Samsung has implemented an upgrade program that allows Samsung smartphone users to swap their phones for the new Galaxy 8 series. Meanwhile, one of the anticipated features of the Galaxy Note 8 is the new speaker placement in the S Pen.

The Samsung Trade-Up allows Samsung users to trade in their current smartphone or tablet for in-store credit to avail a new Samsung Galaxy device. The device must be among the list of eligible devices and its value will be assessed based on the given requirements by Samsung.

According to Reuters, Samsung announced that Samsung Note 7 users who trade in their phone for a Galaxy S7 will be eligible to trade up to a Galaxy S8 or Note 8 that will be launched next year. Customers will only need to pay half the price of the Galaxy S7 before they can trade up to a Galaxy S8 or Galaxy Note 8.

Although there has been no news when the Galaxy 8 series will debut, Samsung's trade up program indirectly announced that the Galaxy S8 and Note 8 will be launched next year. The trade up program is currently available in a few markets including Australia and South Korea, but its availability in other markets has not yet been announced.

In other news, Patently Mobile recently reported that Samsung submitted a patent application that embeds a new speaker system in the Galaxy Note S Pen to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office that was published. According to the patent, the speaker inside the S Pen will function differently depending on its placement.

The speaker will be placed on the stylus shaft. When the S Pen is kept inside the device, the speaker on the shaft will bring the sound to another speaker located at the top. But when the S Pen is out of the Note 8, the sound will be released from the shaft.

With the relocating of the speaker from the device to the S Pen, there will be free space in the Note 8 that can be used to enhance the smartphone's features such as a bigger battery and waterproofing.

The Galaxy Note 8 is expected to launch in August or September of 2017.