Galaxy Note 8: 5 Reasons to Wait & 4 Reasons Not To

Improved Design & Fingerprint Location

This next one could be both a reason to buy, and a reason not to, and that's because we're hearing the fingerprint scanner is being placed on the back. 

In order to offer a bigger edge-to-edge display, Samsung removed the physical home button. At first the goal was to put the fingerprint scanner inside the glass display up front, but sources suggest that technology isn't perfect yet. As a result, Samsung is putting the fingerprint scanner on the back. 

For those that don't know, the same thing happened with the Galaxy S8 and the fingerprint scanner is near the camera. It's hard to reach and sits right next to the camera where you'll accidentally cover it with finger smudges. 

Overall the fingerprint sensor isn't the worst location, but it could certainly be better. We're now hearing the back will go like this. Two camera lenses, the flash and heart rate sensor, then the fingerprint sensor all in a horizontal line. Yes, the fingerprint sensor isn't in the middle, but it's not right next to the camera either. This is an improvement over the Galaxy S8 although we wouldn't call it ideal. 

Either way, the design is far better than the Galaxy Note 7. Samsung fixed the battery issues while making the screen bigger than ever before. All while the phone is roughly the same size due to slim bezels and a taller yet skinner profile.