Samsung Galaxy Note8 Smartphone Review & Comments

Makes my purchase of an S8+ for £550 a few months ago seem like a bargain. Apart from the pen and smaller battery can't see much for extra £300!
 
Makes my purchase of an S8+ for £550 a few months ago seem like a bargain. Apart from the pen and smaller battery can't see much for extra £300!

That's not a fair comparison though - you're comparing the reduced price of an S8+ against the RRP of the Note 8, the difference in rrp of the two is under a hundred pounds and after the initial launch excitement and the Note 8 is available under RRP, I suspect the difference will be even smaller. I wasn't fussed at all about the Note 8 initially as I've never really used the S-pen on my previous Notes however I do like the sound of the much flatter display as I find the curve on the S8 and previous Edge phones irritating.

John
 
Not sure I'd want to subscribe to a company who's president has just been jailed for corruption.
Corruption is the most endemic problem in society and business today and I don't feel it's morally correct to support any company that condones it. IMHO
 
Not sure I'd want to subscribe to a company who's president has just been jailed for corruption.
Corruption is the most endemic problem in society and business today and I don't feel it's morally correct to support any company that condones it. IMHO
Good luck buying anything then!
 
That's not a fair comparison though - you're comparing the reduced price of an S8+ against the RRP of the Note 8, the difference in rrp of the two is under a hundred pounds and after the initial launch excitement and the Note 8 is available under RRP, I suspect the difference will be even smaller. I wasn't fussed at all about the Note 8 initially as I've never really used the S-pen on my previous Notes however I do like the sound of the much flatter display as I find the curve on the S8 and previous Edge phones irritating.

John
I'm talking about my own personal experience, I still have my old note 2 and I had a note 4 that packed up and my tablet is 10 inch 2014 model that I use all the time. Sso I
That's not a fair comparison though - you're comparing the reduced price of an S8+ against the RRP of the Note 8, the difference in rrp of the two is under a hundred pounds and after the initial launch excitement and the Note 8 is available under RRP, I suspect the difference will be even smaller. I wasn't fussed at all about the Note 8 initially as I've never really used the S-pen on my previous Notes however I do like the sound of the much flatter display as I find the curve on the S8 and previous Edge phones irritating.

John
i was more referring to my own personal experience than saying it as a fair comparison. I still have my Note 2 as my spare phone and had a Note 4 that sadly packed up :( otherwise i'd probably still be using it and my tablet is a Note 10.1 2014 edition I use every day.

I am really enjoying the S8+ especially for the price is got it for. This Note 8 just looks like a very safe boring version and really unexciting...I was hoping for a 4 k screen which would really enhance the excellent VR experience....and a more powerful processor...I cannot understand why the battery is smaller than the S8+
 
I cannot understand why the battery is smaller than the S8+
Is it? The review doesn't say that.
Battery Life
Battery life was good, though I sometimes think that phone batteries take a week or more to settle down so you never know. This cell has been deliberately downsized after the Note7’s problems. That’s even though the display is bigger than last year’s model. Even so, the phone kept going happily for a full day with no problem. It’s boring to say this again as it’s a common theme with phones, but providing you recharge each night, you are unlikely to have problems
 
Is it? The review doesn't say that.
I read that it was a 3000 mAh compared to the S8+ 3200 ..but however its 3300 mAh

still seems somewhat conservative, when the cheapo Lenovo P2 which can be bought for under £170 can safely put in a 5100 mAh
 
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I'm talking about my own personal experience, I still have my old note 2 and I had a note 4 that packed up and my tablet is 10 inch 2014 model that I use all the time. Sso I

i was more referring to my own personal experience than saying it as a fair comparison. I still have my Note 2 as my spare phone and had a Note 4 that sadly packed up :( otherwise i'd probably still be using it and my tablet is a Note 10.1 2014 edition I use every day.

I'm not sure what you're referring to here? Are you meaning you couldn't wait for the Note 8? Either way it's misleading to claim there's a £300 difference in the devices when there isn't aside from a very specific set of circumstances, the price difference is likely to be relatively small in reality.

I am really enjoying the S8+ especially for the price is got it for. This Note 8 just looks like a very safe boring version and really unexciting...I was hoping for a 4 k screen which would really enhance the excellent VR experience....and a more powerful processor...I cannot understand why the battery is smaller than the S8+

A 4K screen brings a lot of tradeoffs and there isn't a more powerful processor they could use, they could have a slightly upclocked processor but in reality it's not going to make any difference in practice. I certainly would like to have seen more product differentiation with the Note series in particular a more functional, practical and flat build rather than the super fragile build of the S8 but functional devices don't seem to have enough mainstream appeal. Certainly I'm keen to see a Note 8 in the flesh, if the display isn't that much flatter in practice I'll probably leave it.

The Note 8 needs internal space for the S-pen which means a slight reduction in the battery size, with no S-pen the S8+ has more internal space for the battery.

John
 
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I read that it was a 3000 mAh compared to the S8+ 3200 ..but however its 3300 mAh

still seems somewhat conservative, when the cheapo Lenovo P2 which can be bought for under £170 can safely put in a 5100 mAh

The S8+ is 3500Mah, the Note 8 is 3300Mah - if you look at the teardown on the ifixit you can see the Note 8 needs a lot of internal space for the S-pen which reduces the space for the battery, the S8+ has no S-pen and doesn't need to free up the space.

The Lenovo P2 opts for a large battery but weaker specifications elsewhere, despite having a much smaller display than the S8+ the P2 is bigger and heavier. Again, looking at the teardown of the Samsungs, you can see how tightly everything is packed in. Making phones deeper are unpopular in the current competition to make devices as pointlessly thin as possible.

John
 
Phones have reached the point now where they are just too expensive even on contract for the first time I have not got a new phone when my contract expired
 
Phones have reached the point now where they are just too expensive even on contract for the first time I have not got a new phone when my contract expired

In addition to that it's frustrating there's not much in the way of significant upgrades and many of the new phones are both very fragile and difficult or impossible to repair, even a simple battery change.
 
Why good luck?
There are other choices and manufacturers besides Samsung who make better products.
If you think corruption is a good thing to support then that's your choice.
If you count tax dodging as corrupt or those that sell their products based on poorly paid exploited workers then you name me a huge company that isn't,
 
I'm not sure what you're referring to here? Are you meaning you couldn't wait for the Note 8? Either way it's misleading to claim there's a £300 difference in the devices when there isn't aside from a very specific set of circumstances, the price difference is likely to be relatively small in reality.
I was referring as I thought I had stated based on my own circumstances
I have bought Notes in the past but I really needed a phone at the time I bought my S8+ so I went for it instead of waiting,
At the price I got it for and the disappointing specs of the Note 8... I'm glad I didn't wait
 
Had a brief play with a note8 in the shop. I had dismissed it, the price and functionality upgrades over my note 4 just didn't seem worth it. However, in the flesh it's a stunning piece of hardware. I love the size and fluidity. I'm now trying to justify the price.
 
LOL
Smudge the lens as you use the fingerprint scanner?? Try washing your hands more often then.
If that fails you, try increasing your hand - eye co-ordination and your dexterity.
Either of these things will help you to be able to use a phone without ham-fisting it into grimy oblivion. :)
 
If you count tax dodging as corrupt or those that sell their products based on poorly paid exploited workers then you name me a huge company that isn't,
That will be a very short list, indeed.
 
That's not a fair comparison though - you're comparing the reduced price of an S8+ against the RRP of the Note 8, the difference in rrp of the two is under a hundred pounds and after the initial launch excitement and the Note 8 is available under RRP, I suspect the difference will be even smaller.
John
True, but at the launch of the Note 8 it's still a valid point that the S8+ is £300 cheaper. Anyone looking to buy a phone now would have to think very hard as to whether the Note 8 was worth £300 extra for them. Historical prices are kind of irrelevant; It's what they cost today that counts. I would not pay £300 more for the Note if I needed a phone.

Initial RRPs can often be misleading and sometimes it's best to ignore them.
 
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True, but at the launch of the Note 8 it's still a valid point that the S8+ is £300 cheaper. Anyone looking to buy a phone now would have to think very hard as to whether the Note 8 was worth £300 extra for them. Historical prices are kind of irrelevant; It's what they cost today that counts. I would not pay £300 more for the Note if I needed a phone.

Initial RRPs can often be misleading and sometimes it's best to ignore them.

I don't know where the £550 price comes from but it's not a standard selling price from any current retailer, the cheapest from Smartfonestore and amazon.it are over £600. I agree with your point that initial RRPs are misleading and that's why I'm saying comparing a heavily reduced phone against an initial rrp is misleading, at the moment the only way to compare like for like is to compare the rrps and that's likely the largest price difference there will be, in reality it will be smaller.
 
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True, but at the launch of the Note 8 it's still a valid point that the S8+ is £300 cheaper. Anyone looking to buy a phone now would have to think very hard as to whether the Note 8 was worth £300 extra for them. Historical prices are kind of irrelevant; It's what they cost today that counts. I would not pay £300 more for the Note if I needed a phone.

Initial RRPs can often be misleading and sometimes it's best to ignore them.

The only places I've seen the 8+ for £550 is dodgy Chinese imports on Amazon and eBay.
On all the UK networks the 8+ is still about £770
 
The only places I've seen the 8+ for £550 is dodgy Chinese imports on Amazon and eBay.
On all the UK networks the 8+ is still about £770
I picked up mine on the bay for £550 Inc one off PayPal £50 discount, full uk spec and perfect (non red tinge) screen so I'm well chuffed. I had returned a pink screen one back to VERY that had cost me £715 for a refund beforehand
 
The only places I've seen the 8+ for £550 is dodgy Chinese imports on Amazon and eBay.
On all the UK networks the 8+ is still about £770
When you say 'dodgy', can I take it you're implying they are fakes? Of course, you have to be careful buying from unknown companies or individuals. I have bought my last 4 phones either directly from contract, Apple and Dixon's for fear of being ripped off!

The missus bought me an 'unlocked' iPhone 4 from an Amazon seller which turned out to be locked. The seller had the cheek to suggest I swap carriers! With the refund I bought an iPhone 5 so everything worked out in the end.
 
In addition to that it's frustrating there's not much in the way of significant upgrades and many of the new phones are both very fragile and difficult or impossible to repair, even a simple battery change.
Yep. Im still on my note 4 on a cheaper rolling contract after my 2 year one ended. Had to replace the battery not long ago as the phone would die even when it was saying there was still 20-30% left.
 
When you say 'dodgy', can I take it you're implying they are fakes? Of course, you have to be careful buying from unknown companies or individuals. I have bought my last 4 phones either directly from contract, Apple and Dixon's for fear of being ripped off!

The missus bought me an 'unlocked' iPhone 4 from an Amazon seller which turned out to be locked. The seller had the cheek to suggest I swap carriers! With the refund I bought an iPhone 5 so everything worked out in the end.

The Chinese imports aren't fakes but are grey imports, generally models intended to be sold in countries outside the EU. There can be decent price savings particularly as vat and duty tend not to be paid on them but the problem is the warranty in most cases isn't valid in the Eu so if you have a problem, you're at the mercy of the retailer to get it shipped back to the original territory it was sold in which can be time consuming and problematic hence the 'dodgy' comment.
 

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