Samsung Galaxy Note 8 release date, specs rumors update: Samsung shuts down unreturned Note 7s; what to expect next?
Samsung continues to struggle to recover all Galaxy Note 7s, as many users reportedly have not returned their units. This has pushed Samsung to take matters into their own hands by forcibly rendering the unreturned phones useless, at least in certain geographies for now. Meanwhile, after the widely-publicized Galaxy Note 7 fail, many are curious to know what the upcoming Galaxy Note 8 will offer.
Samsung has been working with mobile carriers to ban Galaxy Note 7 from accessing mobile networks, which means users cannot use the device to make calls, send text messages, or access mobile Internet. Such was first implemented in New Zealand last month. It may be safe to assume that the program in New Zealand was successful, as they are now doing it for Australia and Canada, as well.
Earlier this month, mobile providers in Australia announced that they will turn off mobile network access for Galaxy Note 7 starting Dec. 15. While the device may still be used for 911 calls, reports say that Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity may likewise be disconnected.
On Wednesday, Samsung announced that they will disallow Note 7s from charging fully and that they will disable the devices' Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in Canada starting Dec. 12. By Dec. 15, the devices will no longer be able to connect to any Canadian mobile service provider.
Samsung is expected to implement the same initiative in other countries as well.
Meanwhile, all eyes are on the upcoming Galaxy Note 8, which is set for release in 2017. No exact launch date has been announced. PCAdvisor, however, predicts that it will take place in August — as what has been the case in the past two years — so that the new Galaxy Note can have a head start on the new iPhone, which has always come out in September.
Many have great expectations from the Galaxy Note 8, as Samsung is likely to arm it with impressive features and functionalities to redeem itself from the Galaxy Note 7 battery fiasco.
The upcoming Galaxy Note 8 may come with a 5.7-inch screen with 1440 x 2560-pixel resolution and a 4k Super AMOLED display to support the growing interest in virtual reality. It is also anticipated to come with a dual-lens 30-megapixel camera and an iris scanner.
Under the hood, the device will likely use Android Nougat 7.0 for its operating system and run on either Qualcomm Snapdragon 830 or Exynos 8895. It is rumored to have 6 GB or 8 GB random access memory (RAM).
Watch out for more updates on the Galaxy Note 8.
