Galaxy Note 8: Early Release Rumored In September Due To Slow S8 Sales

A new report claims that Samsung intends to release the Galaxy Note 8 early on Aug. 23. The reason why it’s going to arrive early seems to be the lower-than-expected sales performance of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus.

This new rumored release date for the Galaxy Note 8 was first reported by the South Korean website The Bell. The site claims that Samsung wants an early release for the phablet for two reasons: the slowing sales of the Galaxy S8 and the arrival of Apple’s iPhone 8.

The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus have both been successful in terms of the positive reception from both critics and consumers. However, sales have been slowing down for both devices in the past month. Samsung has only sold 9.8 million units of the Galaxy S8, while last year, it was able to sell around 12 million units of the Galaxy S7 and S7 Plus in the same two-month period, accoridng to The Android Soul.

READ: When Is Galaxy Note 8 Coming Out? A Rundown Of Samsung Release Date Rumors

This is apparently why Samsung decided to revise its release strategy for the Galaxy Note 8. The Bell claims that the South Korean company might unveil the device in early September, days before its release on the tenth.

The more obvious reason why Samsung wants to release the Galaxy Note 8 early in September is because that is the month when Apple typically unveils its new iPhones. This year in particular is very special since it’s the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, and a lot of rumors have been floating around about the iPhone 8. Releasing the Note 8 around the same time might not give Samsung the head start it wants, but it is aggressively competitive.

This isn’t the first time that the Galaxy Note 8 was rumored to be released early. It’s been previously reported that Samsung’s upcoming phablet might arrive in mid or late August. At the time, it was believed that Samsung wanted to reveal the Note 8 that early so that it can be showcased during IFA Berlin 2017, which happens from Sept. 1 - 6.

Another rumor that popped up in June claimed that the Note 8 would arrive in late September during the month’s second half. This was according to Evan Blass from VentureBeat. Blass has often been reliable for his leaks and insider sources, so his proposed release window seems to be a bit more likely.

READ: Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Release Date In Late-September Makes Much More Sense, Here’s Why

As for the rumored specs for the Galaxy Note 8, the device is expected to borrow most of the same design of the Galaxy S8. This includes Samsung’s AMOLED Infinity Display, which is believed to be a bit bigger at 6.3 inches. This also means that it will have the same unusual 18.5:9 aspect ratio.

Under the hood, the Note 8 is believed to be packing Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor along with 6GB of RAM. The Note 8’s battery is expected to have relatively smaller capacity of 3,300 mAh. This might be Samsung’s way of completely avoiding what happened with the ill-fated Note 7, which arrived with a defective 3,500 mAh battery.