Samsung could launch a cheaper version of the Galaxy Note 8

At $929 (£869, about AU$1,499) the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is a seriously expensive phone. So expensive that many would-be buyers may not be able to afford or justify it, but Samsung might be working on a solution to that problem, as it’s possible that a slightly lower spec and therefore cheaper version of the Note 8 will be launched.

The handset in question has been spotted by ITHome on TENAA (a Chinese regulatory agency), where it’s listed as having 4GB of RAM, down from 6GB on the standard Samsung Galaxy Note 8.

And although the phone doesn’t seem to be named, the other specs seem largely similar to the standard Galaxy Note 8, including a 6.3-inch 1,440 x 2,960 Super AMOLED screen, a Snapdragon 835 chipset, IP68 dust and water resistance, a 3,300mAh battery, a dual lens camera, an iris scanner and a microSD card slot.

Part of a listing seemingly for a version of the Note 8 with 4GB of RAM. Credit: ITHome / TENAA

Part of a listing seemingly for a version of the Note 8 with 4GB of RAM. Credit: ITHome / TENAA

Cheaper, but still expensive

According to MySmartPrice this 4GB model should cost roughly between $80/£60/AU$100 to $115/£90/AU$150 less than the standard Samsung Galaxy Note 8, though it’s not clear where it got this information.

More importantly there’s no word on whether this model – assuming it even exists – will ever make it beyond China.

But there’s at least a chance that sooner or later you might be able to buy a slightly cheaper version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, and the reduction in RAM shouldn’t be too problematic, given that the Samsung Galaxy S8 runs just fine with 4GB.

Via Phone Arena

James Rogerson

James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.