Top 8 new features of Galaxy Note 8

As the successor of the defunct Galaxy Note 7, Galaxy Note 8 (Samsung officially named it as Note8) brings many new features and improvements. These new features of Galaxy Note 8 differentiate Galaxy Note 8 from previous generations of Galaxy Note devices, and also from other Android phones you can buy.

Even compared to this year’s flagship Galaxy S8 which was launched less than 6 months ago, Galaxy Note 8 offers considerable upgrade and new features.

This post summarizes the most notable new features in Galaxy Note 8 you should try. These top 8 new features of Galaxy Note 8 are also the important factors that may help you decide whether Galaxy Note 8 is the right phone for you.

You may also check the official Galaxy Note 8 user guide in your own language to know the phone better.

Dual rear cameras

Dual rear camera is not new. Many other Android phone manufacturers like LG and HTC offered dual cameras in their flagship phones for one or two years already. Even some iPhones (for example iPhone 7 Plus) have dual rear cameras.

Samsung added a few useful features to Galaxy Note 8’s dual camera:

• Optical image stabilization (OIS) for both of the rear cameras. All other vendors offer OIS only in one of the rear cameras.
• 2x optical zoom, in addition to digital zoom. This is the first Galaxy phones with optical zoom.
• Live focus. You can blur the background and focus on specific object. Photos taken with live focus can be modified by adjusting the  level of background blur in the future.
• Dual capture.  When live focus is on, you can take 2 pictures individually with the two cameras.

Dual camera probably is one of the most useful and attractive new features of Galaxy Note 8.

6.3 inch screen

The infinity display may be not the cake for some Note users. But the bigger display is definitely an exciting feature of Galaxy Note 8.

Most Galaxy Note users prefer bigger screen: when the mainstream of the screen was 3.5 inch, we already enjoyed the 5.3 inch screen!

But Samsung stopped the screen size at 5.7″ since Galaxy Note 3.  It is a bit annoying because most Note users do not demand one-hand operation.

Anyway, Samsung finally increase the screen size to 6.3″ with a 18.5:9 aspect ratio.  The physical screen area of Galaxy Note 8 increased about 10% compared  to 5.7″ (16:9)ones.

6GB ram

Galaxy Note 8 also offers more RAM compared with previous generations of Galaxy Note and Galaxy S devices.

Actually, Galaxy Note 8 is the first Samsung phone with more than 4GB RAM (in China and a few markets, Samsung did offer special 6GB version of Galaxy S8/S8+).

More RAM means Galaxy Note 8 should be better in multitasking.  More recent apps can be cached in the RAM.

Of course, the real-life performance may be another story: it depends on software optimization, app implementation and specific operations.

App pairing

Multi-window has been a feature Galaxy Note devices since Note II, although stock Android only added it in Android Nougat.

Over the years, Samsung tried hard to improve multi window feature.

In Galaxy Note 8, app pairing was added.  App pairing allows you to launch two apps as a pair with one tap in split screen view. You can pre-define the pairs.

As considerable Galaxy Note devices users are actively using the multi window feature, this new Galaxy Note 8 feature surely will excite some of Galaxy Note 8 owners.

Please refer to this guide on how to use app pair on Galaxy Note 8 and Note 9.

Live messages

Another unique feature of Galaxy Note 8 is live message.

Live message in Galaxy Note 8 allows you to send hand-drawn message.  Instead of sending the static drawn or writing, live message creates animated version of your drawn and send it out through MMS.

Of course, this is a feature of S Pen.

Up to 10 items in air command menu

If you do not know air command, you are wasting your S Pen.

In Galaxy Note 5, for example, air command menu allows up to 5 items. You can add one app shortcut, in addition to 4 pre-installed items: action memo, smart select, screen write, and S Note.

Air command in Galaxy Note 8 now allows up to 10 items. You can rotate the ring to see all options.

Floating shutter button

Tap to capture is available in most Android phones.

But Samsung uses the tap gesture for changing focus for rear camera. So, tap to capture is only available for Galaxy Note 8 front camera.

If you find the shutter button is hard to reach, you can add a floating shutter button.

The floating shutter button was first introduced in Galaxy S8 and S8+. You may check this guide on how to use floating camera shutter button.

Double tap to take notes

You can use the S Pen to double tap (with button pressed) the screen to launch Samsung Note and start to write a quick note.

Of course, you can use widgets to take a quick note as well. But you may need to navigate to that home screen panel to use the widget.

This gesture works on all screens, even when you are using other apps.

What’s your favorite new features of Galaxy Note 8?

Please share your thoughts on the most exciting or interesting new features of Galaxy Note 8 in the comment box below.

You can get the official Samsung Galaxy Note 8user manual (user guide) in your local language in Galaxy Note 8 user manuals page.

For detailed Galaxy Note 8 how-to guides, please check Galaxy Note 8 guides page