Samsung confirms flagship smartphone release towards the year end, probably the Galaxy Note 8

The question of whether or not the Note series will continue seems to be settled with information buried deep within the first quarter financial results released by Samsung. Samsung has indicated that it will be launching another flagship device towards the end of the year, around the same time that it has traditionally been launching the Galaxy note series of smartphones.However, Samsung has stopped short of explicitly calling the device the Samsung Galaxy Note 8. Although a stylus was initially considered as outdated technology, Samsung stuck to its vision and the series has its loyalists, particularly in the creative professions."For the mobile business, market competition is expected to intensify in the second half. Against this backdrop, the company will strive to maintain profitability through robust sales of the Galaxy S8 and S8+ and the launch of a new flagship smartphone in the second half. Moreover, Samsung will also look to sustain profitability in the mid- to low-end segment by launching new products and streamlining the lineup," the financial statement says.The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was a disaster with smartphone batteries that refused to stop exploding, prompting two rounds of recalls. However, loyal customers of Samsung only viewed the debacle as a temporary setback, and experts are of the opinion that the fiasco will not permanently affect the reputation of the electronics giant. The demand for the device did not subside despite the dangerous explosions and bans from flights.Samsung has made available the Note 7R, a refurbished Note 7 with a smaller 3200 mAh battery to prevent the explosions, in select markets only.