Samsung Galaxy Note8 Price in the Philippines is Php 49,990, Pre-Order Starts on September 8, 2017

Through an exclusive 'Unpacked!' media event held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Makati City on August 23, 2017, Samsung Mobile Philippines formally unveiled the 2017 iteration to their popular Galaxy Note flagship smartphone series.

The follow-up to the infamous Samsung Galaxy Note7 of 2016 - which was recalled due to battery explosion hazard, the powerhouse Samsung Galaxy Note8 introduces a handful of "firsts" to this popular handset line by the Korean Giant.

Lets talk about these "firsts".

The SGNote8 is the first model in the Note series to don a Hardware-Home-Button-less Infinity Display, which is similar to what consumers will find on the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+. To be specific, the SuperAMOLED screen of this new phablet measures 6.3-inch and has a resolution of 1440 x 2960 pixels.

Also, this release is the first ever Galaxy Android smartphone to have a Dual Rear Camera module. Made up of Dual 12 MegaPixel optics with differing f/1.7 and f/2.4 apertures and field of views, this set-up gives Galaxy Note8 2X Lossless Zoom capability and LiveFocus, which is Samsung's version of Depth of Field or Bokeh Effect.

This background defocus effect is more or less similar to what you'll experience on the Apple iPhone 7 Plus. This mimics - to some extent - the bokeh effect that can achieved when using a DSLR with at least f/1.8 lens.

You can watch a demo of the Dual Camera features and learn more about the other key selling points of this new flagship phablet via our Quick Review video of the Samsung Galaxy Note8:


For those who enjoy taking videos, the phone's rear camera set-up also shoots 4K clips at 30 frames per second and benefits from Optical Image Stabilization as well as Auto-HDR for video recording.

Samsung Galaxy Note8's front-facing selfie camera has 8 MegaPixel resolution, f/1.7 aperture, and auto-HDR.

One of the key features and main selling points of the Note line is its S-Pen capacitive stylus support. And like its predecessors, this release will likewise have this -- with even more natural and more accurate handwriting support.

In terms of design and construction, the Samsung Galaxy Note8 looks and feels almost exactly like the Galaxy S8 and S8+ as it has the exact same glass-metal-glass sandwich build. The main difference is that this phablet has a more squarish or masculine footprint.

In terms of internal hardware, the new Note is more or less just as powerful as the older Galaxy S8 and S8+. In Asia, Galaxy Note8 units will run its Grace-UI-skinned Android 7.1 Nougat operating system with a 64-Bit Octa Core 10nm Exynos 8895 processor that's complemented by 6GB of RAM for multitasking, and expandable storage starting at 64GB.

Personally, I love the fact that flagship Galaxy models still have a 3.5mm audio jack. I often use a lapel microphone when recording videos using my handset for better quality and as such, I totally appreciate this feature. I would imagine that you'd also like this if you love listening to music on the go -- even if there are already many wireless earphones in the market.

Samsung Galaxy Note8 will be up for pre-order in the Philippines starting on September 8, 2017 until the 17th with prices starting at Php 49,990. The stylus-toting phablet will be out in a number of downright elegant colors, namely, Midnight Black, Orchid Grey, Deep Sea Blue, and Maple Gold.

Smart Communications, the Philippines largest network, will likewise offer the Samsung Galaxy Note8 bundled with their leading postpaid plans.

TechPinas Smartphone Technical Specs Table (TSTST)Name : Samsung Galaxy Note8
Type : Slate Form Factor (Full Touchscreen), Phablet with Stylus
Price Category : High-End (Flagship Level)
Dimensions : 162.5 x 74.6 x 8.5 mm
Weight : (TBD)
Available Colors : Orchid Grey, Deep Sea Blue, Midnight Black, Maple Gold
Operating System : Android 7.1 Nougat with Grace UI
Display : 6.3 inches (~83.1% screen-to-body ratio), 1440 x 2960 pixels (~522 ppi pixel density), SuperAMOLED Infinity Display, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, Curved Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Processor : 64-Bit Octa Core 10nm Exynos 8895 Octa
RAM : 6GB RAM
Internal Storage : 64/128/256 GB ROM options, expandable via hybrid nano SIM2 slot
Camera : Back: Dual 12 MegaPixels, f/1.7 and f/2.4 apertures, Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF), 2X Optical Zoom, Dual Tone LED Flash
Front: 8 MegaPixels, f/1.7 aperture
Video Capture : Back - 4K 60fps, 1080p 120fps, 720p 240fps, Dual Video Recording, Video HDR
Front - 4K 30fps
Audio and Video Playback : MP3, WAV, eAAC+, FLAC, MP4, H.264
Ports : USB Type C 1.0 reversible, USB OTG, 3.5 mm audio jack
Connectivity : Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth v5.0 with A2DP, EDR, 3G HSPA+; LTE-A
GPS : A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
FM Radio : No
Sensors : Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Proximity, Gyroscope, Fingerprint Scanner, Iris Scanner, Heart Rate, Barometer
Network : 2G bands GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 and SIM 2
3G bands HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
4G bands LTE band 1(2100), 3(1800), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 20(800), 28(700), 38(2600), 40(2300)
SIM Card Type : Dual nanoSIM
Battery : Non-removable 3,300 mAh Li-Po battery with Qi Wireless Charging and Fast Charge support
Uptime : TBD
Value-Added Features : Dual Camera Module, S-Pen Stylus Support, Infinity Display, New Design, Iris Scanner, Bixby Assistant, Improved Selfie Cam, Samsung Desktop Experience
Announcement : Philippines - August 23, 2017 via Unpacked! Event
Availability : Philippines - September 23, 2017
Price : Official SRP in the Philippines - Php 49,990

Samsung Galaxy Note8 Dual Camera Features Explained

Considering how accurate leaks about the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, 4, 5, 6, and Note7 had been, there's a big chance that a lot of things we are reading right now about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note8 are already on-point.

For one, I believe all these leaked press photos of the 2017 flagship phablet by the Korean Giant posted by Evan Blass on Twitter are the real thing. (We should all thank him, really.)

Also, the rumored technical specifications of the device (coming from various 'insiders' and 'experts'), including the 6.3-inch 1440 x 2960 pixels SuperAMOLED Infinity Display, 8 MegaPixel f/1.7 front cam, 10nm 64-Bit Exynos 8895 Octa processor, 6GB of RAM, plus the 64GB and 128GB expandable storage options could very well be true.

Of course, S-Pen stylus support is to be expected. Otherwise, this model won't be worthy of being in the Note line.

But of all "leaked" features of the Samsung Galaxy Note8, the Dual Camera Module at the back - beside the oddly placed Fingerprint Scanner - is the one that I'm most curious about.

According to reports, it's made of two 12 MegaPixel Dual Pixel optics with differing f/1.7 and f/2.4 apertures.

Why? Well, it's because this stylus-toting phablet is the first mobile device by the Korean Giant to don this particular imaging set-up. Lots of questions pop in my mind whenever I look at it in photos: "What can it do exactly?" "Is it going to be a lot better than what's on the Apple iPhone 7 Plus?"

Thankfully, just recently, a website dedicated to keeping Galaxy fans in Netherlands abreast with the latest that Samsung has to offer in the mobile game posted leaked presentation slides on all the possible capabilities of the all-new Samsung Galaxy Note8 Dual Rear Camera. (source)

Let's go through the slides, one by one:

1. 3X Optical Zoom called "Smart Zoom"

It appears that the secondary 12 MP camera will have a telephoto lens that will allow Note8 to have three times optical zoom capability, which is impressive given that other high-end Dual Camera smartphones can these days can only 2X or 2.3X lossless zoom.

2. Refocus or Playing with Bokeh Effect

Aside from making 3X lossless zoom possible, the secondary cam also measures and maps out the location of each possible subject in a shot in 3D, which then allows the user to change the focus in the resulting images and applying beautiful bokeh or blur effects, mimicking what a DSLR can deliver.

3. Super Night Shot for Clearer and Most Crisp Photos in Low Light Conditions

Apparently, Samsung has found a way to make two cameras work together to deliver brighter and more brilliant photos even in settings where there's little ambient light. How is it done? We don't know yet but of all the rumored capabilities of Note8's Dual Camera Module, this is the one that I find most interesting. Will definitely wait for Samsung's explanation of this feature during the launch of the phablet.

4. Perspective View

With the two cameras positioned differently, they can snap photos with different perspectives when you press the shutter button. This lets you rotate the shot and pick the perspective you prefer after taking the photo.

5. Background Effect

According to the Dutch site, with the Dual Camera's ability to zoom in and measure depth, other more psychedelic tricks are also possible; Samsung calls this 'Background Effect'. This comes in handy if you want to add a particular mood and feel to your images.

Now, I don't know about you -- but considering all the key features and imaging capabilities of the Samsung Galaxy Note8, I think it could very well be the absolute best smartphone that you can get this year. For me, it represents the very pinnacle of what Samsung could deliver in this product category. Needless to say, I'm very impressed with everything I'm learning about this model. Can't wait to see it in the flesh and to play with it!

Samsung Galaxy Note8 will be officially unveiled by the Korean Giant via an exclusive media event happening in New York on August 23, 2017. As for its price, insiders believe that the top-of-the-line phablet should go for around $1,000 USD or roughly Php 51,000 with current conversion.

Samsung Galaxy Note8 Philippines Price and Release Date Guesstimate, What We Know So Far

This TechPinas blog post aims to collate all relevant information about the Samsung Galaxy Note8 flagship phablet here in the Philippines. Trust that we'll update this entry every time we get fresh updates about this upcoming product.

Korean Giant Samsung has just started sending invitations to tech media around the world for the official unveiling of its 2017 top-of-the-line phablet model, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, which will happen in New York City, USA on August 23, 2017.

Update: The Korean Giant's 2017 powerhouse stylus-toting phablet has been officially announced! Samsung Galaxy Note8's official price in the Philippines is Php 49,990 and it hit store shelves starting on September 23, 2017.

You can watch our quick review of the new flagship device here:

The stylus-toting Note8 is the next iteration to the Samsung Galaxy Note7 of 2016, which - as you all know - had an unfortunate fate as it was recalled due to battery explosion hazard.

Given that it's been a while since the market had a high-end smartphone-tablet-hybrid with capacitive pen input support, I'm sure that many consumers are looking forward to getting their hands on this upcoming release -- regardless of how much it will cost.

Looking at leaked photos of the Samsung Galaxy Note8 - most of which I believe are already quite accurate, this product's design language and build will be largely similar to that of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ but it will have a larger, more squarish footprint plus it will have a Dual Camera module at the back (a first from Samsung) and of course, that hole at the rear for the stylus.

Alleged photo of Samsung Galaxy Note8 with case.

As for technical specifications, the SGNote8 is expected to sport a 6.3-inch Quad HD 1440 x 2960 pixels Infinity Display, a Dual 13 MegaPixel camera at the back with PDAF and Optical Image Stabilization, and an 8 MegaPixel front cam for selfies with f/1.7 aperture. Under the hood, it is said that this model will run its Grace-UI skinned Android 7.1 Nougat OS with either a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 or Exynos 8895 processor that's complemented by 6GB of RAM plus a choice of either 64GB or 128GB of internal storage that can be augmented via the secondary nanoSIM slot that supports microSD card memory expansion.

Now, as for the Note8's official release date, fans believe that the high-end phablet should hit store shelves in key markets around the globe a month after its formal announcement; So that should be by the end of September or early October 2017.

So how much will it be? Insiders believe that the Samsung Galaxy Note8 should fetch for around $1,000 USD or around Php 50,700 with current conversion. Considering the SRP of Samsung Galaxy S8+ upon launch, I believe this is more or less on point.

Are you excited about the Samsung Galaxy Note8? What do you like most about the Galaxy Note Series? Share your thoughts via our Facebook comments section below.

Update as of August 23, 2017: The Samsung Galaxy Note8 has just been officially announced in the Philippines via a media event held at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel. The official SRP of the handset is Php 49,990 and pre-order will start on September 8, 2017. Smart Communications will also bundle this handset with their leading postpaid plans. Here are the phablet's official technical specifications:

TechPinas Smartphone Technical Specs Table (TSTST)Name : Samsung Galaxy Note8
Type : Slate Form Factor (Full Touchscreen), Phablet with Stylus
Price Category : High-End (Flagship Level)
Dimensions : 162.5 x 74.6 x 8.5 mm
Weight : (TBD)
Available Colors : Orchid Grey, Deep Sea Blue, Midnight Black, Maple Gold
Operating System : Android 7.1 Nougat with Grace UI
Display : 6.3 inches (~83.1% screen-to-body ratio), 1440 x 2960 pixels (~522 ppi pixel density), SuperAMOLED Infinity Display, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, Curved Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Processor : 64-Bit Octa Core 10nm Exynos 8895 Octa
RAM : 6GB RAM
Internal Storage : 64/128/256 GB ROM options, expandable via hybrid nano SIM2 slot
Camera : Back: Dual 12 MegaPixels, f/1.7 and f/2.4 apertures, Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF), 2X Optical Zoom, Dual Tone LED Flash
Front: 8 MegaPixels, f/1.7 aperture
Video Capture : Back - 4K 60fps, 1080p 120fps, 720p 240fps, Dual Video Recording, Video HDR
Front - 4K 30fps
Audio and Video Playback : MP3, WAV, eAAC+, FLAC, MP4, H.264
Ports : USB Type C 1.0 reversible, USB OTG, 3.5 mm audio jack
Connectivity : Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth v5.0 with A2DP, EDR, 3G HSPA+; LTE-A
GPS : A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
FM Radio : No
Sensors : Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Proximity, Gyroscope, Fingerprint Scanner, Iris Scanner, Heart Rate, Barometer
Network : 2G bands GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 and SIM 2
3G bands HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
4G bands LTE band 1(2100), 3(1800), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 20(800), 28(700), 38(2600), 40(2300)
SIM Card Type : Dual nanoSIM
Battery : Non-removable 3,300 mAh Li-Po battery with Qi Wireless Charging and Fast Charge support
Uptime : TBD
Value-Added Features : Dual Camera Module, S-Pen Stylus Support, Infinity Display, New Design, Iris Scanner, Bixby Assistant, Improved Selfie Cam, Samsung Desktop Experience
Announcement : Philippines - August 23, 2017 via Unpacked! Event
Availability : Philippines - September 23, 2017
Price : Official SRP in the Philippines - Php 49,990

Samsung Galaxy Note7R Price and Specs : Refurbished Note7, A Great Purchase?

Contrary to what some people believe, Samsung didn't destroy all of the hazardous Galaxy Note7 units that it recalled from October to December 2016.

Instead, the Korean Giant merely fixed them along with other units that were never sold to address their main issue -- the one that led to the most expensive debacle in the smartphone industry of the past half decade.

In fact, today - May 12, 2017, the company finally started selling the Samsung Galaxy Note7R (R for Refurbished) in China via online gadget shops with price tag starting at $520 USD or around Php 25,880 with current conversion and before taxes -- that's more than Php 10,000 off the Note7's supposed price upon launch back in Q4 2016.

According to insiders, soon, Samsung will bring this new model to other key markets around the world -- hopefully, including the Philippines.

If Samsung can guarantee that these Galaxy Note7R units will not explode, then I certainly believe that consumers should check it out.

I mean, given the phablet's many attractive flagship-level selling points - including its powerhouse internal hardware, industry-leading stylus support, large curved SuperAMOLED display, top-notch imaging capabilities, and good security features - including the Iris Scanner, I think Note7R is a real steal at this greatly lowered price point.

Obviously, the release of the Galaxy Note7R is great news for all mobile consumers as it further expands our choices when picking a new daily driver. I wonder, though, how Samsung will address the fact that this re-issue would most likely cannibalize on the sales of its similarly priced A-Series models; One problem solved, another surfaces.

TechPinas Smartphone Technical Specs Table (TSTST)Name : Samsung Galaxy Note7R
Type : Slate Form Factor (Full Touchscreen), Phablet with Stylus
Price Category : High-End (Flagship Level)
Dimensions : 153.5 x 73.9 x 7.9 mm
Weight : 169 grams
Available Colors : Gold Platinum, Black Onyx
Operating System : Android 6.0 Marshmallow with TouchWiz Skin
Display : 5.7 inches (~78.0% screen-to-body ratio), 1440 x 2560 pixels (~518 ppi pixel density), Super AMOLED, Gorilla Glass 5 capacitive toucscreen, Always On Display, 16M colors, Curved, Gorilla Glass 5
Processor, GPU, Chipset : 64-Bit Octa Core Exynos 8890 Octa
RAM : 4 GB RAM
Internal Storage : 64 GB expandable via hybrid nanoSIM slot that doubles as microSD card slot supporting up to 200GB
Camera : Main: 12 MegaPixels, f/1.7 aperture, Phase Detection Autofocus, Optical Image Stabilization, LED flash, 1/2.6' sensor size, 1 µm pixel size, Touch Focus, Geo-tagging, Face detection, Auto HDR, Panorama Front: 5 MegaPixels, f/1.7, Dual Video call, Auto HDR
Video Capture : Main: 2160p @ 30fps, 1080p @ 60fps, Optical Image Stabilization, Auto HDR Front: 1080p @ 30 fps, Auto HDR, Dual Video Recording, Live Panorama
Audio and Video Playback : Video: H.264, MPEG-4, H.263, VC-1, WMV7, WMV8, Sorenson Spark, MP43, VP8, HEVC, Full HD (1080p), UHD (depends on variant) Audio: MP3, AAC/AAC+/eAAC+, WMA, AMR-NB/WB, Vorbis, FLAC(*), WAV(*) (*) Ultra High Quality Audio (~192KHz, 24 bit) support
Ports : USB Type C, 3.5 mm combo jack
Connectivity, Sharing : 4G LTE-A Cat9, 3G HSPA+, WiFi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), HT80 MIMO(2x2) 620Mbps, Dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Mobile Hotspot, Bluetooth v4.1, A2DP, LE, apt-X, ANT+, NFC, S Beam, Samsung AllShare Play and Control, Samsung AllShare Cast (WiFi Display), Mirroring and Extension, Samsung AllShare Framework
Sensors : Accelerometer, RGB Light, Digital Compass, Proximity, Gyro, Barometer, Temperature, Humidity, Gesture, Heart Rate Monitor, Touch-Type Finger Scanner, UV, Iris Scanner
GPS : A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou
Network : 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
4G Network LTE 800 / 850 / 900 / 1800 / 2100 / 2600 (TBC)
SIM Card Type : Dual nanoSIM = nanoSIM 1 (LTE) + nanoSIM 2 (2G, Hybrid)
Battery : Non-Removable Li-Ion 3,200 mAh battery, Wireless Charging compatible, Fast battery charging
Uptime : TBD
Value-Added Features : Flagship Release, S-Pen, Large Display, IP68 Certified, Dual Pixel Camera, Iris Scanner
Announcement : May 2017
Availability : Q2 2017
Price : Starts at $520 USD
Price Guesstimate in the Philippines - Php 28,000 - Php 30,000