Buzz
We were fortunate to have the opportunity to experience the flagship Galaxy Note9 recently unveiled by Samsung at the Galaxy Unpacked event.
1. What makes the newly launched Galaxy Note9 stand out compared to its predecessor, the Note8?
We were fortunate to have the opportunity to experience the flagship Galaxy Note9 recently unveiled by Samsung at the Galaxy Unpacked event.
Samsung has officially introduced its highest-end smartphone, the Galaxy Note 9, to the world. Many of us may feel somewhat disappointed with the design of this flagship phone, as the appearance of the Note 9 is not significantly different from its predecessor, the Galaxy Note 8.
At a glance, it may be difficult to distinguish the Note 9 from its predecessor.
However, at this year's Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung confidently asserted that: 'Note 9 is a highly worthwhile upgrade compared to its predecessor.' And indeed, having hands-on experience with this phone, we must admit that Samsung's statement is not an exaggeration.
However, the experiences brought by the Note 9 are much superior.
Samsung's improvements on the Note 9 are not about the flashy exterior, but about very basic yet crucial aspects for users: more powerful configuration, longer-lasting battery, larger storage capacity, along with an enhanced S Pen with many accompanying useful features.
The appearance remains excellently beautiful like the Galaxy Note 8
As mentioned above, the appearance of the Note 9 compared to its predecessor, the Note 8, doesn't undergo much change. It still features the curved Super AMOLED display with a design perfected by Samsung over the years, with a 6.4-inch size - just 0.1 inch larger than the Note8. The top and bottom edges of the phone's screen are two thin bezels, just as Samsung previously asserted: Say no to the 'notch.'
The biggest change in the appearance of the Note9 lies in the fingerprint sensor, as Samsung has listened to user feedback to relocate the sensor below the dual camera cluster. Thanks to this, users will no longer have to fumble every time they use the fingerprint to unlock the device as they did before.
The machine's fingerprint sensor has been put back in its rightful place by Samsung
Besides, Samsung continues to retain the headphone jack, as well as other features that have become 'standard' for its premium smartphones: fast charging, wireless fast charging, IP68 water and dust resistance, as well as microSD card support.
Samsung still keeps the headphone jack for the phone - something that has been removed from many other high-end phones
Faster, longer-lasting battery, more memory
The Galaxy Note 9 utilizes Qualcomm's Snapdragon 845 processor, customized by Samsung to optimize users' gaming experience. In addition, to prevent the device from overheating during heavy tasks, the Note 9 is equipped with a new liquid cooling system called the 'water carbon cooling system.' The cooling system's area has tripled compared to its predecessor, the Note 8, significantly enhancing the device's heat dissipation capabilities.
Note9 placed alongside its predecessor Note 8
The most impressive aspect of the Note 9's specifications lies in the memory chips provided by Samsung, as the standard version of this phone boasts 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM. Furthermore, there's another Note 9 variant with 512GB of storage and 8GB of RAM - and when used with a 512GB MicroSD card, you'll have a smartphone with 1TB of storage.
The most regrettable aspect of the Note 8 is its relatively poor battery life, which has also been addressed in the Note9. The battery capacity has been increased from 3300 to 4000 mAh. This is also the largest capacity battery Samsung has equipped for its smartphone (The 'disastrous' battery of the Note 7 only reached 3800 mAh). A longer-lasting battery raises concerns about explosion incidents like in the past; however, Samsung quickly reassured users and affirmed that they have rigorously inspected the Note9 batteries throughout the manufacturing process.
Similar to the S9 released earlier this year, the external speaker of the Note9 is tuned by the renowned audio company AKG from Austria, making the Note9 speaker louder and clearer than any other Galaxy Note.
The S Pen full of surprises and fun
A very distinctive feature of the Galaxy Note series lies in the S Pen, and this year, Samsung's 'magical pen' also receives significant worthwhile improvements. And the Note 9 marks the first time in history that Samsung's smartphone turns its S Pen into a Bluetooth-enabled wireless controller.
An interesting point is that different versions of the Note 9 will have different S Pen ink colors.
Now, users can use the S Pen to remotely control their phones, simplifying tasks such as taking photos, presenting slides, pausing/playing YouTube videos with just a button press. Remote control operations with the S Pen will work within a radius of 10m from the Note9. Furthermore, users need not worry too much about the S Pen running out of battery halfway, as the time to fully charge the pen when plugged into the Note 9 is just a mere 40 seconds.
Impressive AI Camera
The Note9 inherits the excellent dual camera system from the flagship Galaxy S9+ released earlier this year. The dual camera setup comprises a 12 MP wide-angle lens with an adjustable aperture ranging between f/1.5 and f/2.4, and a 12 MP 2x telephoto lens with an f/2.4 aperture. The front-facing selfie camera boasts an 8 MP resolution with an f/1.7 aperture.
In addition to fine-tuning the camera for better photo processing, Samsung has introduced a new feature to the dual camera setup called 'Scene Optimizer.' With this feature, AI automatically analyzes the surrounding scene when taking photos and intelligently adjusts the image immediately after capture to produce the best possible photos. Furthermore, the AI of Note9 can evaluate the photos you capture, even offering suggestions for retakes when someone in the picture is blurry or has their eyes closed.
Expensive but Worth It
Although the direct experience time with the Note 9 at the Galaxy Unpacked event was limited, it was sufficient to recognize the valuable improvements Samsung brings to its latest flagship. The upgrades of the Note9 are not in the flashy appearance but in the essential needs that everyone requires in a smartphone. Such improvements are much more worthwhile than the gimmicky features seen in other Android devices, like notches, or features that strive to show how 'different' they are from the rest.
The Note9 128GB version will be priced at 999 USD, while the premium 512GB version will be priced at 1250 USD.
