Samsung delivered somewhat of a surprise when it confirmed the Note series would return this year in the form of the Galaxy Note 8.
The Note 7’s disastrous run left many thinking Sammy would forgo a new phablet in 2017, at least one with the Note branding, but it seems the company is pushing ahead.
And now that the Note 8 has been confirmed, you can cue the usual cavalcade of speculation and rumours, starting with this research note from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Related: Galaxy S8
According to the reputable analyst (via), the Note 8 could be Samsung’s first dual-camera phone when it arrives later this year.
Kuo predicts the South Korean firm will be adding two lenses to the phablet, and that the camera will be “the most important upgrade” on the handset.
He says the dual-cameras will come with 12-megapixel wide-angle CIS supporting dual photodiode (2PD), 13-megapixel telephoto CIS, dual 6P lenses, and dual OIS.
There will also be 3x optical zoom according to Kuo’s latest research note, in which he also claims the “Note 8’s dual-camera will be much better than that of iPhone 7 Plus, and likely match that of OLED iPhone.”
Other features likely to appear, according to Kuo, include a rear-facing fingerprint scanner, 6.4-inch QHD+ OLED screen, and either an Exynos 8895 process or Snapdragon MSM8998, depending on the region.
Response to the S8 has been more positive than expected according to Kuo’s research
An image purporting to show a prototype for the Galaxy S8+ emerged this week, complete with a dual-camera setup on the rear.
That suggests Samsung was close to including dual-cameras on the larger of its most recent flagship, but chose not to at the last minute.
If Kuo is on the money, then, it could be that Sammy made the decision to remove the dual camera from the S8+ and save the technology for its next Note handset.
Either way, there’s no way to be sure that the research note is accurate, so take it all with the usual pinch of salt.
In a separate note, Kuo goes on to claim that response from consumers to the recently launched Galaxy S8 and S8+ has been “better than expected.”
According to his research, the larger screen on the new phones has proved a hit with consumers, causing Kuo to increase his 2017 shipment predictions from between 40 million and 45 million units to between 50 million and 55 million units.
Let us know what you think of the prediction in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
