Samsung announced the latest flagship phablet in company’s Note-series, Samsung Galaxy Note 9 a day ago. The device has become one among the most powerful smartphones available today, which can be considered among the top five devices along with Galaxy S9, OnePlus 6, etc. Most of the Galaxy Note buyers are the users of previous models in the same lineup, who upgrade when the new model comes. So, most of you guys might be looking forward to finding some reasons to upgrade to the Galaxy Note 9 smartphone.
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 9 is a mere upgrade from the preceding flagship models Galaxy S9 & S9+ with some iconic Note-series features embedded. You will not want to miss them this time if you are a diehard fan of Note devices. Upgrading to Galaxy Note 8 from Galaxy Note 7 (which the company discontinued due to the several blasting fiascos) was a big deal as the company did dare to change the traditional design aspect and display ratio. But now, the Galaxy Note 8 and Note 9 somehow resemble each other, except in some areas.
You might have many reasons to buy the Galaxy Note 9 smartphone from Samsung. But, before getting it, we would love to drag your attention to the top nine features and drawbacks of the smartphone. Instead of buying an expensive smartphone without even a second thought, it is better to be aware of how the device would act on hands.
Check them below.
Samsung Galaxy Note 9: Top 9 pros
Let us look into the top nine advantages of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 smartphone.
- All-new S-Pen
- AI Dual-Camera
- Gaming, Cooling System
- Samsung DeX
- Biggest Infinity Display
- Security
- Battery, Charging
- Storage, RAM
- Network Capabilities
All-new S-Pen
Samsung’s signature S-Pen had been there in the lineup since the Galaxy Note 3 Neo back in 2014. You still get the similar looking S-Pen with the Galaxy Note 9 smartphone, with some upgrades compared to its previous version. The Stylus (S-Pen) with Galaxy Note 9 looks much familiar, but the color options have changed to Yellow and Black, which was quite uneven in the Note series so far. It can now control over seven devices at a time within 30-feet distance over Bluetooth. The functionality list has extended to the camera app, Spotify music control, Snapchat, Powerpoint, Youtube, etc. Recharging the stylus (by inserting into the device) would take less than a minute only, which gives you the usage time of 30 minutes.
AI Dual-Camera
This could be the first time the Korean manufacturer is using the industry buzzword “AI” regarding the camera performance of the company’s smartphone. Samsung announced the Galaxy Note 9 with an AI-powered dual-camera setup on the rear panel, with the company’s DualPixel technology. The dual 12P sensors have a variable aperture (F/2.4 & F/1.5) like in Galaxy S9+. The Intelligent scene detection feature is what the Samsung markets with the Note 9, which is already in some of the flagship smartphones like LG G7 ThinQ, Huawei P20 Pro, Vivo NEX, etc. However, Samsung’s camera performance is well-known for low-light photography and the pixel detail. It also has a zooming capability up to 2x using the optical lens. Also, variable bokeh effect is available.
Gaming, Cooling System
The company says the Galaxy Note 9 is highly optimized for smartphone gaming, powered with the Exynos 9810 Chipset ad ARM Mali-G72 MP18 GPU (Snapdragon 845 with Adreno 630 GPU in the USA). There is also a new gaming mode on the software level which lets you block notifications and popups while gaming. The company also worked with an innovative water-carbon cooling system that is capable of reducing the heat to an extent, results in a performance boost. Samsung Galaxy Note 9 users can also get the Fortnite by Epic Games exclusively.
Samsung DeX
The DeX Pad, Samsung’s screen extending pod, was introduced back with the Galaxy S8 and S8+, which later went through further upgradations in functioning and device support. You can directly connect your smartphone to a pad and get the rest of the content on a big screen (an extended monitor that is connected to the device). The DeX functions almost the same as the Microsoft’s Windows Continuum, which extends Windows Phones to a PC. DOck the Galaxy Note 9 to the DeX Pad and use the smartphone as a touchpad, while you can use the smartphone on a big screen. You can even control smartphone, play games and watch movies with a single cable.
Biggest Infinity Display
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 sports the largest infinity curved display Samsung ever made. The smartphone has a Quad HD+ (1440 x 2960 pixels with 516ppi) Super AMOLED display, that sizes at-inches. The hike in screen size does not affect the smartphone usability and the external body aspect, as the infinity display lies from edge to edge with the ratio of 18.5:9. The screen also has extra protection with Corning Gorilla Glass 5, which is HDR10 compliant. The top bezel has not reduced yet, Samsung did not go for a notch this time too.
Security
Like every time, Samsung focused towards the security concerns of the smartphone too. The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 combines the security features that the company introduced with every single model before. The device has the essential security features like software screen lock (PIN, Password, pattern, etc.) and Fingerprint scanner, along with the Iris scanner and face recognition. The Face Unlocking capability has become a standard one, but the Samsung introduced industry-first Iris Scanning combined Face Recognition which uses IR blaster and Iris scanners to identify the smartphone owner. Moreover, the fingerprint sensor lies at the back but moved just below the camera department for the sake of convenience.
Another significant security feature that only the Samsung smartphones feature is the ‘Knox’ which secures the device hardware from security breaching and unauthorized access. The Knox layer lies on the top of the smartphone hardware layer, so the penetration, malware attack, etc. would be much tricky compared to standard Android smartphones.
Battery, Charging
Remember when the Samsung tried to implement a bigger battery on Galaxy Note series? The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was the first Note device to have a larger battery, which was of 3,500 mAh. Due to the lack of proper monitoring and inspection during the manufacturing, the smartphones have become expensive bombs, even blasted in standby. Two years later, Samsung is back with much bigger battery on the Galaxy Note series. The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 has a 4,000mAh battery pack, which offers an all-day usage life. It also supports wireless charging, which is sold separately. Although, you can boost the battery using the fast charger through USB Type-C port.
Storage, RAM
Samsung just killed the need for an SD Card with the Galaxy Note 9. The smartphone has a bigger variant that has an internal storage space of 512GB, which is considered the biggest in the smartphone market. The model has the memory of 8GB also. The UFS 2.1 storage space showcases a faster experience, which would even surpass PC SSDs. There is also a smaller variant available with 6GB RAM and 128GB Internal storage. Both the models support SD Card up to 512GB. The company also launched a 512GB EVO Plus SD Card along with the smartphone.
Network Capabilities
Networking is also another aspect where the company put the focus onto. There is no 5G support with the chipset, but the company installed the best 4G LTE mode to the smartphone. It also uses the same 4×4 MIMO antenna which they used with Galaxy S9 devices. Samsung also offers a network speed up to 1.2Gbps over Wi-Fi as well as carrier network under optimal condition.
Samsung Galaxy Note 9: Top 9 Cons
Even if you found some features that make the Galaxy Note 9 worth an upgrade, there are also some other facts you should consider before buying it. Here are the top nine cons or drawbacks of Samsung Galaxy Note 9.
- Unchanged Design
- Rear mounted fingerprint scanner
- Fragility
- No 5G
- Expensive
- Samsung’s Long-run issue
- Regional Model Differences
- Heavy-weighted
- Not future-proof
Unchanged Design (Almost)
Samsung considers a design change with each new launch of their products in a lineup. Anyways, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is no different than the previous year’s Galaxy Note 8, except in the fingerprint scanner. The rear camera modules are mounted horizontally, same as in the Note 8. Also, the front panel consists of bigger chins at both the top and bottom. So, the smartphone shares many similarities in design aspect with its predecessors.
Rear mounted fingerprint scanner
It is now time for Samsung to remove the fingerprint scanner from the rear panel. The Galaxy Note 9 has the biometric scanner mounted at the rear glass panel, just below the camera. The position still creates inconvenience for many users because of the taller screen. Not everybody might want the slower in-screen fingerprint scanner using CMOS sensors. So, the external scanner also helps one way or another. I repeat, the company could have moved the scanner to elsewhere.
Fragility
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 smartphone comes with a glass back rear panel, which has a gorilla glass protection. The company uses the same glass on the rear which the display is topped with. So, both the front and back gets the equal protection and vulnerability at a time. Therefore, dropping the device down cracks either of the faces, which might cost you over $150 at least.
No 5G Support
The smartphone gets on to the hands of consumers by the edge of 2018-2019. Many wireless carriers and modem manufacturer are working together to bring the 5G network by early-2019. But, as the Galaxy Note 9 smartphone has only the 4G support, you might not even get a chance to try the new networking mean with the flagship device. When the carriers begin to roll out the 5G network for everyone, you still need to sell your device and look for a new one which supports 5G.
Expensive
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is one of the most costly consumer smartphones in the market. The base variant of the device starts from US$1000, which is not worth an upgrade if we consider other drawbacks of the device. The higher option, that has 512GB internal storage and 8GB RAM, costs $250 more, available at $1250 in the united states. It will become much expensive when the smartphone hits other markets in the Middle East and other Asian regions. Most of the budget-focused premium smartphone buyers are more likely to opt for less expensive Galaxy S9+ or other flagships by Chinese-Taiwanese manufacturers like OnePlus, ASUS, Vivo, Oppo, etc.
Samsung’s Long-run issue
Well, this is what something that previous Samsung smartphone users would understand. The flagship smartphones by the company which runs TouchWiz Home UI on the top seem more likely to lag the performance after a long-term usage.most of the devices including Galaxy S8 and S8+ have reported the slowing down after six months of usage. Many other devices further affected with the similar issues. So, Samsung devices are not considered for a long-term usage by the experts. You can buy them if you are ready to upgrade to the new model after a year.
Regional Model Differences
Unlike other flagships, Samsung flagships come with different chipsets in different regions across the world due to the copyright clash with the Chipset manufacturing giant Qualcomm. There is no standard, global variant for the smartphones. So, it might become difficult for the users while traveling across different regions. Also, updates will get blocked if you are living in the US with a non-US variant, and vice-versa. Samsung Galaxy Note 9 in the US, North America, and Mainland China have the Snapdragon 845 Chipset while the other regions get devices with the company’s Exynos 9810 Processor.
Heavy-weighted
If you are not so fond of heavy-weighing smartphones, the Galaxy Note 9 is not for you. The device weighs at 201 grams, which is too heavy to carry while traveling. You cannot even put it in the pockets of your track pants. This is a big issue for a majority.
Not a future-proof smartphone
We can just say this is the specific interval the Korean giant adds a new device to the company’s Note series. Nevertheless, the Galaxy Note 9 is almost going to be an outdated smartphone. The Snapdragon 845 or Exynos 9810 is the one which they embedded with S9 several months ago. Within a few months, Google will launch the new devices in Pixel family with the forthcoming Snapdragon 855 (unannounced) chipset. Hence, it might not be a great idea to buy the smartphone instantly. Wait for some updated devices.
Final Thoughts
We cannot say how exactly the Galaxy Note 9 would act practically. But, the smartphone is not a proper upgrade from the previous models, I have to say. Embrace the new ‘upgrade’ from Samsung if you are really a Sammy-lover.