Click to Skip Ad
Closing in...

The curious case of the ugly Galaxy Note 8 design

Published Jul 19th, 2017 7:45AM EDT
Galaxy Note 8 Release Date
Image: Zach Epstein, BGR

If you buy through a BGR link, we may earn an affiliate commission, helping support our expert product labs.

The Galaxy Note 8 will be unveiled in about a month, which means it’s the talk of the town right now in Android universe. We know the handset will represent a bigger Galaxy S8 version that will feature additional features including a dual rear camera on the back and a built-in stylus. We’ve also seen countless leaks showing the phone’s purported design. But, just like with the iPhone 8, there are two kinds of leaked images out there, the good and the bad kind.

The iPhone 8’s design that everyone hates seems to be history, as Apple chose not to place a fingerprint sensor on the rear.

The Galaxy Note 8’s “ugly” design is the one that shows an all-screen handset with asymmetrical top and bottom bezels. A steady stream of images, including a design posted by well-known smartphone leaker, show a top bezel that’s a lot bigger than the Galaxy S8’s — here’s @OnLeaks’ Galaxy Note 8 render posted in late June:

Image source: 91mobiles

If this is the actual design, what would be the purpose of such a top bezel? We have no idea. But a Chinese case maker used exactly the same design in a marketing image that made it’s way to SlashLeaks :

Image source: SlashLeaks

A picture showing the rear side of the phone also matches the @OnLeaks CAD-based design:

Image source: SlashLeaks

Almost every other Galaxy Note 8 render you’ll find online right now shows a Galaxy S8-like design, which is exactly what we want from the phablet.

Samsung will unveil the Galaxy Note 8 in late August, with the phone expected to launch in select markets by early September.

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.