UPDATED 03:02 EDT / AUGUST 22 2017

EMERGING TECH

Samsung Galaxy Note8 set to launch Aug. 23: Here’s how to watch and what to expect

After months of rumors, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.’s much-anticipated Unpacked event kicks off at 11 a.m. EDT Aug. 23 in New York City.  

In anticipation of this week’s launch, someone at Samsung jumped the gun this past weekend and posted the 64-gigabyte Note8 on the company’s official site. The listing was promptly removed, once it was picked up by the media.

This week’s Unpacked event is significant for the company as it looks to redeem its Galaxy Note lineup following the Note7 fires and subsequent recalls a year ago.

Here’s a look at how you can watch the Unpacked event and what to expect from Samsung on Wednesday:

How to watch the Unpacked event

Samsung will stream the event live starting at 11 a.m. EDT on Wednesday at Samsung News, Samsung and Samsung Mobile Press.

To ensure you don’t miss out on any of the action you can register on the Samsung Unpacked site to receive all the updates about the latest Galaxy device.

What to expect

Galaxy Note8

The Note8 is set to be the star of Samsung’s Unpacked event and with the vast amount of rumors and renders making the rounds the last few month we have a pretty good idea of what will be unveiled.

Samsung recently published two teaser videos for the company’s upcoming flagship. The first video (shown below) teases the Note8’s dual rear-camera setup, which will be a first for the company. While the second teaser showcases the device’s S Pen, which is an iconic feature of the Galaxy Note lineup and is rumored to get a redesigned feature.

Pre-order on Aug. 24, plus extras

Normally when a new smartphone is unveiled, consumers have to wait up to four weeks before they can get their hands on the new device. If rumors are to be believed this won’t be the case with Samsung’s latest flagship, with preorders starting as early as Thursday, Aug. 24. This timing will be incredibly beneficial, considering both LG Corp. and Apple Inc. are set to unveil flagships over the next few weeks.

In order to encourage consumers to pre-order the Note8, Samsung is also rumored to be sweetening the deal with some extras, according to Evan Blass at VentureBeat. Consumers will reportedly get a 256GB microSD card plus a choice of a convertible wireless charger or a 360-degree camera.

Samsung may also want to consider offering consumers who rushed out and bought the ill-fated Note7 with additional discounts, but time will tell if this happens.

Storage options

The Note8 is rumored to come in three storage options, including a 64GB, 128GB and a 256GB model, but the largest model may be limited to South Korea.

Other rumors

The design and display are expected to be very similar to the Galaxy S8 and S8+, with the Note8 sporting a 3,840 x 2,160 Quad HD Infinity Display, which will be almost bezel-free. However, there are other rumors making the rounds that will allow the Note 8 to standout.

These include a dual rear-camera setup with either 2x or 3x optical zoom, depending on which rumors pan out. The Note8 is also expected to come in a dual-SIM option and will include the Snapdragon 835 processor for U.S. consumers, while the rest of the world will get Samsung’s own Exynos 8995 chipset.

To avoid any Note7 disasters, the battery in the Note8 is rumored to be bumped down to 3,300mAh, will have a 6-gigabytes of RAM and will retail for a rumored $900.

Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro

Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro set to be unveiled at Samsung's Unpacked event. Image: Evan Blass

Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro set to be unveiled at Samsung’s Unpacked event. Image: Evan Blass

While the main attraction of the Unpacked event is set to be the Note8, Samsung is also rumored to unveil its latest fitness band, the Gear Fit2 Pro.

Thanks to a training manual sent to Blass, features for the Gear Fit2 Pro include a 5 ATM water resistance, which will allow the fitness band to be fully submersible in water. This is a vast improvement to its predecessor, the Gear Fit2, which only had an IP-68 certification. The 5 ATM water resistance will allow tracking during swimming workouts and will sync with the Speedo On app.

In addition to GPS functionality like its predecessor, the Gear Fit2 Pro will also support music playback, as well as support for offline Spotify tracks. Design wise, the Gear Fit2 Pro replaces the snap clasp of its predecessor with a traditional watch-style clasp.

Blass also unveiled on the weekend that according to a big-box retailer in the U.S., the Gear Fit2 Pro will retail for $199.99.

Image: Samsung

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