The dual cameras make the Note 8. Without them, it's a rehashed S8 with a pen. With them it's a photographer's dream. Sure, it's expensive, but if you're spending big on a smartphone – especially an Android one – this is the one.

It's the best camera phone I've used and it's everything a high-end phone should be; You can feel where the money's gone

The fingerprint scanner is hard to reach and the face/iris scanning alternatives are unreliable

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is unquestionably one of those devices that is greater than the sum of its parts. It's not just a powerful tool or a capable multimedia machine, it's a joy to use and it can do anything you'd expect any top-tier smartphone to do and so much more.

Outstanding display; Rich S Pen integration; Excellent performance; Impressive camera

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is Samsung's flagship smartphone. It features a dual-camera setup, offering two different focal lengths. It's an update to the controversial Note 7, which you may recall as being notorious for its exploding battery problem - Samsung is of course promising this problem has...

A cutting contrast to the usual rigamarole of flagship products, it’s fair to say Samsung‘s Galaxy Note 8 exists in a very “unique” context.

With the arrival of the Note 8, the brand has finally - and maybe inevitably - risen from the ashes to reclaim its past glory.

S-Pen; QHD+ Display;

Battery life burns down fast; Exynos can't keep pace with Snapdragon;

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is a no-brainer. It takes the Galaxy S8, the best phone of the year so far, and adds dual cameras, a better screen, and the beloved S Pen stylus. It fills the shoes of the dearly departed Note 7 elegantly, and is certainly the best phone for creative types—but only those for whom price is no object. That's because, at $930 for the T-Mobile model we reviewed, the Galaxy Note 8 is currently the most expensive flagship phone in the US. Pricing and Design Depending on your carrier, the Galaxy Note 8 is about $100 more than the Galaxy S8+. It's $31.67 per month over 30 months on AT&T ($950), $40 per month over 24 months on Sprint ($960), $930 on T-Mobile, or $40 per month over 24 months on Verizon ($960). An unlocked model is $929. Physically, the Galaxy Note 8 looks and feels like a larger Galaxy S8 (or, more to the point, an S8+). Its body is smooth, solid, and rounded. The screen has the very narrow bezels of the Galaxy S8, with slight sloping on the back...

Representing the current pinnacle of smartphone technology, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 phone has everything that's great about the Galaxy S8, plus dual cameras and an S Pen stylus.

High-quality, waterproof build; Improved S Pen stylus; Dual cameras; Modem supports emerging networks

Expensive; Too big to work with current Gear VR headset

Samsung's new dual camera system sets the bar very high

It's the best camera phone I've used and it's everything a high-end phone should be. You can feel where the money's gone.

The fingerprint scanner is hard to reach and the face/iris scanning alternatives are unreliable.

The Galaxy Note 8 proved that Samsung could once again make a safe Note phone. Almost a year on, it's still an excellent device that lets you take portrait photos and use the stylus for writing, drawing and navigation. But Samsung is set to oust the Note 8 with the 2018 model. Rumor points to August 9 as the Galaxy Note 9 launch date (the 9 on 9, get it?), though we're still waiting for the official word.

With the Galaxy Note 9 just around the corner, now's a bad time to buy a new Galaxy Note 8 -- wait for the Note 9 to go on sale and the Note 8's price will surely drop.

The Galaxy Note 8 is still a terrific phone in 2018, with dual cameras and a boatload of stylus tricks; It's currently the most feature-rich Android phone you can buy.

Expensive by any measure, the Note 8 has more features than most people will need; Samsung's portrait mode can be finicky; The poorly placed fingerprint reader repeats the Galaxy S8's worst design flaw.

We spoke of a compromise solution in the precursor of Samsung's Galaxy Note II. Although the second Note's screen diagonal is bigger, we find it easier to categorize it now. The smaller width and the fact that smartphones currently seem to be getting bigger makes the Note II more of a smartphone...

Good workmanship; Very big screen; Powerful platform; Viewing angle stable; high-contrast screen; Very long battery runtime; Fairly good camera; Wi-Fi for 2.4 and 5 GHz; The courage to bridge the gap or; better; to fill the niche.

Mediocre choice of materials, Averagely bright screen, Slight bluish cast, Limited mobility, No LTE, A higher-quality material impression and a bit more brightness; LTE would be the icing on the cake

With its exceptional screen, solid performance and an improved S Pen, it's no surprise that Samsung's Galaxy Note 8 is its best big phone ever. It also doesn't hurt that it has one of the best dual camera setups we've ever seen.

Huge; beautiful display; Excellent; water-resistant build; Great dual camera; S Pen is now more useful and fun

Very expensive; Bixby can be flaky; Not a huge improvement over the S8 Plus; US version gets less storage than other regions

Even with those minor flaws, the Note 8 still has the Android crown in our minds because of its comprehensive quality of components and features. Hardware-wise, it doesn't just tick all the boxes, like waterproofing, microSD expansion, wireless charging, but gives us the best screen, the best dual...