Galaxy Note 8 launch date allegedly nailed down
Samsung's next flagship phone is rumored to launch on August 26 in New York... but we seriously doubt that.
Rumor was that Samsung's next big phone, the Galaxy Note 8, would launch in late August. Now we're hearing that the Note 8 might have a launch date nailed down, August 26 in New York City, according to Korean site Naver (Korean).
A date is significant because it suggests that Samsung will not repeat last year's early August reveal of the poor Galaxy Note 7, which was recalled twice for fiery battery failure.
There's just one problem with this particular suggested date: August 26 is a Saturday.
Samsung typically holds its unveilings, called Unpacked events, midweek. A weekend launch would be highly unusual -- for a standalone event. Samsung does often "unpack" a phone on a weekend as part of a conference like February's Mobile World Congress. But the closest conference, IFA, doesn't kick off until a few days after August 26, on September 1. (Samsung has often IFA as a launch platform for its Note phones.)
Still, the Naver report, which cites an unnamed Samsung executive, does offer a little wiggle room, suggesting that the schedule could move a day or two. If that's the case, it could be timed to IFA after all.
Naver isn't alone in reporting the late August time frame. Today Reuters reported that the phone will launch in the second half of August, while The Korea Herald claims it will be during the third or fourth week of August. Each rumor confirms that the event will be held in New York.
Samsung declined to comment on this story.
Samsung's Galaxy Note 8 is incredibly important. It will be Samsung's true test of Galaxy Note safety after 2016's disastrous battery fires. It's also Samsung's best chance to compete with the Apple's 10th-anniversary iPhone 8, expected to debut in early September with hardware and software innovations that were reportedly held back from last year's phones.
The Galaxy Note 8 is rumored to be slightly bigger than the Galaxy S8 Plus (which is 6.2 inches) and may feature dual rear cameras. Besides that you can expect the Note 8 to have the signature S Pen stylus. It may adopt a design similar to the Galaxy S8's.
Read next: All the Galaxy Note 8 rumors