with overall width rising to 8.6mm. This phone is also heavier at around...