Will The Galaxy Note 8 Have A Bixby Button?

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is on its way. The new smartphone is set to bow at the end of this month at the next Samsung launch. And as TechCrunch notes, the new device may have a few new wrinkles.

The chief new wrinkle: a fingerprint scanner, at least as might be assumed from some visuals circulating across the internet. The specifics of the model may not be out yet, but the scanner looks like it is located on the back of the smartphone. The scanner is also likely to be located next to the camera. Oh, and the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will sport a Bixby button, it looks like. The pictures, said TechCrunch, come from a “smartphone leaker” known as Evan Blass, who has detailed other Samsung devices in the past.

The leaked visuals seem to show, also, that this is the largest of the Note iterations yet. Hints come not just in visuals but in words, as the invitations to the launch event in New York bear the legend “do bigger things.” The screen size, said TechCrunch, has its roots in an ongoing battle of smartphones.

Separately, rivals are showing up with AMOLED screens. Huawei is gearing up its Mate 10, coming out later this year, which will have a full-sized display.

The Galaxy 8 comes after the 7, which — as is well known — has been a bit of a disappointment. That earlier model sported battery issues that led to explosions, occasionally.

The company revealed news at the end of last month that it posted record operating profit, with boosts seen in mobile phones and demand for chips, and the Samsung Galaxy 8 and 8+ phones have seen double digit percentage growth over previous models. Slowdowns, said the company, are likely to be on the horizon for the S8, but the company is banking on the Note 8 with possible Bixby button to help pick up some of the slack.