Well fear no more because help is near. Leading consumer electronics brand, Samsung, recently launched the Galaxy Note 8, daring users to #DoBiggerThings and #DoWhatYouCant, at the Unpacked event at New York City. South Africans can join in the action with their global counterparts as the device becomes available nationwide today, 22 September 2017, at all major retailers as well as through network service providers.

“Smartphones are an integral part of our lives. They can be used for acquiring directions, capturing important moments and uploading them onto social media, paying for goods and services and assisting us to carry out work functions more effectively. But what if I told you they could do so much more than just the mundane?” says Craige Fleischer, Director Integrated Mobility at Samsung South Africa. “We encourage the brave, tough, persistent, hard to intimidate, hardworking, clever, curious, creative, visionary and ambitious doers to get together, to become part of the latest evolution of the smartphone which will enable you to #DoBiggerThings and #DoWhatYouCant.”

Be forewarned, this latest member of the Galaxy mobile family is pioneering and is by no means ‘business as usual’. The Galaxy Note8 is enabled with the virtual assistant application, Bixby, which helps you to get things done faster and easier. It is an intelligent interface which will support almost every task that your device application can perform through use of voice, touch or text. It understands the way you ‘actually’ speak, ask questions and make requests and uses this insight when actioning your commands. As a Bixby Voice or Home user you can listen to your favourite songs, store your music collection, create playlists, listen to radio and more, using your 14-day free trial to Google Play Music. To activate, enable Bixby voice and say, “Open Google Play Music” or land on Bixby Home and move to detailed page in notice.

The Galaxy Note8 is designed to elevate the mind and transform the way doers interact with their smartphones. Demonstrating Samsung’s commitment to enriching consumers’ lives, it adheres to the highest international safety standards and regulations. This includes a multi-layer safety measures protocol at the product planning stage, as well as an 8-Point Battery Safety Check which encompasses a Durability Test, Visual Inspection, X-Ray Test, Charge / Discharge Test, TVOC Test, Disassembling Test, Accelerated Usage Test and OCV Test.

“Through engaging with consumers to understand their needs and wants, as well as Samsung’s substantial investments in Research and Development (R&D), we have married unprecedented features with a modernised aesthetic design and breakthrough, intuitive-like functionality. We’ve stretched ourselves and dared to uncap limits in our offering to doers – who cannot be complacent with the ordinary. The time off the doer is now,” continues Fleischer.

South Africans can get their Galaxy Note8 and join the global conversation through social media by using the hashtags #DoBiggerThings, #DoWhatYouCant, alongside the handle @SamsungSA, to tell us which feature they love most. Will it be the ability to multitask and do more on the Infinity Display screen, or finding new ways to communicate with the beloved, new and improved S Pen, or taking better pictures with the best-in-class dual camera?

However, our daily lives are now full of unique moments and memories that are perfect for capturing and thus the most revolutionary aspect of the organic growth of the camera has been the advent of the camera phone, which made photography more accessible and less elitist. But before we could even start to identify the limited functionality of these devices, the forefathers of innovative technology have now gone a step further and ensured that we are also able to capture, share and relive our experiences in 360-degree form.

This means that whether you’re recording your latest vlog or your child’s soccer game, a scenic view or a braai with friends, you can capture a complete experience of special moments, big or small, in a way that current cameras simply cannot.

“Originally created for the tech-savvy consumer who is curious to try out a new way to produce unique content, the Samsung Gear 360 has evolved to become an everyday device more useful to the ‘new norm’, the main creators and consumers of digital content – otherwise known as millennials,” says Craige Fleischer, Director: Integrated Mobility, Samsung South Africa. “This is a generation that is constantly plugged in, recording and sharing their daily lives in real time through social media. Increasingly, they also prioritise value for their money, which is why the new and improved Samsung Gear 360 comes with a price reduction.”

To further make the device appealing to millennials, the latest model adheres to the basic identity of the previous model, while improving its portability and usability. These efforts led to the addition of key functions that consumers will appreciate, including the camera’s livestreaming, video and photo editing features.

Ushering in a new level of digital engagement, consumers of content are empowered to view and experience it as if they were right there beside you when it all unfolded. Further, not only can you now enjoy various special effects like adding stickers or filters to photos, but you can also get creative with five unique viewing modes available in the Gear 360 app, which allow content creators to customise videos and photos without the use of a special lens.

Samsung also wanted to ensure that the new model would be easy to interact with and to carry, so it was made smaller and fitted with a handle and ring strap that provides a comfortable and secure grip. By incorporating the ring strap, users are equipped with a handy stand to use to prop up the device and record hands free, further adjusting the camera’s shutter button to make it easier to access.

“The Samsung Gear 360 has evolved with its growing consumer base. Today, we’re seeing more and more popular media platforms, including YouTube and Facebook, incorporating support for 360-degree content, resulting in more consumers viewing and sharing immersive videos and images. Samsung is elated to be at the forefront of developing the technology which enables our consumers to participate in VR storytelling with self-produced content,” concludes Fleischer.