Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Release Date Confirmed; Aug. 23 Unpacked Event Invites Sent

Samsung has confirmed weeks of rumors about when its next premium smartphone will be unveiled. The manufacturer will host an Unpacked event Aug, 23, where the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will likely be announced. Invites were sent out to press members Thursday afternoon.

Several launch date suggestions have circulated as rumors in recent weeks. Primarily, the Galaxy Note 8 was expected to be announced between the third and fourth weeks in August. Reports from earlier this week indicated that Samsung CEO, DJ Koh told Taiwanese press the smartphone would be announced in August; however, no date was specified. Other reports hinted at Aug. 23, as well as Aug. 20 and Aug. 26. The latter two dates were likely always implausible considering they are weekends.

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Following the August launch, the Galaxy Note 8 is expected to go on sale starting in September for major markets including U.S., Korea, China and Europe. Smaller markets are expected to begin selling the device in October. This release strategy is very similar to how Samsung released its Galaxy Note devices before more recent models like the Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy Note 7. Devices such as the Galaxy Note 4 and older models also hit stores in the September to October timeframe. However, after Apple released the redesigned iPhone 6 in 2014, Samsung pushed its Galaxy Note 7 release all the way up to August. It was likely a rush to market, which partially caused the demise of the Galaxy Note 7. That smartphone was unveiled Aug. 2, 2016.

The Galaxy Note 8 will be unveiled ahead of several rival devices, including the LG V30, which is expected to be announced Aug. 31 during the IFA conference and the upcoming iPhone, which will likely be unveiled in early September. Google may also reveal its Pixel 2 sometime in October.

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The Galaxy Note 8 release will, in particular, reveal what Samsung has done with the device’s design. Several leaks suggest the smartphone may have a thick upper bezel, slightly taking away from the thin-bezel infinity display first introduced on the Galaxy S8. The launch will confirm whether or not Samsung will once again include a rear fingerprint scanner on its premium smartphone. Reports indicate the manufacturer had to scrap plans to introduce an on-screen fingerprint sensor. Rumors also suggest the Galaxy Note 8 may have increased RAM and internal storage capacities but may feature a smaller battery than the Galaxy Note 7 and the Galaxy S8+.