【1977 Archives】

After months of leaks977 Archivesa year of explosion jokes, Samsung's Galaxy Note 8 is finally here and it's packing some serious hardware with dual cameras and new S Pen features.

It might even be Samsung's best phone yet, but it's got a lot of competition. The iPhone 8 is around the corner, Google's Pixel 2 is expected after that, and the Essential Phone just launched with a screen that's to die for.

Can Samsung fend off attacks from three sides?

SEE ALSO: Samsung's Galaxy Note 8 is one of the most expensive phones ever

That's the question that'll be on many people's minds as they decide which phone to upgrade to. If you thought picking a new phone was hard last year, this year's even more difficult.

The Note 8 is a fine phone, loaded with all of the features you'd expect, including:

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• Beautiful glass and metal design

• 6.3-inch edge-to-edge screen

• Dual 12-megapixel cameras

• 64GB of storage with microSD card slot for expansion

• IP68 water and dust resistance

• Improved S Pen features

• Fast charging and fast wireless charging

• Fingerprint sensor, iris scanner, and face recognition for biometrics

• Headphone jack

• A battery that won't explode

Samsung's crammed a lot into the Note 8, but at the same time, it's also expensive AF at around $930 (it's a few bucks more or less depending on your carrier).

Android Police'sManaging Editor David Ruddock and Engadget'sReviews Editor Cherlynn Low joins this week's MashTalk to tell you if the phone's worth it or not.

We also break down why the Essential Phone is the poster child for what all phones will look like in the next few years.

David also spills everything he knows about the Pixel 2, which could be announced on Oct. 5, and the best things in Android Oreo.

You can subscribe to MashTalk on iTunes or Google Play, and we'd appreciate it if you could leave a review. Feel free to hit us with questions and comments by tweeting to @mashtalk or adding the #MashTalk hashtag. We welcome all feedback.

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Your first look at the Samsung Galaxy Note 8

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