9 things you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy Note 8

9 things you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy Note 8

IT’S THE FIRST GALAXY WITH DUAL CAMERAS

Samsung took its sweet time to drop a phone with a dual camera system on the back, and is playing catch-up to the likes of Apple, Huawei, LG and the rest - so you’d better believe the Note 8 has the hardware to get the job done.

It’s packing two 12MP sensors - one with a wide-angle lens and the other with a telephoto. Both have optical image stabilisation (a first for a phone, Samsung reckons), but only the wide-angle, f/1.7 setup uses dual-pixel autofocus. The f/2.4 telephoto lens makes do with regular phase-detect AF.

The two sensors combine their snaps to give image quality a boost, let you get closer to the action with a 2x optical zoom, and add background blur to your portrait photos with Live Focus. You can go back and adjust the bokeh after you’ve pressed the shutter button, too.

Will it wipe the floor with Google’s Pixel, the HTC U11 and Apple’s iPhone 7 Plus? We’ll find out once we get one and give it a full review.

THE DESIGN BORROWS LOTS FROM THE GALAXY S8

Hey, haven’t we seen you somewhere before? With an all-metal frame and glistening glass back, the Note 8 might give any Galaxy S8 owners a sense of deja vu. There’s even the troublesome Bixby button below the volume keys, which you’re all but guaranteed to press when you didn’t mean to.

It’s not a carbon copy, though. The edges aren’t quite as curvy, and the corners are a little firmer.

If the Galaxy S8 was haute couture, the Note 8 is definitely business chic. The new Maple Gold colour could hardly be called subtle, but it’s not as shouty or shiny as HTC’s solar red - pull one out of your jacket pocket in the board room and you won’t blind the rest of your team.

THERE’S BASICALLY NO BEZEL

As well as the overall look and feel, the Note 8 copies the Galaxy S8’s 18:9 aspect ratio Infinity display, complete with curved sides that wrap around the phone. It’s a stunner, quite frankly, with an OLED panel pumping out vibrant colours and unbeatable contrast.

You get the same QHD+ resolution, too. That means 2960x1440 of pure pixel perfection, which should help bring out all the detail in YouTube clips and Netflix streaming video.

The Note does do a few things differently to the S8, though. Those curved sides are steeper here, so you’ve got more flat space to sketch or scribble with the S Pen.

THE S PEN IS EVEN MORE USEFUL

Samsung’s spiffy stylus has nestled inside the Note phones for years, and it gets better with each new iteration. 2017 is no different, with a handful of new abilities joining the ranks.

Pop the spring-loaded S Pen out of its sheath and the writing menu appears, letting you select text, grab screenshots, scribble on the screen, or take a note.

New additions include PENUP, a social network of sorts for sharing your S Pen doodles with the world. Live Translate now works with whole sentences, instead of single words, and Live Message lets you turn doodles into animations, for sending as GIFs or emoji in chat apps like Whatsapp.

THERE’S NO SHORTAGE OF POWER

The Note 8 is packing the same octa-core Exynos 8895 CPU as the Galaxy S8, or at least it is here in the UK, anyway. That makes it one of the fastest phones around, and it should be able to run anything you throw at it - even with such a crazy high screen resolution.

Multi-tasking should be silky smooth too, with 6GB of RAM keeping things going even when you’re running apps side-by-side. The Galaxy S8 did incredible things with just 4GB of RAM, so we’re betting the Note 8 will feel Uber-responsive - even compared to the OnePlus 5 and its 8GB of memory.

Storage shouldn’t be a problem, either. You get 64GB on-board, and a microSD card slot for adding more when you run out.

TOUCHWIZ IS ALL ABOUT APP PAIRS NOW

Samsung’s own spin on Android got a lot better when the Galaxy S8 arrived earlier this year - it was a whole lot less oppressive, letting you tweak settings that used to be locked off and avoiding app overload with fewer pre-installed bits of bloat.

That continues for the Note 8, with a few extra tweaks. The biggest is App Pairs, shortcuts that sit in the swipe-out Edge Panel for quickly booting up two apps side-by-side. Want music and maps while you’re driving? You got it - without having to do it all manually.

THE BATTERY WON’T BLOW UP - PROBABLY

Yes, we’ve banged on about this a lot. But can you blame us? After the Note 7 crashed and burned (sometimes literally) last year, all eyes are going to be on the Note 8’s battery. Samsung reckons it has given every phone an eight-point battery check, to ensure there’s no repeat performance in 2017.

The 3300mAh cell here isn’t quite as big as the 3500mAh unit you’ll find in a Galaxy S8+, so it feels a bit like Samsung is playing it safe. That’s probably for the best, though, right?

IT DOUBLES DOWN ON DEX

Remember the desk-friendly docking station that arrived alongside the Galaxy S8? It was a neat idea, but wasn’t perfect. That’s why it makes sense Samsung would give it an overhaul for the Note 8 - it’s a phone focused on productivity, after all.

Adding more keyboard shortcuts should keep power users happy, but it’s the option to expand apps to fill more of the screen that could convince you to ditch your desktop PC for your phone instead. Older apps don’t like running in full-screen, but Samsung will let you force them to run at a larger size now. Handy.

Samsung confirms the Note 7 is coming back as a refurbished device

Samsung confirms the Note 7 is coming back

Ahead of the Samsung Galaxy S8 launch, the company has released a statement regarding its plans to recycle Note 7 devices. The process comes in three parts: save salvageable components such as camera modules and semiconductors, extract metal parts with the help from “eco-friendly” third-party companies, and sell refurbished devices “where applicable.”

The announcement appears to walk back on what Samsung initially pledged last fall, when it said it would dispose of the Note 7 and had no plans to repair or refurbish them. Instead, Samsung has confirmed it will work with local authorities and carriers to sell it as a refurbished device, rumored to come with a smaller battery to prevent it from overheating and catching fire. The company said available markets are to be determined as they work with local regulators to approve of the sale.

“The objective of introducing refurbished devices is solely to reduce and minimize any environmental impact,” Samsung told The Verge in a statement. It also hinted that the phone may be renamed entirely when more details are unveiled. “The product details including the name, technical specification and price range will be announced when the device is available. Samsung will not be offering refurbished Galaxy Note 7 devices for rent or sale in the US.”

Samsung’s recycling plans come after Greenpeace protestors interrupted the company’s Mobile World Congress keynote last month, demanding to know what the company will do with the 4.3 million recalled devices. “Samsung’s announcement is the first step to show its effort to set a new path for recycling smartphones starting with Note 7s,” Greenpeace wrote in a blog post. “Greenpeace will make sure Samsung takes into account the voice of millions of our supporters and abides by its commitment.”

Samsung Galaxy S8 review

SAMSUNG GALAXY S8 – DESIGN

Nothing comes close to the Galaxy S8 design-wise. It's the best-looking phone I've ever seen, leaving every other handset trailing in its wake.

The curved rear, as seen on the Galaxy S7, nestles perfectly in your palm, while the glass shimmers as the light hits it. The device is available in three colours – a dark black, bright silver and a grey with a blueish tinge – with no ugly white front plate in sight.

My review unit is the black option, and it’s properly black all over, with shiny sides that blend into the display. It feels like one complete piece, with the glass, screen and metal combining all together.

The volume rocker and standby switch are joined by a new button on the side. This is a dedicated Bixby button – which I'll cover in more detail in the Software section – and while it shows Samsung is taking its new virtual assistant seriously, it feels too much for Bixby to have its own button.

The S8 is thin and incredibly light at 155g, but it feels sturdy and precisely made. The last time Samsung opted for a huge change of direction with its flagship, many of the basic features were lost in the transition. Thankfully, this isn’t the case here. A microSD slot continues to sit tucked away with the nano-SIM, the criminally underrated Qi wireless charging is also present, and the device is IP68 water- and dust-resistant too, so it will survive a dunk in water for 30 minutes to depths of 1.5 metres.

Samsung has also retained the headphone jack; I'd be very surprised to hear that anyone thinks that’s a bad idea. Apple’s decision to remove a physical headphone connection looked like it might signal the demise of the 3.5mm jack, but Samsung has gone in the other direction, by including a pair of very good AKG wired buds in the box.

Like the recently launched LG G6, the front of the Samsung Galaxy S8 is almost all screen – and it's this that really makes the S8 stand out. Unlike with the G6, though, the display here melts into the sturdy metal rim.

HP EliteBook x360

HP EliteBook x360 G2 Review: The Business Laptop You've Been Looking For

Don’t let HP’s EliteBook heritage fool you—even though HP’s EliteBook x360 G2 comes with a business pedigree, this year’s laptop isn’t a boring black box that’s meant to be stowed at your desk. The 2017 EliteBook x360 takes its inspiration directly from the Spectre x360 beautiful convertible notebook that arguably is one of the best laptops for the year—which makes this business notebook exciting to use whether you’re at work in the boardroom or at home in the living room.

So why should you choose an EliteBook x360 over the Spectre? For one, the EliteBook x360 is a commercial device and ships with an excellent warranty. It’s also “purpose-built for business,” says Mike Nash, Vice President Customer Experience and Portfolio Strategy at HP, featuring “enhanced security, rugged testing and IT manageability.”

Sleeker and more secure than even a MacBook Pro, the EliteBook x360 G2 marries seductively good looks with cunning intelligence. Speedy and powerful, this convertible combines HP’s refined design, the performance of Intel’s 7th Generation Core i7 processor and smart security features for data protection. Whether you want to shield your screen from prying eyes or get alerted when an offender tries to login to your system or insert an unauthorized flash drive, the EliteBook comes with a variety of different HP-developed security technology to keep your device and data safe.

In designing the EliteBook x360, HP claims that it has merged the design of several different products to create the ultimate business convertible. Most evident is the 360-degree hinge and slim Ultrabook form factor that’s part of the Spectre x360, but the company also borrowed and improved the integrated SureView privacy screen from the EliteBook 1040 and the built-in conference call keys from the EliteBook Folio series.

Design

Like its consumer cousin in the Spectre, the machined aluminum construction gives the EliteBook x360 a premium feel. The silver, all-metal design is elegant and minimal, helping to keep the laptop slim, light and solid. The brushed aluminum lid is only interrupted by HP’s modernized logo, and a discrete strip that runs along the top housing the antennas for the wireless radios. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are supported on all models, with select configurations also shipping with an optional 4G LTE modem.

A small magnet keeps the lid closed when the EliteBook isn’t in use. Fortunately, despite its 2.82-pound body, the EliteBook x360 is well balanced, so you can open the laptop with just one hand—a feature that will likely delight Apple aficionados looking to switch. Measuring just 12.5 × 8.6 × 0.6 inches, HP claims the EliteBook x360 is the thinnest business convertible. This makes the EliteBook lighter than the 2.9-inch 13.3-inch Spectre x360 and just 0.1-inch thicker. The EliteBook shares the same thickness as Dell’s prosumer XPS 13 2-in-1, which comes with the same 360-degree hinge, but HP’s model uses a more powerful Intel 7th Generation Core i7 processor, rather than the power efficient Core M on the XPS.

Even though you can also charge the EliteBook x360 over the USB Type-C port, HP ships its proprietary barrel-type charger out of the box, a compromise likely made to accommodate enterprise users. Unlike the Spectre, HP is a bit more selective with the USB Type-C chargers that will work with the EliteBook. While the Spectre was able to charge off of my Dell USB Type-C power companion, the EliteBook refused and a warning message popped up.

While the EliteBook shares the same 360-degree hinge from the Spectre, the EliteBook takes a more angular approach with a flatter rear edge, compared to the more curvy Spectre. With the 360-degree hinge, you’ll be able to use the EliteBook as a laptop, in tent mode for presentations, with the keyboard facing down to consume media, as a tablet, or with the screen and keyboard flat on a table collaborate with colleagues.

Samsung Galaxy A8 Review

                            Galaxy A8

                                       

NETWORK	Technology	GSM / HSPA / LTE

LAUNCH	Announced	2015, July
	Status	Available. Released 2015, August

BODY	Dimensions	158 x 76.8 x 5.9 mm (6.22 x 3.02 x 0.23 in)
	Weight	151 g (5.33 oz)
	SIM	Nano-SIM

DISPLAY	Type	Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
	Size	5.7 inches (~73.8% screen-to-body ratio)
	Resolution	1080 x 1920 pixels (~386 ppi pixel density)
	Multitouch	Yes
	Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass 4

PLATFORM	OS	Android OS, v5.1.1 (Lollipop), upgradable to v6.0 (Marshmallow)
	Chipset	Qualcomm MSM8939 Snapdragon 615
	CPU	Octa-core (4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A53 & 4x1.3 GHz Cortex-A53)
	GPU	Adreno 405

MEMORY	Card slot	microSD, up to 256 GB (dedicated slot)
	Internal	32 GB, 2 GB RAM

CAMERA	Primary	16 MP, f/1.9, 31mm, autofocus, LED flash, check quality
	Features	Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, panorama, HDR
	Video	1080p@30fps, check quality
	Secondary	5 MP, f/1.9, 23mm, 1080p

SOUND	Alert types	Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones
	Loudspeaker	Yes
	3.5mm jack	Yes
		- Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic

COMMS	WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct, hotspot
	Bluetooth	v4.1, A2DP, EDR, LE
	GPS	Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS/ BDS (market dependant)
	NFC	Yes
	Radio	FM radio, RDS, recording
	USB	microUSB v2.0

FEATURES	Sensors	Fingerprint (front-mounted), accelerometer, proximity, compass
	Messaging	SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Mail, IM
	Browser	HTML5
	Java	No
		- ANT+ support - MP4/WMV/H.264 player - MP3/WAV/WMA/eAAC+/FLAC player - Photo/video editor - Document viewer

BATTERY		Non-removable Li-Ion 3050 mAh battery
	Talk time	Up to 17 h (3G)
	Music play	Up to 51 h

MISC	Colors	Pearl White, Midnight Black, Champagne Gold
	SAR EU	0.32 W/kg (head)     0.55 W/kg (body)
	Price group	7/10