Galaxy Note 8 Pricing and Availability: One Costly Phablet
Want the Samsung Galaxy Note 8? Prepare to pay almost $1,000 for it. Here are your options to purchase Samsung's new phones from carriers.
Want a Samsung Galaxy Note 8? Start saving. It's going to cost you a little less than $1,000 if you buy it upfront when it launches on September 15.
Carriers have started announcing prices on the Note 8, which will be available from AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon and Comcast's Xfinity Mobile. Regional carriers C Spire and US Cellular will also offer the phone, as will prepaid carriers Cricket and Straight Talk. You can buy the phone from retailers including Walmart, Best Buy and Target, too.
MORE: Galaxy Note 8 Hands-on: A Dual-Camera Multitasking Beast
Here's what we know so far about Note 8 pricing and availability.
Samsung
You can go directly to Samsung to order the Note 8, though the phone maker hasn't posted pricing yet, and may not before preorders begin on August 24. Samsung does outline the deals you can get should you buy the phone before Sept. 24: either a Gear 360 camera or a package that includes a wireless charging converter and a 128GB microSD card.
If you bought a Note 7 last year only to have it recalled out of your hands, Samsung is offering a make-good in the form of an instant trade-in value of up to $425 once you upgrade your current phone to a Note 8.
T-Mobile
T-Mobile has the cheapest upfront price for the Note 8 so far, at $930. It will be available for $210 down and $40 per month on T-Mobile's two-year installment plan, or $0 down and $39 per month on an 18-month lease, which requires the return of the phone or paying it off at the end. (T-Mobile's leasing program also lets you upgrade to a new phone when you want.)
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MORE: T-Mobile Phone Plan Buying Guide
Anyone who pre-orders the Note 8 on T-Mobile will get the free Gear 360 camera. You can preorder the device from T-Mobile online or in stores at midnight on August 24.
Verizon
On Big Red, the Note 8 will cost $960. Alternatively, you can pay $40 per month for 24 months.
MORE: Verizon Phone Plan Buying Guide
Verizon is offering up to $480 in trade-in credit for eligible phones, though it's not specifying which models just yet. While supplies last, you can get a free wireless charging device and 128GB memory card or the Gear 360 camera. Buy a Gear S3 smartwatch with your Note 8, and Verizon will knock off $100 on the $250 watch if you sign a two-year agreement.
You can preorder starting at 12:01 a.m. ET on August 24.
AT&T
At AT&T, the Note 8 will cost $950. The company is offering a payment plan of $31.67 for 30 months (which keeps you on the service longer and seems cheaper). Eligible smartphones will be worth up to $200 in trade-in credit.
MORE: AT&T Phone Plan Buying Guide
AT&T is dangling several offers, though many involve its DirecTV satellite service. You can get a $500 credit toward a Samsung TV if you add DirecTV to your Note 8 purchase. AT&T will also offer a $750 credit toward a second Galaxy phone should you order DirecTV. You can get a Gear S2 or Gear S3 watch for 99 cents or $49.99, respectively, on a two-year agreement with your phone purchase. Note that these offers extend to the S8, S8+ and S8 Active, as well as the Note 8.
Preorders for the Note 8 will be available online at midnight on the Aug. 24.
Sprint
Like its fellow Big Four carriers, Sprint will take preorders of the Note 8 on Aug. 24. If you're switching over from another carrier and don't mind leasing your phone, Sprint has a pretty compelling offer — $20 a month for 18 months. (Remember, that's just to lease the phone: you won't own it at the end of your lease agreement unless you pay off the balance, though you're eligible to upgrade to a new Galaxy phone after a year.) That's half off Sprint's regular lease fee of $40 for the Note 8.
Buy the phone outright from Sprint, and you can expect to pay $960 for the Note 8.
MORE: Sprint Phone Plan Buying Guide
Sprint is offering the same promotion you'll find at other carriers — a choice between the Samsung Gear 360 of a 128GB microSD card with a fast wireless charging pad.
Best Buy
Best Buy is selling both carrier-locked and unlocked versions of the Note 8, and it may be the place to go if you're looking to saving some money on your monthly payment.
A Verizon version of the Note 8 will cost you $32.75 a month for 24 months if you order through Best Buy — more than $7 less than what Big Red is charging. AT&T's version of the Note 8 costs $28.33 a month for 30 months at Best Buy (again, a savings over what AT&T is charging), while the Sprint version of the phone is available for 24 monthly payments of $33.33.
You'll still get either the 128GB memory card plus wireless charger or the free Samsung Gear 360 camera when you order through Best Buy.
The retailer is also selling an unlocked version of the phone for $930, matching T-Mobile for the lowest retail price. If you have a My Best Buy credit card, you can pay off the unlocked phone using 24 month financing.
Pre-sales begin at 12:01 a.m. ET on Aug. 24 at Best Buy.
Sam's Club
The members-only warehouse chain has a deal for Sam's Club members who buy and activate the phone before Sept. 24. They'll get a $200 Sam's Club gift card. Activate the phone before Sept. 17, and Sam's Club will waive the $40 activation fee. Throw in Samsung's offer of a free Gear 360 or microSD card plus wireless charger, and Sam's Club says its members can get up to $469 worth of rebates and goodies, without having to trade in another phone.
Xfinity
Xfinity Mobile, a wireless service available to only to customers who get their Internet and cable from Comcast, announced "intent" to carry the Note 8, and says it will be available in stores and online on launch day, September 15. There's no word on pricing yet.
Andrew E. Freedman is an editor at Tom's Hardware focusing on laptops, desktops and gaming as well as keeping up with the latest news. He holds a M.S. in Journalism (Digital Media) from Columbia University. A lover of all things gaming and tech, his previous work has shown up in Kotaku, PCMag, Complex, Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag among others.