Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Review: A More Powerful, Premium And Refined Flagship

To determine how the Galaxy Note 8 compares to other smartphones with respect to battery life, we ran the device through PCMark for Android's Work 2.0 Battery Life test. We'd caution that these tests are designed to better understand what a moderate to heavy, "always-on" usage model might look like in terms of battery life, rather than a mainstream, light-duty off/on mixed usage.

Futuremark's PCMark for Android Work 2.0 Battery test takes workloads from the benchmark itself (image and video editing, email and web browsing) and scripts them in a loop that runs until the battery level drops below 20 percent. This test better reflects real-world use in terms of its setup, because we calibrate display brightness on all devices to 200 Lux and the test then locks that display brightness in for the duration. As a result, with only WiFi and cell radios on (Bluetooth and NFC were off, with DND mode turned on), we're able to see how long a device will last, timed to the minute as it runs down from 100 percent to 20 percent remaining battery life.

This result was somewhat surprising. The Note 8 has a smaller battery than the Galaxy S8+ (3,300mAh vs. 3,500mAh), with the same processor and more memory. We suspect the additional memory, a more power efficient screen, and tweaks to the Note 8's power profile and software are what give it the edge here. There was initial speculation that battery life may not be very good with the Note 8, but that is not the case. Battery life seems to be very good.

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All told, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is an excellent mobile device. In fact, we'd argue it is the best Android-based smartphone currently available. The Galaxy Note 8 has the best screen we have witnessed to date, it is among the fastest devices on the market today, it offers strong battery life, exceptional camera performance, it looks good, and feels premium through and through. The Note 8 also offers all of the useful S-Pen related features, not found anywhere else. There will be inevitable concern about safety by some consumers after the Note 7 debacle, but because of that situation, the Note 8 has gone through additional qualification and testing, which is welcome development -- Samsung is not about to make the same mistakes again. Strictly considering its design, specification, and features, the Galaxy Note 8 is a winner.

The Galaxy Note 8's price point will give many consumers pause, however. The 64GB model commands a hefty $929. For a flagship device in this class, that kind of number is not unheard of. The Galaxy S8+, however, which is only a touch smaller and features the same processor and graphics engine, is available for a couple hundred dollars less (and the smaller S8 is cheaper still). The S8+ also has less RAM, lacks the S-Pen, and has an inferior camera setup though, so the additional investment necessary for the Note 8 can be justified.

We really like the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and recommend anyone looking for a premium, large-screen smartphone give it some serious consideration. If the price wasn't so high relative to similarly performing devices, the Galaxy Note 8 would be easily be Editor's Choice worthy. As it stands though, we still strongly recommend it. The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is an exceptional smartphone.