Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Things you need to know about

I’ve been a dual smartphone owner for years. Since the launch of the iPhone in 2007, I’ve owned the latest and greatest Apple handset. And for the last few years, I’ve also used a Samsung smartphone as another line.

To some, my vendor choice might be surprising. Apple and Samsung, after all, are bitter enemies. And although they make some of the best devices in the smartphone market, there are many that feel committed to one platform over the other.

I don’t. I’m a longtime Apple fan and I’m writing this review on a Mac, but I see real value in Android and its willingness to be what iOS isn’t. And try as it might to innovate better than anyone else, Apple has a real contender for that crown in Samsung.

So, it’s against that backdrop that I recently took the Galaxy Note 9 for a spin to see if it could replace my current favorite Samsung handset — the Galaxy S9+. And although the Galaxy Note 9’s price tag is high, it does an outstanding job of justifying its price.

And in a world where premium handsets are getting more expensive, the Galaxy Note 9 is one of the few that actually justifies its price tag.

Design

If you compare the Galaxy Note 9 to the Galaxy Note 8’s design, you’ll quickly find that not much has changed. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

The Galaxy Note 9 feels more than any other smartphone I’ve tested like a premium handset. Its combination of metal and glass and sleek lines all around help it to justify its lofty price tag.

The version I tested is pink, though there are a variety of other options available. There are also a variety of cases available to give you the look and feel you want without being tied to Samsung’s own color choices.

Either way, the Galaxy Note 9 comes with an outstanding design and feels both hefty and high-end in your hand. This is what all other smartphones should look aspire to feel and look like.

Display

The Galaxy Note 9 comes with a downright massive 6.4-inch screen. The device runs on Super AMOLED technology and with a resolution of 2960 x 1440, you see every pixel you care about in movies, television shows, and games.

Truth be told, the Galaxy Note 9’s display is gorgeous. Whether I was playing a game, watching a series on Netflix, or checking out one of my favorite films, they all looked better on the Galaxy Note 9.

There were times in my testing, like when I was surfing the Web or checking out a document in Google Docs, that the difference between the Galaxy Note 9’s screen and say, the iPhone X’s screen, were hardly noticeable. But when I wanted to get the best look possible at, well, anything, I chose the Galaxy Note 9.

DisplayMate recently concluded that the Galaxy Note 9 offers the best screen of any smartphone ever released. I tend to agree.

Battery Life

If you’ve been following user reviews over the last week, you’d know that there has been some debate over just how long the Galaxy Note 9’s battery will last on a single charge.

To be clear, Samsung promises all-day battery life. And in my time with the smartphone, I never ran into a situation where I ran out of battery life during the day. And in my testing, I used the handset early and often to tax the battery and see how it would hold up.

That said, like any smartphone, the Galaxy Note 9’s mileage will vary depending on the kind of smartphone user you are. I tend to be a heavy smartphone user, so my battery won’t last as long as someone who only picks up the smartphone every few hours.

Keep that in mind when evaluating the Galaxy Note 9 or any other smartphone, for that matter. 

Digital Writing

The main differentiator between the Galaxy Note 9 and every other smartphone on the market is its S Pen stylus. And this year, the S Pen has gotten an upgrade.

The S Pen now features Bluetooth connectivity and gives you basic control over your smartphone from afar. So for instance, if you want to snap a photo with friends from your Galaxy Note 9, you can snap the photo from your S Pen instead of needing to be next to it.

The S Pen works better than previous versions and its remote use is certainly a welcome addition. But digitally writing on the screen still might feel a little awkward for those who aren’t used to doing it. Indeed, Apple Pencil, which is available for the company’s iPad Pro, works exceedingly well and feels like a real writing instrument.

S Pen still falls short.

Camera

The Galaxy Note 9’s camera is quite good.

On the rear, you’ll find a dual camera array with 12-megapixel sensors and on the front, Samsung has bundled an 8-megapixel sensor in the device.

I took pictures both inside and outside to see just how well the camera would perform against the iPhone X and in general against other Samsung smartphones.

In my time with the cameras, I found the results to be strikingly similar to the Galaxy S9’s camera. The device performed exceedingly well outdoors and where light was plentiful and its selfie camera quality is outstanding. If you’re eyeing people or nature shots where there’s enough light, the Galaxy Note 9 will do the trick.

In low-light conditions, the Galaxy Note 9 was a bit of a mixed bag. At times, the results were solid and in others, it left something to be desired. And when I would zoom in on subjects, the results were similarly mixed.

Where the Galaxy Note 9’s picture quality shines, however, is in an artificial intelligence feature that improves your pictures. I found that the artificial intelligence, which identifies what you want to capture with the camera and adjusts settings accordingly, worked exceedingly well. And in nearly every case, it made for a better picture.

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 9 doesn’t have the best camera I’ve ever tested, but it’s certainly up there. 

Bottom Line

Still, I can’t help but strongly believe that the Galaxy Note 9’s price is justified by its list of features and design. Yes, the Galaxy Note 9 is expensive. And yes, not a whole lot has changed in its design. But the Galaxy Note 9 is still among the top three best smartphones on the market and its range of features is impressive.

The Galaxy Note 9 is a powerful, user-friendly smartphone that will last you at least a couple of years before it starts to become obsolete. And that needs to count for something.

So, if you can stomach the price, consider buying the Galaxy Note 9. It’s not perfect, but in the Android market, especially, it’s about as close as you get.