File photo: A woman takes a picture of the Samsung Galaxy S8+ smartphone with a Galaxy S7 during the Samsung Unpacked event in New York City, U.S. March 29, 2017. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)
Samsung's Galaxy Note 8 will be unveiled in less than a month. And when it is, the device's camera might just be better than anything we've seen from its top competitor, Apple.
In a note to investors on Tuesday (July 25), KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo wrote that Samsung is indeed planning a dual-lens camera for its upcoming Galaxy Note 8, according to MyDrivers, which obtained a copy of his note. In the note, which was earlier reported on by Valuewalk, Kuo said that the dual-lens camera will have a 3x optical zoom, topping the iPhone 7 Plus' 2x optical zoom.
But that's not the only way the Galaxy Note 8's camera will reportedly beat the iPhone. Samsung is also planning to offer both a 13-megapixel wide-angle lens and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. They'll both support optical image stabilization, trumping the iPhone 7 Plus, which only offers OIS in its wide-angle lens.
Kuo went on to share additional information about the cameras, including the wide-angle lens' support for dual photodiode. The telephoto lens will come with dual 6P technology, according to the report. The features should mean the lenses work well in both low-light and bright conditions, creating crisper images.
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Galaxy Note 8 rumors and reports have been pointing to Samsung planning a dual-lens camera in the Galaxy Note 8 for months. The single-lens Galaxy S8 beat the iPhone 7 Plus in our camera shootout, despite not offering optical zoom, so Samsung could truly leap ahead of Apple with the Note 8. However, Apple is expected to deliver upgraded cameras of its own in the iPhone 7s, iPhone 7s Plus and the iPhone 8.
Beyond that, the Galaxy Note 8 is expected to come with a host of appealing features, including the high-powered Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (or 836) processor and 6GB of RAM. Samsung is also planning to eliminate the physical home button on the front of the handset and instead rely on a virtual button. The screen will nearly cover the smartphone's face and could span 6.3 inches.
Samsung will unveil the Galaxy Note 8 at a special press event on Aug. 23. The smartphone will likely hit American store shelves in early September. Look for the Galaxy Note 8 to be expensive and possibly surpass the $1,000 mark.
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