back to article Expect the Note 8 to break the bank (and your wallet)

Samsung’s Note 8, due to be unveiled in a month, will burst through the $1,000 (c. £920) price point, and may well become the first mass market phone in that price bracket in the UK. It’s also likely to be a monster, with a 6.3 inch diagonal display. Analysts have tipped Apple to reach this price point with the next iPhone; it …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Get em while their hot.

    1. SuccessCase

      If you have money burning a hole in your pocket, I guess you match their demographic.

      1. Jedit Silver badge

        I'm down. Samsung designs have been on fire lately.

    2. This post has been deleted by its author

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    $1000 is £767 according to the FT. Are we to take it that £920 is the rip-off britain price?

    1. Snowy Silver badge

      £767 becomes £920 once you add in 20% vat.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        That makes more sense, ta.

        1. Danny 14

          And the $1000 will have various state taxes as appropriate um guessing.

    2. SuccessCase

      It was probably around £790 - £850 until the rumours started about the iPhone pricing and Samsung gave their oh so predictable “me too” response. It’s like they are shit scared people will think they don’t provide the same quality proposition as Apple. Now why would they think that?

      1. Charlie Clark Silver badge

        It’s like they are shit scared people will think they don’t provide the same quality proposition as Apple.

        Put a fucking sock in it: we already know you think only Apple can develop products!

        Both Apple and Samsung make extremely high quality products and, as a result, are able to command premium prices. Despite the problems with the Note 7, Samsung still has a loyal customer base for a fairly unique product line and it continues to develop it. On a brief review of the Note 7 on CNN last night the presenter's eyes lit up when the split screen functionality was shown. Combine this with DeX and Samsung definitely does have a very exclusive value proposition. It also leaves room for cut-down versions for aspirational customers with slimmer wallets.

  3. Dave 126 Silver badge

    Extra buttons

    Of the functions I would like to assign to an extra hard-button, a digital assistant wouldn't make the list. The humble flashlight would probably be top. Camera. Dictaphone.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Facepalm

      Re: Extra buttons

      Of the functions I would like to assign to an extra hard-button, a digital assistant wouldn't make the list. The humble flashlight would probably be top. Camera. Dictaphone.

      "Hey Siri, turn on the torch"

      "Sorry, but I'm not able to change that setting"

      Sigh. It's like playing Poohsticks with stones.

      1. R 11

        Re: Extra buttons

        Not sure if that was sarcasm or not. Can Siri really not turn on the torch/flashlight? OK Google has no trouble with this on my Nexus, even offering an on-screen toggle so I can turn it back off if I don't want to ask out loud.

    2. Number6

      Re: Extra buttons

      Even with a touch screen for dialling purposes, it's been a long time since I used my Dictaphone.

      1. A K Stiles
        Joke

        Re: Extra buttons

        "long time since I used my Dictaphone."

        Me too - mostly these days I just dial with a finger!

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Don't worry

    The crown for the pricest device will pass to Apple in the Autumn with the Jesus Phone 8 costing upwards of $1200 (Sans Tax) if you believe some of the rumours.

    This is one thing that Apple will pretty well always come out on top.

    1. djstardust

      Re: Don't worry

      The Galaxy Tab S3 is £600 which is more expensive than the equivalent ipad. Samsung are getting stupid with their pricing because they think they are Apple and they also think they are invincible and people love them.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Don't worry

      The rumors have gone from "over $1000" to "over $1200" to "over $1400". I'll bet these rumors are as credible of the rumors of the original iPad costing over $1000 that turned about to be way off. It is probably another $100 step up from the 7S plus, so with 256GB it can top $1000, but no way it will be $1200 let alone $1400.

      1. Dave 126 Silver badge

        Re: Don't worry

        RED (the company that make high resolution video cameras) are looking to release an Android phone around $1600. The concept is modular, with their marketing materials showing so many bolted-on components that the phone is buried behind lenses, storage and batteries. No joke (link below). It reminds me of that Naked Gun sketch where OJ Simpson starts assembling a sniper rifle and ends up with a turret-mounted anti-aircraft gun.

        - http://www.red.com/hydrogen

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Bit optimistic of Samsung there. Especially when one of the few buttons is a "do what we tell you" button.

    1. Stuart Halliday

      Manufacturers never learn.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      It's price fixing man. Apple (who I do NOT like) isn't alone here,

      O.K., before someone jumbles the price justification with airy dairy double talk, all the 'old' tech in these phones only cost less over time all together, that's hard to argue. So, the 'savings' these companies are making _should_ lower the cost of anything 'new'. Nope, these companies are just upping the cost because they're upping the feature list. Reminds me of the cable companies to be honest. A bunch of shit you may or may not use increases cost.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        What old tech are you referring to? Everyone keeps pushing screen quality/resolution, wireless/cellular standards keep progressing, batteries are improved a little bit each year, and so forth.

        If Samsung was selling an S3 and Apple the iPhone 5 like they were back in 2012, sure the price should go down. But people would be upset about not having LTE, or 802.11ac wireless, or Bluetooth 5 or whatever they're up to now and so forth.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Incremental upgrades must cost 2x the amount? Is anything you've mentioned new technology or just updated existing technology? Doesn't matter, prices only jump by unjustified amounts. Maybe people really stop buying phones like they used to ago the price must be absurd. I'm in no way pretending nobody will pay the ~25% markup, I'm just curious how everything costs ~25% more when they're fabrication and licensing contracts couldn't justify it.

          I really don't consider a 2160 monitor a new technology compared to a 1600 monitor, I call it an upgrade.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Not saying it is new technology, but neither are we seeing anything "cost 2x the amount" or even a 25% markup. There are rumors we might see such a markup, but they are rumors only.

  6. Down not across

    Note 7

    Can we have some of those refurb Note 7s in blighty please. No I don't want the Note 8. The price is ridiculous. Since I don't want a Clippy, nor do I want the fingerprint sensor on the back there is no way I would pay that kind of money for anything less than a perfect phone. Come to think of it I would balk at paying that much even if it was perfect. Oh almost forgot, I might be old fashioned but I still want the physical home button.

    1. Tim99 Silver badge
      Joke

      Re: Note 7

      You know that you have nearly described an iPhone SE?

      They start at "only" £379.00...

      1. werdsmith Silver badge

        Re: Note 7

        You know that you have nearly described an iPhone SE?

        They start at "only" £379.00...

        Under £300 unlocked if you shop around .

        Or £116 if you are prepared to play the loopholes.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Note 7

      If you want a physical home button you are going to have to stick with older and older tech. All high end will soon be all glass front, and not long after that all mid range phones.

      Maybe some will put a 'home button' on the side, or let you squeeze for home, but if you want a physical button on the front face of the phone you are gonna be SOL.

      Buying outdated tech will also help you with your price complaints, but you will be forced to accept a "less than perfect phone" unless you think the Note 7 was the pinnacle of phone design and nothing in the future will ever improve on it (well except for "doesn't explode")

      1. Triggerfish

        Re: Note 7

        It's about £350 where I am at that price it's a tempting phone buy.

  7. tiggity Silver badge

    Did they miss the austerity memo?

    If I had a spare grand, I can list plenty of things / experiences I would like to spend it on / put it towards.

    Oddly enough, blowing almost all of it just on a phone, is not on my list of things to do with such an amount of cash

    1. Dave 126 Silver badge

      Re: Did they miss the austerity memo?

      They might also have got the 'rising wealth inequality' memo. Just because some people are skint doesn't mean everybody is.

      There are plenty of 'more than good enough' phones at the budget end of the market these days (when once cheap Androids were frustrating to use). Indeed, there isn't much in these high-end phones to grab my attention, though I'm watching developments in real-time 3D scanning with interest (Google's Project Tango, whatever ARKit Apple has up its sleeve after parting ways with Imagination Technologies, or possibly some silicon from Microsoft or others being licenced out)

  8. James 51

    The app that is gathering a huge honeypot of data on people and you can't turn off the spyware, No thanks which is a pity cause otherwise it is very tempting. Even without a removable battery.

  9. JimmyPage Silver badge
    Meh

    battery life ?

    Unless it also packs a significant boost to battery life, it's a risky release ...

  10. Paul Slater

    Okay, I just looked at the Samsung website and a Note 8 in Midnight Black or Orchid Gray [sic] is £689

    1. pleb

      "Okay, I just looked at the Samsung website and a Note 8 in Midnight Black or Orchid Gray [sic] is £689"

      You sure that wasn't the tablet?

  11. bon_the_one

    Samsung departure

    I was considering Sammy IoT phones, washing machine (Lovely design and need a new one), a new TV also needed too, and fridge. (Behind a PF)

    I'd been thinking Samsung, but after their comments about London, its just cost them all those sales.

  12. guvna

    Note 4

    Sorry, but at that price point, it's just starting to get a little too rich for my blood.

    I've got the Note 4, and it's a good phone. Does everything I need it to, and it's damn quick about doing them as well.

    From the basic info that I have, I can't see anything in there that is the "must-have" feature that I'm currently missing in my life.

    So unless it can drive me to work and let me kip in the back seat, or predict the lottery numbers, I think it's time to enjoy a nice big glass of stick with what I've got.

    1. djstardust

      Re: Note 4

      Exactly. I have two of them (one in use and a nearly new spare)

      Apart from a slightly better camera and wireless charging, there is nothing actually *that* better with the newer models. Taking away the capacitive buttons that have been there since the Galaxy S is a stupid move, but of course Samsung just copy Apple these days.

      Oh, and the Note 4 has a removable battery. Yipeee!

      1. GruntyMcPugh Silver badge

        Re: Note 4

        "Oh, and the Note 4 has a removable battery. Yipeee!"

        Same here, Note 4 user, and it looks like it might be the last Note I own, if the new breed follow the S range, and have glass glass backs and non-removable batteries. I'll stock up on a couple of spare batteries soon, so I can keep it alive for as long as possible.

  13. Kaltern

    Google Pixel 2 XL looks interesting, and while it might be run by Google... Sammy is fast becoming just as bad for using your data to line its pockets.

    As usual, popular, successful company get too big, and aims too high to make good use of it's name. Besides, £1k for a UMPC? without a keyboard? Better off getting a tablet with simcard IMO.

  14. Kevin McMurtrie Silver badge

    But will it have a gigapixel camera?

    Seriously, I'd be happy with better reception and fewer bugs driving new models. I'm tired of premium phones that crash or drop their signal aren't very useful.

  15. Number6

    Bigger Pockets

    In more than one sense of the phrase, too. I still have a Galaxy 4 because it fits in my pocket comfortably. The newer stuff is getting stupidly big, I want a phone, not a bloody tablet. It's sort of the opposite of when the pre smart-era phones were getting smaller and smaller.

  16. pleb

    Smoke and mirrors

    Sure, they can publish a price list. But most people won't be buying off the price list anyway. So it's all smoke and mirrors, and they'll have to take what the market pays, same as any other.

    I guess they think a high 'official' price creates the aura of a high value, but only a few early adopters will actually pay that. The rest take it on a contract, or wait for the price to fall.

    Anyway, once Samsung have fixed my "mmc_read failed" issue (new motherboard please) I'll be keeping my Note 4 until the next flat screened Note. I don't see too well round corners, still less can I make notes on them.

  17. Triggerfish

    Price

    Seems rather expensive for something that's got a planned obsolescence of a couple of years, I am assuming the phones battery has not been made removable.

    Also Bixby, I am more and more thinking my next phone should be stock android, starting to get annoyed with all the crapware and forcing it to stay on.

  18. robin thakur 1

    I don't think Samsung's brand, reliability, build quality or features justify such premium pricing and this is, let's face it, trying to recover some of the legendary costs of the previous exploding version. At some point soon, Samsung will cut their losses on Bixby and kill the poorly thought out feature (push to talk really isn't where the market is going) and you'll be left with a useless button.

    The curved screen, far from being a good thing is a real inconvenience as it makes it nearly impossible to get a good screen protector/case combo that doesn't peel off, captures palm input when used one handed and serves zero practical purpose, the same as their curved TV range.

    That was on my old galaxy s7 edge. I can only imagine the inconvenience of having the fingerprint reader moved to the back of the phone to force you to use iris unlock on the newer models and a ridiculous size which means it's two handed or nothing. This is not worth premium pricing and like all Android flagships will be available at a massively reduced price on the second hand market shortly after launch.

  19. LeoP

    Making landfill Androids more attractive

    I am a big fan of china phones: My current "Ulefone Power" is a 7Ah battery with a display and a perfectly usable SoC attached, gives me a whole heavy-use day of LTE to WiFi Hotspot at the summer home. Ah, and it cost € 130 last year.

    Some back-of-the envelope maths tell me, a $1000 Samsung would buy me one of these every year for 6 years, realistically being a worse phone than the Note for the first 3, then a better one for the other 3 (The china phone experience is arguably something like the big name experience of 3 years ago). Now who thinks a Note 8 will really be usable for 6 years?

    1. GruntyMcPugh Silver badge

      Re: Making landfill Androids more attractive

      Wasn't aware of the brand until you mentioned it, but a quick Google shows the Ulefone Power 2 has a built in FM radio, and the price is very competitive, so it might just get purchased to replace the radio in my wife's camper, which has a double height slot, so is begging for a geek toy.

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