Apple iPhone 8 or iPhone Special Edition or iPhone X as some are calling it, launches on September 12.
September is here, and that can only mean one thing in the smartphone world: The flagships are coming. First up is Xiaomi’s Mi Mix 2, which launches on September 11 and the event is taking place in Beijing, China. Then Apple will launch its iPhone 8 on September 12. It will also launch the iPhone 7s, iPhone 7s Plus at the event, which takes place in the Steve Jobs Theater in the new Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. Also Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8 will come to India on September 12, the same date as the iPhone 8 launch.
These three smartphones aren’t just regular old flagships. The highlight will be the edge-to-edge bezel-less display, new design, and yes dual rear cameras, which have now become fairly popular even in mid-range phones in India.
While the Galaxy Note 8 has already been announced globally, the India price and availability for the device will be revealed on September 12. The Note 8 is a high-end smartphone and starts at $930 (or approx Rs 59,566) in the US,and the India pricing is expected to touch Rs 70,000. It is up for pre-registration on Samsung’s website. Let us take a look at the iPhone 8, Mi Mix 2 and what to expect when they are finally unveiled.
Apple iPhone 8
Apple iPhone 8 is supposed to be the tenth anniversary edition. Some reports claim Apple will call it iPhone Special Edition or iPhone X. Reports indicate this could be the most expensive iPhone ever, thanks to the OLED display. A recent investor note by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities says Apple is paying $120 -$130 for the OLED display units, which is more than double of what it pays for LCDs.
The iPhone 8 will mark some drastic design changes. For one, Apple is adopting OLED displays that we’ve seen Samsung use on its flagship phones for quite some time now. The bezel-less display will be 5.8-inches, but in a more compact form factor, similar to the Galaxy S8 series. Apple is also getting rid of the Home Button and along with it the Touch ID on the phone.
Read: Apple iPhone 8 launch on September 12: Pricing, new features, and everything else to know
Apple will also bring a 3D face scanner module on the front for unlocking the iPhone 8. The new iPhone is said to feature a glass design with steel frames on the side similar to how the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S used to be.
Finally, Apple will also add support for wireless charging technology, something that has been long awaited on iPhones. Unlike the iPhone 7s, iPhone 7s Plus, the iPhone 8 or iPhone Special Edition will mark a significant upgrade. In fact, analysts say iPhone 8 could help the Cupertino-based technology giant reach a $1 trillion market valuation.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2
Xiaomi Mi Mix as one of the first smartphones to feature an edge-to-edge display, though it never made it out of China.
Xiaomi Mi Mix was one of the first smartphones to feature an edge-to-edge display with a 92 per cent screen-to-body ratio, though it never launched in markets outside of China. At the time, Xiaomi had called it a concept phone, but since then we’ve seen many more devices with similar displays.
Now, Xiaomi is gearing up to launch the successor to Mi Mix on September 11. The company has hired the same French designer Philippe Starck who worked on the original Mi Mix, and this time the phone could have screen-to-body ratio of 93 per cent. This was revealed in a concept video by Starck.
Mi Mi 2 will have a displaying dominating the entire front, somewhat similar to Essential PH-1 smartphone by Andy Rubin. It will also sport premium specifications like Snapdragon 835 processor, 6GB RAM, 256GB storage and a dual-camera setup, claim leaks. Just like the iPhone 8, Mi Mix 2 could also feature a special module for face recognition. We’ll have to wait and see if this phone makes it to other markets as well, including India.
Read: Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 to launch on September 11, major clash with iPhone 8 averted
Samsung Galaxy Note 8
Samsung has sent out press invites for the launch of the Galaxy Note 8 in India on September 12.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will make its appearance in India on September 12, though the actual sales will take sometime to begin. The phone is up for pre-registrations and we’ll have to see if the 64GB and 128GB storage variants are both launched together. For Note fans in India, specially those who are on the Galaxy Note 5, this is a long due upgrade. The Galaxy Note 7 was never officially sold in India, and the phone was taken off production eventually.
Galaxy Note 8 brings some major changes: dual cameras on the back, the Infinity Display seen on the Galaxy S8 series, an improved stylus and a lot more features where this particular part of the Note series is concerned. Other specifications include: Exynos 8895 SoC, 6GB RAM along with OIS on both the telephoto and wide-angle lens. Samsung is using 12MP cameras on the back and promising 2X optical zoom.
Read: Samsung Galaxy Note 8 India launch on September 12: All you need to know
The other interesting thing about the Galaxy Note 8 is the 3300mAh battery, which is much smaller than the 3500 battery on the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7. The Note 8 has a bigger battery than the Note 5, which came with a 3000 mAh one on a 5.7-inch display. Samsung is also using a more efficient processor with the Exynos 8895, which has a 10nm FinFET design. For Note fans, battery and stylus were the highlights of this device. It remains to be seen if the Galaxy Note 8 will deliver on those once again.
