Samsung Galaxy Note 9 quick review: Premium looks and performance to match the price
Samsung has finally launched its biggest flagship of the year in India.
Announced barely months after the launch of the Galaxy S9 and S9+, the Galaxy Note 9 comes with a lot of promise.
For consumers, and fans, the South Korean tech giant’s latest phablet brings with it the promise to fix problems that have held back the Note series for over two years now. As for the company itself, the device brings with it the hope of winning back some of the ground that Samsung lost due to the below-par sales of the previous flagships – the Galaxy S9 and S9+.
Though it’s too soon to comment on whether the Note 9 will be able to live up to such expectations, we can still talk about what the device brings to the table.
We got to spend a little time with the Galaxy Note 9 — here’s our initial impression of it.
Design
The Note 9 borrows heavily from the DNA of its predecessors in terms of its core design.
There are no major changes to be seen here, and overall, the device looks crafted using the same script that was used to create the Note 8 and even the Note 7.
Samsung has machined it mostly using glass which is held together by a metallic frame. The Note 9 is broad in structure, but just like the S9 lineup, it features curves on the sides that give it a sleek look. However, these curves on the Note 9 aren't as pronounced as on the S9 phones.
The Galaxy Note 9 sports a 6.4-inch QuadHD+ Super AMOLED display, which, in terms of size, is bigger than the panel fitted on last year’s Note device. Yet, because of Samsung managing to shave off some bezel, the device has managed to keep the same form factor as the Note 8.
Though we haven’t spent much time with the device, the display looked plenty bright and, as is true with most Samsung panels, produced vibrant colours.
As has been the case always, one-handed usage still remains an issue. However, it’s also a reality that the Galaxy Note series of devices are not meant for single-handed use, and as such, faulting the phablet for this would be a little unfair.
Moving to the back, the resemblance with the Note 8 continues. The horizontally placed dual camera setup, the mirror-finished glass back, the curves on the sides, all remind you that this device is more of an iterative update than an actual upgrade on the Note 8.
However, at the back, there is one slight change that may go unnoticed — yet, this will prove to be very useful in the long run. The device’s fingerprint scanner has now been moved to below the fingerprint scanner instead of being positioned next to the camera module as on the Note 8.
This particular change not only makes it easier to reach the fingerprint sensor of the device, but also reduces the chances of users accidentally touching the camera lens and leaving smudges on it.
Apart from these, the phone’s frame holds a 3.5mm jack, a USB Type-C port and an S-Pen dock. There is also a speaker system at the bottom which, working in tandem with the earpiece’s inbuilt speaker, helps the phone output stereo audio.
Performance and specs
Coming to what powers the phone, the Note 9 comes packing the most powerful hardware available in the market right now.
The device has been announced in two variants, with the more affordable 128GB storage one sporting 6GB of RAM, while the expensive 512GB one sporting 8GB of memory. In India, both these variants will use the Exynos 9810 SoC. Though not as popular as the 845 platform, the 9810 delivers similar performance to Qualcomm’s offering.
Another point of interest is how both the variants support MicroSD cards up to 512GB.
However, this is not the biggest upgrade that the Note 9 brings to the table. That honour is reserved for the upgraded battery module that the phone packs within its sleek frame.
Two years after the Note 7 battery fiasco, which forced Samsung to recall millions of units and face major economic damages, the South Korean smartphone maker is now equipping the Note 9 with a large 4,000mAh battery. As opposed to the 3300mAh pack found on last year's phone, this battery pack, paired with a more energy-efficient SoC, should give the Note 9 anything between a 20%-30% boost in battery life.
This should ideally result in the device lasting a day easily, which, to be honest, is great for a phone sporting a 6.4-inch QHD panel.
Another interesting upgrade, one that Samsung claims will help stablise the performance of the device, is the switch to a "water carbon" cooling system. The particular system aimed at preventing overheating should help the Note 9 deliver sustained high performance.
Camera
The other big thing about the Note 9 is its cameras, that in terms of paper specs don’t offer anything over the S9+. But despite this, it comes with some intelligent software tweaks that Samsung claims makes it a better point-and-shoot device.
The setup – 12-Megapixel adjustable aperture lens, paired alongside a telephoto lens for better shots – also brings with it the ability to use variable aperture and switch between f/2.4 and smallest-in-class f/1.5 aperture mechanically.
Though we didn’t get time to properly test the camera, if it’s anything like the S9+, then it should more than suffice for the photography needs of most users.
The S9+ featured a very good module that clicks some really great pictures in low as well as under bright light. However, now with the ability to detect scenes and objects and adjust the camera accordingly, the Note 9 should be able to improve even upon the S9+ camera performance.
S-Pen and DeX
At the launch event, Samsung also spent a considerable amount of time talking about the new features that the Note 9 is bringing with it. The claim is that these features are revolutionary and make it the phone for everyone.
But is there any truth to such claims?
Yes and no.
In terms of software and features, the Note 9 brings with it quite a few cool things.
Running Android 8.1, the Note 9 brings an upgraded stylus that will allow for new functions. Though in terms of drawing functionality and sensitivity, nothing has changed, but in terms of hardware, the S-Pen now comes with Bluetooth connectivity that can hold a charge of up to 30 minutes. This particular upgrade allows the S-Pen to be used as a remote for the camera, a slide clicker during presentations or even play/pause music.
The Note 9 will also bring with it an improved DeX mode that does away with the need to use a dock to turn your Note device into a full-fledged desktop system. The improved DeX mode would now simply turn on when you connect a monitor or a TV with the phone using an HDMI to USB-C cable. This new DeX mode thus will be able to bring with it a more traditional PC-like experience on the bigger screen once you connect a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard.
Initial impression
Though I still need to spend more time with the device in order to give a detailed verdict, yet, in the little time I spent with it, I found it performing fairly well on most fronts. It looks great and feels nice in the hand. The display, general performance, and battery, all gave me no reason to complain.
Having said that, it is also true that many of the frailties of a phone like Note 9 only expose themslves when put under the glare of the microscope and tested extensively — that we’ll be doing soon.
But, for now, the Note 9, starting at Rs 67,9000, appears to be a well-rounded flagship that's been aggressively priced for the segment it is competing in. Despite being an iterative update, it brings in just about enough to justify its price.