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Will the Galaxy Note 8 beat the iPhone 7 Plus in the 2017 camera wars?

Published Jun 29th, 2017 9:49PM EDT
Galaxy Note 8 Camera Specs
Image: Zach Epstein, BGR

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The Galaxy Note 8 will have the best camera Samsung ever made. That’s something I could tell you right off the bat, without even looking at rumors and leaks. That’s because Samsung improves the camera experience on its flagship handsets every year, looking to fulfill its longtime dream to beat Apple in every department. But it just so happens that there’s a new Galaxy Note 8 camera rumor in town that says the phone’s dual-lens setup will be better than anyone else’s, implying that it’ll beat the iPhone 7 Plus in this round of the camera wars.

According to SamMobile’s insiders, the Galaxy Note 8’s camera will “offer better image quality and better background defocus (in portrait mode) than competing smartphones with similar dual-camera solutions.”

That sounds great, of course, especially as there are plenty of phones to feature dual lens shooters, including the iPhone 7 Plus, the recently launched OnePlus 5, the LG G6, the Huawei P10, and others.

The Galaxy Note 8 is expected to feature a dual lens setup with 13-megapixel sensors on each lens, the report says. One will RGB and the other monochrome. We’re looking at f/2.0 lenses, and optical image stabilization is apparently included.

It’s very likely the camera setup will be marketed as Isocell Dual. Samsung’s looking to establish a strong Isocell brand for smartphone cameras, and Isocell Dual is the sub-brand that will likely apply to the Galaxy Note 8.

Oh, and yes, we definitely expect the Galaxy Note 8 to be the first flagship smartphone to sport a dual lens camera. The rumors said so for months, and the first images based on CAD designs, including one that BGR obtained earlier this week, seem to confirm it.

All that remains now is to wait until late August when Samsung should unveil the Galaxy Note 8 in New York.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.