Samsung Galaxy Note 8 release date, specs rumors: New features to be unveiled on August 23, pre-orders come with extras

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is rumored to have a wider screen than other Note devices. PICTURED: The Samsung Galaxy Note 7.REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is scheduled to be revealed next week. The upcoming phablet is expected to showcase new features and rumored pre-orders may even come with some extras.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is scheduled to be revealed next week. The upcoming phablet is expected to showcase new features and rumored pre-orders may even come with some extras.

Tech insiders have speculated that the Note 8 will be a 6.3-inch device with an active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) Infinite Display that would cover the whole front panel. It will reportedly have the same 18.5:9 aspect ratio as the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus.

Since it will be similar to Samsung's current flagships, the Note 8 is expected use the same high-quality Exynos 8895 and Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipsets. The random-access memory (RAM) will be a generous 6 GB. The Note 8 may also be the first Samsung handset with a dual-lens camera, the kind of which is found on the iPhone 7 Plus and other Android rivals, namely OnePlus 5 and Nokia 8.

The Galaxy Note 8 is expected to come in four colors: blue, gold, black and silver. However, it is unsure whether the handset will include a fingerprint sensor on the display and if the battery capacity will be reduced judging from the overheating accidents with the Note 7.

In related news, it is rumored that U.S. customers who pre-order the Galaxy Note 8 will get a bundle of extras including a 256 GB microSD card and they will also get to choose between a convertible wireless charger or a 360-degree camera peripheral.

For European customers, the rumored bonus with the Galaxy Note 8 would be a Samsung DeX, which would allow the smartphone to be docked and turned into a PC.

The features and extras are of course all speculation. In addition, though the supposed pre-order date is Aug. 24, the Note 8 might not be released until Sept. 15. Nevertheless, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will be officially unveiled at an Unpacked event in New York City on Wednesday, Aug. 23.