Samsung Electronics on Tuesday launched its flagship smartphone Galaxy Note 8 in India, offering the next level Note for people who want to do bigger things.

The India launch comes just weeks after the smartphone was unveiled globally.

The company is understood to have received 72,000 Galaxy Note 8 pre-bookings. Registrations have crossed 2.5 lakh in the country, 1.5 lakh on Amazon and the remaining 1 lakh on the official Samsung website.

Galaxy Note8, which is the successor to the ill-fated Samsung Galaxy Note 7 launched and recalled in 2016, is Samsung's first smartphone that sports a dual rear camera setup. It is powered by a 3300 mAh battery with wireless charging. The dual SIM (Nano SIM) Galaxy Note 8 runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat and sports a 6.3 inch QHD+ Super AMOLED Display with a pixel density of 521 ppi. With 64 GB of in-built storage, the Galaxy Note 8 is being launched in two colours in India, midnight black and maple gold.

With Galaxy Note 8, consumers get a big, immersive Infinity Display that fits comfortably in one hand, S Pen to communicate in more personal ways and Samsung’s best-ever true Dual Camera with dual Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) to capture stunning photos in all conditions.

Samsung will also introduce Bixby Voice capabilities with ‘Make for India’ innovations in its intelligent interface Bixby in the next few weeks. Bixby will be available on Galaxy Note8 and Galaxy S8 & S8+ devices.

The Galaxy Note 8 will also come with Samsung's payment service Samsung Pay and Samsung’s defense-grade security platform Samsung Knox.

HC Hong, President and CEO, Samsung Southwest Asia, said, “India loves the Galaxy Note for the infinite possibilities it offers with its big screen, unique S Pen and multi-tasking capabilities. I take this opportunity to thank all our consumers in India who have made Samsung the Most Trusted Brand, especially those who have patiently waited for their next Note. This time, we have made the Galaxy Note 8 bigger and better and added ‘Make for India’ innovations that will transform lives yet again. Galaxy Note 8 lets people do things they never thought were possible.”

Asim Warsi, Senior Vice President, Mobile Business, Samsung India, said, “Galaxy Note 8 with its stunning Infinity Display, enhanced S Pen and a true Dual Camera, is designed for those who want to do bigger things. With this launch, Samsung will further consolidate its leadership in the premium smartphone segment in India.”

Samsung pioneered a new category of smartphones with the Galaxy Note launch in 2011. Since then, a community of enthusiasts emerged through their affinity for Note’s signature expansive screen and S Pen.

Galaxy Note 8’s Screen off memo allows you to take up to one hundred pages of notes, without even unlocking the phone. Users just need to remove the S Pen and jot down notes, pin them to the Always On Display and edit directly from the Always On Display, letting users, including professionals, do what other smartphones can’t.

The improved S Pen acts as a personal translator and convertor — just hover over text to quickly translate not only individual words, but entire sentences and get the output in up to 71 languages, or instantly convert units and foreign currencies.

The rear camera on Galaxy Note8 comes with two 12MP lenses—wide angle and telephoto—and both are equipped with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) for sharper photos and videos, an industry first feature.

Price and availability

Galaxy Note 8 will be offered to consumers at a price of Rs 67,900 and will be available in India starting September 21, 2017 in Midnight Black and Maple Gold colours. The device will be available for pre-booking from September 12, 2017 across selected retail stores and also online exclusively on Samsung Shop and Amazon.in.

Galaxy Note 8 consumers can avail an Introductory Offer comprising a one-time screen replacement* and a free Convertible Wireless Charger.

Samsung also announced an all new ‘Samsung Upgrade’ programme offering its loyal Galaxy users the best value when they trade in their old device for the Galaxy Note 8. The programme offers a convenient solution through My Galaxy app, a Samsung 'Make for India' feature and is powered by Cashify.

Galaxy Note 8 users will get a Double Data offer on Jio, under which they can get up to 448 GB of extra 4G data over 8 months, as well as complimentary Jio Prime Membership.

In another special launch offer, consumers who purchase their Galaxy Note 8 using an HDFC Credit Card will get a cashback of Rs 4,000.