The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Ultra 5G is finally here, and it’s packed with everything you’d expect from a 2018 flagship phone. It has one of the best cameras on the market (at least on paper), is great for multitasking, and has plenty of other high-end features like wireless charging, IP68 water resistance, and stereo speakers. And it’s available on Verizon as soon as July 13th! Our review of the Galaxy Note 8 Ultra 5G will be coming soon, but in the meantime we wanted to unbox this beast of a phone and share our first impressions with you.
The Box
On first impression, this phone is every bit a Samsung Galaxy S9+ from 2018 but with 5G connectivity. The physicality of the device really makes it feel like a premium device and not just any old Android phone, with its curved edges on both sides of the 6.6-inch display that wraps around to meet at a metallic frame.
What's In The Box?
The Galaxy Note 8 Ultragold Edition comes in a new box that is shaped like a blueprint of the phone. The coloration of this package is also different, using two shades of blue as well as an accent gold stripe at the bottom. Inside we find your standard accessories. A pair of AKG headphones tuned by B&O Play are included, and they are good enough to make me think twice about going with the Samsung USonic earbuds. There's also a pair of AKG noise-cancelling earbuds as well as microUSB cables (in white and black), plus quick start guides in five languages.
Design & Display
Though this is a design we've seen before, for the first time ever, the front of this phone does not include any visible speaker grille at all. Rather, all speakers are hidden inside (most likely one or two on each side), giving it what Samsung has touted as FullView Display. And with a 6.4-inch AMOLED display that can reach up to QHD+ resolution and HDR10 support, our first impressions of this phone were quite positive.
Samsung DeX
It's now possible to buy a big-screened phone with a stylus and use it like a desktop PC. The Galaxy Note 8 is our favorite, not only because of the new eye-tracking feature that frees up more screen space for writing, but also because it works with any monitor or TV and we can log in remotely via Samsung DeX without needing an HDMI cable.
Software & Camera(s)
In terms of software, there are a few changes in the latest Android 9 Pie version which we've grown to love and appreciate after spending more time with the Galaxy S10. Some highlights include Night Mode and adaptive brightness, which intelligently adjust screen brightness based on your location and time of day. To achieve such results, however, you have to have one thing - a great camera that can keep up with your rapid lifestyle!
Hardware + Software Final Thoughts
In terms of hardware, there isn't much to say as we're coming off of a design that is pretty close to what we've had for the past two years. That's not a bad thing, as it can get a little boring seeing bezel-less phones with slimmer designs and no headphone jack. In terms of software, Samsung has always managed to stand out in this space for having one of the fastest UIs on Android and managing to deliver updates quickly - both good things! PinkLinker - Seo Link Directory