First off, to start the review,I just want to let everyone know that yes, I do still have all of my fingers. This is the Note8 not 7 so no, it doesn’t explode. Want to find out how they improved the Note8 and made it worth buying? Keep reading and you will see.
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FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Opening the box, I was happy to see the size of the phone. It’s large enough to justify the Note8 name, but not so large that it feels like you are holding a tablet. One thing I did notice when I first turned on the Note8 was the fact that there is more of a black area at the top of the screen than I would have liked, but it’s something I got used to. In the box you get the phone, charging cable and wall outlet, and a set of headphones. Yes, the Note8 has a headphone jack, no need for adapters or Bluetooth earphones.
SCREEN
The screen on the Note8 is a Super AMOLED screen that is 6.3 inches. The screen resolution is 1440 X 2960 with 552 Pixels per inch. This makes the Note8 one of the largest and clearest screens on the market by stats. The screen is made from Gorilla Glass 5 that helps protect it from minor drops and scratches. If you are using your phone to watch streaming movies, you will definitely be able to notice the clarity of the screen if your movies are HD. Also thanks to the screen size, you can easily watch movies on the go without straining your eyes. The screen itself can be made very bright so it’s best to set it on automatic to keep from blinding yourself if you try to look at it in the dark.
INTERNALS
Powering the Note8 is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor. This Octa-core processor runs at 2350 MHz to keep your phone quick and lag free, even when you are using multiple programs together on split screen mode. The system has 6GB of RAM which also helps keep you up and running. Internal storage for the Verizon Variant of the Note8 is 64 GB. You can expand your storage up to an additional 256GB with a microSD Card. Also the Note8 is Qi wireless compatible for wireless charging of your phone.
CAMERA
The camera on the Note8 is 12MP with an Aperture size of F1.7 with a focal length of 36mm. I know you are used to the bigger MP numbers up to 16 and 18 MP. The Dual Camera with this aperture gives near DSL quality pictures. Both close up and distance pictures appear very clear and are perfect for framing if you take photo’s while out on the town or at a birthday party. The front facing camera is 8 MP and works great for live streaming your events or even for your business.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
On the back of the Note8, Samsung has added their Fingerprint reader as well as a Heart Rate sensor and Pulse Oximitry reader. They pair this with their Samsung Health app which if you pair with their Smartwatch you can track multiple health statistics including those plus sleep and daily fitness.
One of the biggest reasons to buy the Note8 is the S-Pen. The S-Pen allows you to write directly on the screen as well as hand write notes either in the Note app, in your contacts, or multiple other places. You can also use the pen to edit photos.
There is no physical home button on the screen. Samsung has added a virtual home button that includes a home button, back button, and button to close all apps. What is nice is that Samsung has given you the ability to hide the virtual home bar in app. All you have to do is double tap the small dot on the left side of the home bar and the bar will disappear unless you slide up.
Bixby. Bixby is Samsung’s smart assistant. It is very similar to Google Asistant or Alexa. You can ask Bixby to set your alarm, Set reminders, check your calendar and so much more, just with your voice or the push of the Bixby button.
Edge Display. With the Samsung Edge display you can set your favorite contacts, favorite apps, see sports scores, stock market info, rss feeds, and multiple other items, all with a swipe of the side of the screen.
VERDICT
The Samsung Note8 is a worthy replacement of the Note5. If you are worried about the issues with the Note7, Samsung has taken care of batteries exploding. There have been verified reports of the Note8 not charging if you allow the phone to completely drain the battery. I can safely say that we have tested this twice and have had no issues with the phone not charging. The S-Pen works well and once you start using this you will probably wonder why you weren’t using the pen before. One of the downsides to the Note8 is the all glass body. While the Gorilla Glass does a good job on the screen, even little drops can crack the back of the phone as you can see from the photo. If you do purchase the Note8, make sure you get a case the same time to prevent these issues. Check out all of our case reviews HERE, plus our upcoming Otterbox Pursuit case review.
The Note8 comes backed by the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network that gives you the speed and reliability you want from your carrier
If you are a fan of Samsung phones, you will be very happy with the Note8. Head over to your local Verizon Store or check out VZW.com and pick yours up today.
