Samsung Galaxy Note 8 release date, specs: Device may already be in the works

A customer tries out a Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Note 7 at the company's headquarters in Seoul, South Korea,REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

It may not be officially confirmed yet, but the indirect announcement that the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is indeed happening has everyone perked up despite its disastrous predecessor. If anything, the South Korean company can be expected to bring their A-game for the upcoming smartphone to make up for all the hassle that the Galaxy Note 7 brought. Given that, a couple of new rumors have recently surfaced online hinting what Samsung may bring to the table for the next-generation device.

The tip comes from online tech leaker Evan Blass with the Twitter handle @evleaks as he posted on social media that two Samsung devices with the codes SM-G950 and SM-G955 will be shipping out. These model numbers actually correspond to the Galaxy S8 and a larger Galaxy S8 Plus. But what is more interesting is the additional information that a device coded as SM-N950 is also in the works. Since the Note line is known for using the N9xx formula, tech analysts are quick to assume that Blass was actually talking about the Galaxy Note 8.

Over the recent weeks, other notable rumors about the upcoming phablet include sporting a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chip, 6 GB of random access memory (RAM), as well as a 4K screen resolution. A unique audio feature utilizing the S-Pen is also said to be arriving. This particular rumor is backed up by Samsung's latest acquisition the audio firm Harman for $8 billion.

It can be remembered that during the time when Galaxy Note 7 units were catching fire left and right, people actually started to question the fate of not just the model but the device lineup as a whole. Some were predicting that Samsung may opt to just drop the family altogether due to the bad reputation of its latest product. But things quickly changed when the company announced that those who were affected by the hazardous units will be able to trade their old phones for a Galaxy S8 or Galaxy Note 8 once the aforementioned smartphones hit the market next year.