Samsung Galaxy Note8 Philippines Price and Release Date Guesstimate, What We Know So Far

This TechPinas blog post aims to collate all relevant information about the Samsung Galaxy Note8 flagship phablet here in the Philippines. Trust that we'll update this entry every time we get fresh updates about this upcoming product.

Korean Giant Samsung has just started sending invitations to tech media around the world for the official unveiling of its 2017 top-of-the-line phablet model, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, which will happen in New York City, USA on August 23, 2017.

Update: The Korean Giant's 2017 powerhouse stylus-toting phablet has been officially announced! Samsung Galaxy Note8's official price in the Philippines is Php 49,990 and it hit store shelves starting on September 23, 2017.

You can watch our quick review of the new flagship device here:

The stylus-toting Note8 is the next iteration to the Samsung Galaxy Note7 of 2016, which - as you all know - had an unfortunate fate as it was recalled due to battery explosion hazard.

Given that it's been a while since the market had a high-end smartphone-tablet-hybrid with capacitive pen input support, I'm sure that many consumers are looking forward to getting their hands on this upcoming release -- regardless of how much it will cost.

Looking at leaked photos of the Samsung Galaxy Note8 - most of which I believe are already quite accurate, this product's design language and build will be largely similar to that of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ but it will have a larger, more squarish footprint plus it will have a Dual Camera module at the back (a first from Samsung) and of course, that hole at the rear for the stylus.

Alleged photo of Samsung Galaxy Note8 with case.

As for technical specifications, the SGNote8 is expected to sport a 6.3-inch Quad HD 1440 x 2960 pixels Infinity Display, a Dual 13 MegaPixel camera at the back with PDAF and Optical Image Stabilization, and an 8 MegaPixel front cam for selfies with f/1.7 aperture. Under the hood, it is said that this model will run its Grace-UI skinned Android 7.1 Nougat OS with either a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 or Exynos 8895 processor that's complemented by 6GB of RAM plus a choice of either 64GB or 128GB of internal storage that can be augmented via the secondary nanoSIM slot that supports microSD card memory expansion.

Now, as for the Note8's official release date, fans believe that the high-end phablet should hit store shelves in key markets around the globe a month after its formal announcement; So that should be by the end of September or early October 2017.

So how much will it be? Insiders believe that the Samsung Galaxy Note8 should fetch for around $1,000 USD or around Php 50,700 with current conversion. Considering the SRP of Samsung Galaxy S8+ upon launch, I believe this is more or less on point.

Are you excited about the Samsung Galaxy Note8? What do you like most about the Galaxy Note Series? Share your thoughts via our Facebook comments section below.

Update as of August 23, 2017: The Samsung Galaxy Note8 has just been officially announced in the Philippines via a media event held at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel. The official SRP of the handset is Php 49,990 and pre-order will start on September 8, 2017. Smart Communications will also bundle this handset with their leading postpaid plans. Here are the phablet's official technical specifications:

TechPinas Smartphone Technical Specs Table (TSTST) Name : Samsung Galaxy Note8
Type : Slate Form Factor (Full Touchscreen), Phablet with Stylus
Price Category : High-End (Flagship Level)
Dimensions : 162.5 x 74.6 x 8.5 mm
Weight : (TBD)
Available Colors : Orchid Grey, Deep Sea Blue, Midnight Black, Maple Gold
Operating System : Android 7.1 Nougat with Grace UI
Display : 6.3 inches (~83.1% screen-to-body ratio), 1440 x 2960 pixels (~522 ppi pixel density), SuperAMOLED Infinity Display, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, Curved Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Processor : 64-Bit Octa Core 10nm Exynos 8895 Octa
RAM : 6GB RAM
Internal Storage : 64/128/256 GB ROM options, expandable via hybrid nano SIM2 slot
Camera : Back: Dual 12 MegaPixels, f/1.7 and f/2.4 apertures, Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF), 2X Optical Zoom, Dual Tone LED Flash
Front: 8 MegaPixels, f/1.7 aperture
Video Capture : Back - 4K 60fps, 1080p 120fps, 720p 240fps, Dual Video Recording, Video HDR
Front - 4K 30fps
Audio and Video Playback : MP3, WAV, eAAC+, FLAC, MP4, H.264
Ports : USB Type C 1.0 reversible, USB OTG, 3.5 mm audio jack
Connectivity : Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth v5.0 with A2DP, EDR, 3G HSPA+; LTE-A
GPS : A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
FM Radio : No
Sensors : Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Proximity, Gyroscope, Fingerprint Scanner, Iris Scanner, Heart Rate, Barometer
Network : 2G bands GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 and SIM 2
3G bands HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
4G bands LTE band 1(2100), 3(1800), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 20(800), 28(700), 38(2600), 40(2300)
SIM Card Type : Dual nanoSIM
Battery : Non-removable 3,300 mAh Li-Po battery with Qi Wireless Charging and Fast Charge support
Uptime : TBD
Value-Added Features : Dual Camera Module, S-Pen Stylus Support, Infinity Display, New Design, Iris Scanner, Bixby Assistant, Improved Selfie Cam, Samsung Desktop Experience
Announcement : Philippines - August 23, 2017 via Unpacked! Event
Availability : Philippines - September 23, 2017
Price : Official SRP in the Philippines - Php 49,990