Oct 27, 2016 07:06 AM EDT By Vinay Patel, UniversityHerald Reporter

In the wake of Galaxy Note 7 roll out going astray, many speculated that Samsung might opt to discontinue the controversy plagued phablet line; however, the South Korean handset maker has confirmed that it will not get rid of the Note brand.

Contrary to what tech pundits predicted, Samsung has decided to give its Note brand another shot. Rumors are running rampant indicating that the follow-up will be dubbed as the Galaxy Note 8 and it will hit the store shelves as early as 2017.

Much to the relief of Galaxy Note fans, Samsung confirmed their intentions to move ahead with the Note phablet line after the company detailed an upgrade program designed exclusively for its Note 7 customers. Through the said upgrade program, South Korean buyers of the Note 7 can trade in their devices for a Galaxy S7. In addition, customers will be offered a chance to trade up for a Galaxy S8 smartphone or a Note 8 phablet as soon as the devices arrive in 2017, according to Reuters.

Since Samsung has officially confirmed its plans to develop the Galaxy Note 8, gadget freaks are now speculating when exactly they will be able to get their hands on the device. There are rumors that the Galaxy Note 8 release date could be moved up in an attempt to repair the damage done to the company's brand image due to the exploding Note 7.

If Samsung sticks to its release pattern, the new phablet will not be unveiled during Q1 2017 since that time of the year is ideally reserved for the releases of their flagship phones. Other sources claim that the release date will take place on Q2 2017, and this seems to be more feasible as it would allow Samsung to generate some sort of separation between their two top offerings.

Meanwhile, it looks like the new phablet from Samsung may not end up being dubbed as the Note 8 as an older tablet already bears that moniker, according to CNet.

Stay tuned in here for more updates!

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