Samsung is expected to continue a trend it started a few years back - launching its second-half flagship smartphone towards the end of summer rather than at the beginning of fall - in order to beat Apple's new iPhone to market.
The Korea Herald points to rumors suggesting Samsung will launch the Galaxy Note 8 in late August, likely a few weeks to a month before Apple's next iPhone goes on sale (if precedent holds on Apple's part which isn't a guarantee).
The Galaxy Note 5 first broke cover on August 13, 2015 and went on sale on August 21. With last year's Note 7, Samsung moved the dates up even earlier, unveiling the ill-fated phone on August 2 ahead of an August 19 launch.
LG is also expected to announce its new V30 smartphone in the coming months, perhaps at the annual IFA trade show in Berlin at the beginning of September.
The latest Note 8 rumors point to a device with a 6.3-inch bezel-less display (similar in design to what's found on the Galaxy S8 and S8+). The handset may also carry a dual-camera setup with a 12-megapixel wide-angle shooter alongside a 13-megapixel telephoto lens and it's entirely possible that Samsung could integrate its fingerprint sensor under the phone's glass.
Like the Galaxy S8 series, the Note 8 will also likely adhere to Samsung's new eight-point battery validation procedure.
Mockup via Muhsin M. Belaal Auckburaully