Samsung Galaxy Note 8 release date, specs, rumors: After Note 7 disaster, is Note series to be axed?

With the Galaxy Note 7 discontinued due to issues, it is said that Samsung will scrap the lineup, even canceling the expected Galaxy Note 8 follow-up.Reuters/Kim Hong-Ji

With the Galaxy Note 7's woes leading to its discontinuation, speculations suggest that Samsung will do away with the lineup completely, leading to rumors that the Galaxy Note 8 will not come out next year.

Even with the recall fiasco and the recent termination of production for the Galaxy Note 7, fans still expect the South Korea-based tech giant to make a comeback with its follow-up, the Galaxy Note 8, next year. A 2017 release for the Galaxy Note 8 is already expected since Samsung is known to come out with at least two iterations from its two prominent flagship lineups every year.

Early this year, fans saw the new Galaxy S7 lineup, while a late-year launch was seen with the Galaxy Note 7. For 2017, it is expected that the Galaxy S8 will be released in the first half, with the Galaxy Note 8 launching in the latter part of next year.

However, The Korea Herald reports that the South Korea-based tech giant may be thinking of ditching the Galaxy Note series altogether because of the Galaxy Note 7 issues. Samsung will only reportedly release a single flagship per year, starting with the starting with the Galaxy S8 in 2017. The rumor is unconfirmed, though, as the industry follower quoted one official from Samsung's third-party partners as saying, "Samsung has not notified its suppliers of the plan to scrap the current two-flagship models strategy, but if so that could impact the parts suppliers to some extent."

Should the Galaxy Note 8 be canceled and the entire lineup scrapped, this means the Galaxy S8 will be in the spotlight for the whole year. Speculations about the supposed specs and features of the upcoming flagship have already started. According to rumors, Samsung will get some ideas on the Galaxy Note 7 and will feature specs such as an iris scanner and dual camera setup for the Galaxy S8.