Samsung Seeks to Restore Reputation With Flame-Free Note 8

Samsung Seeks to Restore Reputation With Flame-Free Note 8

The stakes are high for Samsung’s rollout of the Note 8, after the previous model’s exploding battery fiasco last year, according to Bloomberg. “None of us will ever forget what happened last year,“ Samsung Mobile chief executive DJ Koh told a New York audience at the phone’s unveiling.

Like the Note 7, the new smartphone sports a big screen and advanced features to make it a more versatile device compared with Samsung’s main Galaxy S8 flagship product. Like its predecessors, it includes a stylus. By keeping the same brand name, Samsung is making clear that the Note 8 is an iterative device, and signals that it thinks it’s fixed the problems with the previous version.

The most significant change in the Note 8 is a larger display that curves at the edges like the S8. The 6.3-inch AMOLED screen is noticeably bigger than the Note 7’s 5.7-inch touchscreen and slightly larger than the Galaxy S8+’s 6.2-inch display. Although many phone makers are working on ways to get a fingerprint scanner built into the display, the Note 8, like many other models, will have one in the back.

The Note 8 also has new features for the stylus. The bigger screen also lets users swipe from the display’s edge to launch two paired apps at a time in a split view. The new smartphone will sport a battery of 3300 mAh, slightly smaller than the Note 7’s.

The new smartphone from Samsung will also feature an upgraded camera system that sports two lenses on the back for the first time. Like the iPhone 7 Plus, the advanced optics let users take pictures that can determine depth so that the background behind a person’s profile can appear blurred. The Note 8 will also support Gigabit LTE, a faster networking technology for browsing the web and downloading content, which the next iPhone won’t have, Bloomberg News has reported.

The company also posted information about a new smartwatch online. Called the Gear Fit 2 Pro, it will be water-resistant and capable of tracking swimmers, two features that became available on the Apple Watch in 2016. In an interview, Koh confirmed the company is also working on a smart speaker to take on Amazon’s Echo and Apple’s upcoming HomePod, but he didn’t disclose details or timing.

In the U.S., the Note 8 is available for pre-order and will hit stores on Sept. 15. Former Note 7 owners are eligible for a special offer on Samsung.com where they’ll receive an instant trade-in value of up to $425 when they upgrade their current phone for a Note 8.