Samsung Galaxy Note 8 release date, specs rumors: Next-gen phablet to arrive in early 2017 with safer battery

The fiasco brought about by the exploding batteries of the Galaxy Note 7 has been the cause of a major headache for Samsung. Not only did the global recall of the device cost the South Korean electronics giant about $5 billion in revenue but it also lead to consumers losing confidence in them. As such, Samsung is hoping to make things right with the release of the Galaxy Note 8.

Even though Samsung has yet to officially confirm that the next-generation Galaxy Note is in development, the device is expected to arrive sometime next year.

Back in October, Reuters reported that South Korean customers who traded in their Galaxy Note 7 devices for the Galaxy S7 will be able to purchase the Galaxy Note 8 next year via an upgrade program. Those eligible for the program will only need to pay half the price of the Galaxy S7 to get the latest version of Samsung's flagship products.

A month later, reliable leakster Evan Blass revealed on Twitter that a device with the code SM-N950 was in the works. To recall, the Galaxy Note 7 shipped with the model number SM-N930. It is believed that Samsung is skipping the number four as it is considered unlucky in South Korea.

In terms of specifications, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is expected to come with premium features and hardware in order to entice customers once more.

According to reports, the Galaxy Note 8 may feature a 5.7-inch display with 4K resolution. It is likely to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 830 processor or Samsung's own Exynos 8895 chipset. There could also be 6 GB of random access memory (RAM) with 128 GB of built-in storage.

The next-generation Note phablet may also include some of the features found on the Galaxy Note 7 like the fingerprint scanner, iris scanner and heart rate monitor. The Android 7.0 Nougat operating system is also expected right out of the box.

Surely, the Galaxy Note 8 will come with a better battery; one that is safer and more efficient. According to Phone Arena, an aggressive battery design was the cause of the Galaxy Note 7's exploding batteries. The interaction of elements led to the heating and swelling of the battery pack. In keeping with a slim form factor, the battery was also designed to carry as much capacity as possible despite its thin size. Given these findings, it's possible that Samsung may include a larger battery which could possibly make the Galaxy Note 8 thicker than its troubled predecessor.

Even though Samsung tends to release its new Galaxy Note devices around the month of August, it's possible that consumers will be seeing the next-generation phablet earlier than usual. It is said that the Galaxy Note 8 will be unveiled alongside the Galaxy S8 flagship at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February 2017.