This Could Be Our First Look at the Real Galaxy Note 8

Samsung's Galaxy Note 8 might still be months away from appearing, but a new leak has surfaced indicating that Samsung's already at work on promotional materials for its next big phone.

A Twitter user going by the name Ice Universe posted an image purported to be an official press rendering for the Galaxy Note 8. The images shows a device set against a red-striped background and the handset itself has red stripes across the screen. It appears from the rendering in the ad that the device has a curved, edge-to-edge screen much like the one that debuted with the Galaxy S8.

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However, some industry watchers, including Samsung-tracking site SamMobile, aren't so sure it's the real thing. They point to the lack of physical buttons on the left and right sides of the handset, which suggests that the device in the photo isn't real. Both the S8 and S8+ have those buttons, and you'd expect the Note 8 to follow suit.

We do know that Samsung is planning a Galaxy Note 8. The company has confirmed as much, though it hasn't shared any other details about what to expect from the phone. However, countless reports have surfaced in recent months claiming to have details on what to expect with the Note 8.

Those reports say Samsung will run on either the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 or a successor (possibly the Snapdragon 836). Samsung is also expected to take design cues from the Galaxy S8 and eliminate the physical home button in favor of a virtual option. And although there had been some hope that Samsung would bake the fingerprint sensor into the screen, the company said the technology didn't work. Now, Samsung is expected to move the sensor to the back of the device.

As of this writing, Samsung is expected to announce the Galaxy Note 8 in late August or early September.

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