Last year was not that good for Samsung because of the Galaxy Note7 fiasco. But let's all leave the past behind with introduction of the Galaxy Note8 at the Unpacked event in New York City. Visually, it looks a lot like the Galaxy S8+, which has been blown up, of course, but with sharper edges. It has the same metal and Gorilla Glass 5 construction with a curved, bezel-less display (at least on the sides), IP68 certification (water and dust resistant), and an extra side button dedicated to Bixby. At the back, it has not one, but two cameras, a first for a Samsung flagship, and an awkwardly placed fingerprint scanner. As with the Galaxy Note7 and Galaxy S8/S8+, it will also have an iris scanner. And like all Galaxy Notes in the past, the Galaxy Note8 will come with latest iteration of the S Pen (with 4,096 pressure levels).
Image by Samsung
As mentioned, the Samsung Galaxy Note8 drew a lot of inspiration from the Galaxy S8/S8+. The Galaxy Note8 also comes with a 6.3-inch Infinity Display, consisting of a Super AMOLED panel, an 18.5:9 aspect ratio, curved side edges, HDR 10 compliance, and a Quad HD+ resolution (1,440 x 2,960 pixels). Ticking inside Samsung's new flagship phablet is an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 836 (US version) or an octa-core Exynos 8895 SoC (international version) with 6GB RAM and 64GB/128GB/256GB of expandable storage. In terms of software, the Galaxy Note8 will roll out with Android 7.1.1 Nougat on board with the Samsung Grace UX on top. Samsung DeX, S Pen-specific features, Smart Connect, Samsung Knox, and Bixby will all come standard. All these will be powered by a smaller than average 3,300 mAh battery, which supports both adaptive fast, Quick Charge 2.0, and wireless charging (Qi and PMA).
Image by Samsung
Camera-wise, the Galaxy Note8 will be the first Samsung flagship device to sport a dual camera module. It will have a combination of two 12-MP sensors, one with an f/1.7 aperture, wide-angle lens, and dual pixel auto-focus, and another one with telephoto lens, 2x optical zoom, and an f/2.4 aperture. Both sensors are also equipped with optical image stabilization (OIS). With this new setup, the Samsung phablet introduces its interpretation of portrait mode called Live Focus, where the user can adjust the amount of blur during and after taking the shot. The Galaxy Note8 also supports 4K video capture, hyper-lapse, time-lapse, and slow-mo video recording. There is also an 8-MP front camera with auto-focus and 2K video recording capabilities. When it comes to connectivity, the Galaxy Note8 has Bluetooth 5.0, LTE-A, dual-band Wi-Fi, dual-SIM support, NFC, GPS w/ GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, USB Type-C, Samsung Pay, 3.5 mm audio jack, and more.
Image by Samsung
The Samsung Galaxy Note8 will be available for pre-order on August 23, 2017 but it will be released on September 15, 2018. It will come in 4 color options: Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Maple Gold, and Deep Sea Blue. Aside from the AKG headphones inside the box, in some regions, the Galaxy Note8 will be bundled with Samsung Gear 360 camera or a DeX docking station or a wireless charging pad and a 128GB microSD card. It will officially retail for $930 in the US or €999 in Europe.
Lenovo took the wraps off the K8 Note in India. It is a phablet with a 5.5-inch IPS LCD, 2.5D glassm and 1080p Full HD resolution. Ticking inside is a deca-core MediaTek Helio X23 processor with 3GB/4GB RAM and 32GB/64GB of expandable storage. It also runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the the box.
Image by Lenovo
What makes it interesting is that it comes with a dual camera setup, considering its very affordable price of $203. The main camera is a 13-MP shooter partnered with a 5-MP depth sensor for achieving those bokeh effects. There is another 13-MP front-facing camera. Like its predecessor, the Lenovo K8 Note comes with a large 4,000 mAh battery. It also has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. Available in two variants, the K8 Note also comes in two colors: Venom Black and Fine Gold.
Meizu unveiled its most ambitious handsets yet. Meet the Meizu Pro 7 & Pro 7 Plus, which come with dual cameras and dual displays. To start, both devices pack a Super AMOLED display with the Pro 7 sporting a 5.2-inch display of 1080p Full HD resolution while the Pro 7 Plus comes with a 5.7-inch display of Quad HD resolution. Interestingly, both pack a secondary AMOLED touch panel at the back, which can be used as a viewfinder for the rear camera, manage notifications, and control audio. Aside from the display size difference, both Meizu handset also differ in the chipset department. The smaller Meizu Pro 7 is powered by a midrange MediaTek Helio P25 SoC with 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage while the larger Meizu Pro 7 Plus comes with a flagship-grade deca-core Helio X30 chipset with 6GB RAM and 64GB/128GB of internal storage. Do note that the Meizu Pro 7 may also come with the Pro 7 Plus' chipset configurarion in some markets. Both devices run Flyme 6 OS, which is based on Android 7.0 Nougat.
Image by Meizu
Moving on to another interesting feature of the Meizu Pro 7 duo is its dual camera system. Both the Pro 7 and Pro 7 Plus sport two 12-MP Sony IMX386 sensors with an f/2.0 aperture, one sensor is colored and the other is monochrome. In front, a 16-MP camera can be found, which is said to be good in taking low-light selfies. Other features of the Meizu Pro 7 duo are the mCharge 4.0 fast charging technology, a dedicated Hi-Fi chip for superior audio quality, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, a fingerprint scanner, and a smorgasbord of connectivity options. The Meizu Pro 7 has a respectable 3,000 mAh battery while the Pro 7 Plus comes with a larger 3,500 mAh battery.
Image by Meizu
Both Meizu phones will become available in August 2017. The Pro 7 will retail for $430 while the Pro 7 Plus will set you back $530. It is unsure yet if the smartphones will make it outside of its Asian turf.
Motorola unveiled another member of its Moto Z2 family - the Moto Z2 Force Edition. The new Moto smartphone comes with a 5.5-inch Quad HD POLED screen with ShatterShield display. The body of the phone itself is made from reinforced 7000 series aluminum and features a water repellent nano-coating. Under the hood is a flagship grade, octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC with 4GB RAM and 64GB of expandable storage (6GB RAM and 128GB storage in some markets). It runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box. Sadly, battery capacity has been reduced to 2,730 mAh, which still supports fast charging (15W TurboPower).
Image by Motorola
When it comes to camera, the Moto Z2 Force Edition packs a new dual camera system, consisting of two 12-MP Sony IMX386 cameras, with an f/2.0 aperture. One of the cameras captures in full color while the other one in monochrome and acts as a depth sensor. There is phase-detection auto-focus and laser auto-focus on board plus 4K video recording capability as well as dual-LED flash. A 5-MP front-facing camera with dual-LED flash is also on board. Connectivity-wise, the smartphone has NFC, dual-band Wi-Fi with MIMO, Bluetooth 4.2, LTE, and dual-SIM support. It does not have a 3.5 mm headphone jack and makes do with USB-C for data and audio. An adapter is provided in the box. Like other Moto Z2 smartphones, it has full support for Moto Mods.
Image by Motorola
Already up for pre-order in the US, the Moto Z2 Force Edition will also be available in Mexico, Brazil, and the EMEA market. It will set you back $720-$800 depending on where you get it. It will come in Super Black and Fine Gold color options but will also come in Lunar Grey, which is exclusive to T-Mobile.
Expanding its Q series range of smartphones, LG introduces the Q8. Announced in Italy, the LG Q8 runs Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box and will retail for €599 unlocked. Design-wise, the metal-clad LG Q8 mimics the LG V20, almost passing as a compact version of the latter. This means that the Q8 has a secondary screen on top for notifications. The LG Q8 has a 5.2-inch Quantum IPS display of QHD resolution. It is also protected by Gorilla Glass 4. In addition, the smartphone is IP68-certified, making it water-resistant and dust resistant.
Image by LG
Unlike the Q6, the LG Q8 is powered by flagship-grade Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset with 4GB RAM and 32GB of expandable storage. It also has a 3,000 mAh non-removable battery. Its other features include Hi-Fi DAC for superior audio quality and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. Imaging-wise, the Q8 sports a dual camera setup: a 13-MP sensor with 1.12 micron pixels and an f/1.8 aperture plus an 8-MP wide-angle sensor with 1.12 micron pixels. OIS (optical image stabilization) and 4K video recording are also in tow. There is also a 5-MP wide-angle secondary shooter.
Image by LG
Measuring 149 mm x 71.9 mm x 8 mm and weighing 146 grams, the LG Q8 is light but not quite small. There is no word yet if it will be launched outside Europe. Any takers?
