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The 5 biggest differences between Samsung’s Galaxy S8 and upcoming Note 8

Published Jul 5th, 2017 10:27AM EDT
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Vs Galaxy S8
Image: Zach Epstein, BGR

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In the weeks following its release last year, the Galaxy Note 7 quickly became the most beloved Samsung smartphone of all time. It was the fastest and most powerful smartphone Samsung had ever built at the time, and it also featured what was by far the sleekest design and the most impressive software enhancements. Then, it all went up in smoke. Literally.

Expectations for Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Note 8 couldn’t be higher, especially considering the Note 7’s untimely demise. The good news is that just about everything we’ve heard so far paints a very enticing picture of things to come. We’ve seen the Note 8’s specs leak, and BGR exclusively revealed the phone’s final design earlier this week. With all that in mind, let’s take a look at five of the biggest differences between the upcoming Galaxy Note 8 and Samsung’s current flagship phones, the Galaxy S8 and S8+.

Display Size

Samsung’s Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ were the first two smartphones to feature the company’s new Infinity Displays. Samsung’s new design is gorgeous, that the screens on both phones are huge and stunning. But rumor has it the Galaxy Note 8 will sport an even bigger 6.3-inch Super AMOLED screen with Quad HD resolution.

Better screen-to-body ratio

Speaking of displays, size isn’t the only area where the Galaxy Note 8’s display will shine. The phone will supposedly feature a screen-to-body ratio that is even more impressive than the 83% achieved by the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. Among widely available top-tier smartphones, 83% is the number to beat right now.

S Pen

The S Pen stylus is the signature feature of the Galaxy Note series, and Samsung’s new Galaxy Note 8 will reportedly feature several key S Pen upgrades. We’ve heard that there will be improvements to the hardware as well as new software features, and Note fans will undoubtedly appreciate both.

RAM

RAM is obviously just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to smartphone performance. As we saw recently when the OnePlus 5 became the first smartphone ever to beat the iPhone in real-world speed tests, however, RAM can be a pretty big piece of said puzzle. According to rumors, the Galaxy Note 8 will pack 6GB of RAM. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ only have 4GB of RAM in most markets, including the United States.

Price

While all of the differences above are areas where the Note 8 will be better than the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, the last one is the opposite. Samsung’s current flagship phones are already incredibly pricey, but the Galaxy Note 8 will reportedly take things to the next level. According to recent reports, the phone could come with a base price of around $1,000.

Zach Epstein
Zach Epstein Executive Editor

Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 10 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.

His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.