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The Galaxy Note 8 will support Google’s virtual reality (VR) platform Daydream out of the box, a representative of Samsung confirmed in a statement issued to Dutch media outlet Nieuwe Mobiel. The South Korean original equipment manufacturer (OEM) made no mention of Daydream support during the launch of the Galaxy Note 8 last month and while the previously introduced Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus are now both compatible with Google’s platform, it took them a while to get there, with Samsung and its carrier partners finally distributing Daydream support to the flagship duo as an over-the-air (OTA) update in August.
The feature will allow future owners of the Galaxy Note 8 to use the phablet in conjunction with any Daydream-enabled head-mounted display, i.e. place it into a headset like the Daydream View and experience compatible VR creations on the Google Play Store. Apart from Daydream, Samsung’s new phablet was also designed to work with the company’s proprietary Gear VR ecosystem and associated headsets, though the firm isn’t advertising the VR capabilities of the Galaxy Note 8 as much as it did so with the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S7 lineups.
The smartphone itself has all of the necessary hardware to provide users with a high-quality VR experience, boasting a 6.3-inch Super AMOLED display panel with a QHD+ resolution and a tall aspect ratio of 18.5:9. The international variant of the Galaxy Note 8 houses Samsung’s proprietary Exynos 8895 system-on-chip (SoC), whereas the U.S. models are powered by the Snapdragon 835, a Qualcomm-made 10nm silicon with similar capabilities. All units feature 6GB of RAM and at least 64GB of internal flash memory expandable via a microSD card slot by up to 256GB. Compared to the Galaxy S8 series, the Galaxy Note 8 features a more blocky aesthetic and comes equipped with the latest iteration of Samsung’s S Pen stylus. The full retail value of the flagship hovers around the $950 mark in the United States and is slightly higher in Europe, with Samsung and its wireless carrier and retail partners already offering pre-orders in most parts of the world. The Galaxy Note 8 will be officially available for purchase come next Friday, September 15, though select markets like China are set to receive it at a later date.