Samsung's next big smartphone release could come with some desired features -- but lack another many had hoped for.
First up, the good news. According to reports from South Korean media outlet Newsis, Samsung is planning to bundle a dual-lens camera in the Galaxy Note 8, making it the first high-end handset from the company to offer the feature. According to the report, Samsung will also keep the same 18.5:9 aspect ratio that it has in the Galaxy S8 line. However, the Galaxy Note 8 will come with a 6.3-inch display rather than the 6.2-inch screen offered by the Galaxy S8+, the report says.
While the report, which was earlier reported on by ZDNet, didn't say what the Galaxy Note 8 might look like, the site's sources said that Samsung has removed the physical home button from the handset. That decision, coupled with the other feature rumors, suggest Samsung's Galaxy Note 8 will look strikingly similar to the Galaxy S8+. However, unlike the big handset Samsung released earlier this year, the Galaxy Note 8 would support the S Pen stylus.
MORE: Galaxy Note 8 Will Have Galaxy S8's Big Missing Feature
There has been some hope that Samsung's decision to remove the physical home button in the Galaxy Note 8 would prompt the company to offer a fingerprint sensor baked into the screen. Samsung had reportedly considered the feature in the Galaxy S8, but it wasn't working well enough at the time of production, prompting the company to move the fingerprint sensor to an inconvenient spot next to the rear-facing camera.
A separate report from Naver, which was earlier discovered by SamMobile, cited a Samsung official, who said that the company "made every effort" to offer a screen-based fingerprint sensor. However, the company discovered that security concerns, among other technical problems, ultimately forced it to decide on a physical sensor.
The Samsung official didn't say where the fingerprint sensor might be located on the Galaxy Note 8, but given the rash of complaints about its location in the Galaxy S8, Samsung might be wise to find a more central location on the rear of its upcoming handset.
Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy Note 8 towards the end of August, or as late as early September.
