Why Galaxy Note 8 Release Date In Late-September Makes Much More Sense
After the recent barrage of reports claiming Samsung had plans to release its Galaxy Note 8 smartphone on weekend dates in August, a new claim from tech informant Evan Blass suggests the manufacturer may instead unveil its upcoming smartphone in late September.
While the new claim remains unconfirmed by Samsung, it sounds a lot more plausible than the Galaxy Note 8 being released on a Saturday. Blass was unable to pinpoint an exact date for the supposed September launch, but this time frame would likely allow Samsung to continue hosting a standalone unveiling event for its premium device.
There has been a considerable buzz about the Galaxy Note 8 release date, primarily because of fallout due to the Galaxy Note 7. Pundits and fans are anxious to see whether Samsung will maintain the August timeframe, under which it has unveiled Galaxy Note devices for the last two years, or if the manufacturer may choose another option, such as returning to the IFA conference for the Galaxy Note 8 launch in early September.
Read: Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Release Date Likely Not Aug. 26; Here’s Why
A return to mid-to-late September would be a return to an even older launch strategy for Samsung. In the past Galaxy Note smartphones were unveiled as late as October. Many generations were released to market between late-September and mid-October.
However, Samsung’s strategy changed following the launch of the Galaxy Note 4, which became available in 2014, the same year Apple introduced its new design for the iPhone 6. Buzz surrounding the iPhone 6 urged Samsung to release the Galaxy Note 4 earlier than it intended in markets such as Korea.
Samsung insists as a niche product, the Galaxy Note devices are not in direct competition with the iPhone. However, the following year the Galaxy Note 5 launch jumped from between September and October to August. The device was in stores approximately one week after being announced. The Galaxy Note 7 was unveiled nearly two weeks earlier than the Galaxy Note 5, though that device hit stores in a similar mid-August timeframe.
Reports have indicated that the Galaxy Note 7 suffered from battery and design flaws due to being rushed to market ahead of the iPhone 7 unveiling. Several incidents of handsets exploding lead to two recalls and the device’s ultimate discontinuation.
After its massive product loss, Samsung delayed the Galaxy S8 launch, which was originally slated for late February until late March. However, a March launch and April release are also reminiscent of older Galaxy S models, such as the Galaxy S4, which remains one of Samsung’s most popular to date.
Read: Samsung Giving Up On Galaxy Note 8 Display-Embedded Fingerprint Sensor
Samsung devices following the Galaxy Note 7 are subject to a rigorous eight-point safety test before being determined as viable for sale. Recent reports also suggest Samsung has once again scrapped its display embedded fingerprint sensor for a capacitive sensor on the rear panel of the Galaxy Note 8, which could indicate possible last-minute design changes for the smartphone.
These could all be reasons Samsung might opt for a later release for the Galaxy Note 8 rather than an earlier launch. So far, there have been reports on whether Galaxy Note 8 is in mass production.
Blass’ source also revealed the Galaxy Note 8 may sell with a €999 price tag, which could mean the device may sell for around $900 in the U.S. Some prospective specifications for the device could include a 6.3-inch display, 6GB of RAM and a 3,300mAh battery, in addition to some commonly rumored features, such as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 and Exynos 9985 chips. The Galaxy Note 8 may sell in black, blue, and gold color options.
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