- Beautiful high-res Super AMOLED 6.4-inch display<\/li>
- S Pen matures to include Bluetooth remote\ncontrol<\/li>
- Excellent cameras with built-in AI<\/li>
- Huge storage allotment<\/li>
- DeX mode without the optional dock (all you need is an HDMI cable and adaptor)<\/li>
- Big battery, long life<\/li>
- Fast<\/li>
- Impressive build quality<\/li>
- Terrific stereo sound<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Cons:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
- Costly<\/li>
- Bixby still sucks<\/li>
- Fingerprint reader too close to the camera<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Verdict:<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Samsung\u2019s flagship Galaxy Note 9 may cost as much as the\niPhone X, but it\u2019s worth it in many ways, including a gorgeous display, long\nbattery life, Note\u2019s famous S Pen, dual-aperture smart camera on the back, and\nmuch more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Galaxy Note 9\nSpecifications<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n Battery\n <\/td> \n 4,000 mAH\n <\/td><\/tr> \n Battery Life (Hrs:Mins)\n <\/td> \n 12:36\n <\/td><\/tr> \n Colors\n <\/td> \n Lavender Purple, Ocean Blue, Cloud Silver, Midnight\n Black\n <\/td><\/tr> \n CPU\n <\/td> \n Snapdragon 845\n <\/td><\/tr> \n Debut Price\n <\/td> \n $999 list (128GB), $1,249 list (512GB)\n <\/td><\/tr> \n Display\n <\/td> \n 6.4 inches Super AMOLED (2960 x 1440)\n <\/td><\/tr> \n Front Camera\n <\/td> \n 8 MP (f\/1.7)\n <\/td><\/tr> \n microSD\n <\/td> \n Up to 512GB\n <\/td><\/tr> \n OS\n <\/td> \n Android 8.1 Oreo \/ Upgradeable to Android Pie\n <\/td><\/tr> \n RAM\n <\/td> \n 6GB or 8GB\n <\/td><\/tr> \n Rear Camera\n <\/td> \n Dual 12 MP Cameras (f\/1.5 and f\/2.4)\n <\/td><\/tr> \n Size\n <\/td> \n 6.3 x 3 x 0.34 inches\n <\/td><\/tr> \n Storage\n <\/td> \n 128GB or 512GB\n <\/td><\/tr> \n Weight\n <\/td> \n 7.1 ounces\n <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n Design<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Note 9\u2019s physical build and appearance aren\u2019t really new<\/em>. At 6.3 by 3.0 by 0.34 inches (HWD) and weighing 7.1 ounces, aside from being ever so slightly larger and heavier than the Note 8, the latest note looks very much like its predecessor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It also bares a strong resemblance to the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. In fact, if you don\u2019t need or want the stylus, the Galaxy S9 or S9+ are both attractive, less-expensive alternatives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/specs.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nIn any case, let\u2019s take a look around the Galaxy Note 9, starting with its highly attractive, very well-built aluminum chassis. This is one slick-looking and -feeling phone, with smooth, tight, slightly rounded edges and corners with nearly imperceptible seams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Depending on where you buy it, you also get your choice of vibrant colors, including Lavender Purple and Ocean Blue. The Ocean Blue comes with a yellow S Pen, which writes in yellow on the display in Screen-Off memo mode, and the lavender model comes with a purple pen that uses purple digital ink\u2014an interesting, understated touch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/colors2.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nShortly after last year\u2019s release, Samsung announced the\navailability of new Cloud Silver and Midnight Black versions. Cloud Silver is sold\nsolely through Best Buy and Samsung’s own website, while the Midnight Black model\nwill be sold at all retailers and carriers, which include: AT&T, Verizon,\nSprint, T-Mobile, and US Cellular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the right edge resides only the Power\/Sleep\/Awake button.\nOn the right edge you\u2019ll find the button for activating Samsung\u2019s voice\nactivation feature, Bixby, which is similar to the iPhone\u2019s Siri and Windows\u2019\nCortona, and the volume controls, as shown in the image below. We\u2019ll take a\ncloser look a Bixby and this button later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/rightEdge2.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThe bottom edge holds the headphones jack, the mini-USB\ncharging\/data connection port, a reset pinhole, the stereo speakers grill and,\nof course, the S Pen compartment, as shown here… <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/sPen2.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThis design demonstrates that Samsung has plenty of experience with making the stylus unobtrusive and placing it out of the way (and the S Pen recharges itself in there). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This approach is much, much slicker than Apple\u2019s iPad Pencil\u2014 it has nowhere to hide. As you\u2019ll see when I talk more in-depth about the S Pen further down, the Note\u2019s stylus is most likely the most advanced digital pen available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The back of the Note 9 holds its dual-aperture camera and the\nfingerprint reader, shown in the image below. There\u2019s also a camera on the\nfront, of course. The cameras are discussed in depth a little later, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/cameras.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThe top edge hosts a compartment for storing a tray that holds both the SIM card and a microSD card for increasing storage by as much as 512GB, or, if you prefer, you can use the tray to insert two SIM cards, which in turn allows you to assign two phone numbers to your Note 9\u2014say, perhaps, a work number and a personal number. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you buy the 512GB model and then add a 512GB microSD card, your Note 9 becomes a 1TB device, which is a first in smartphone technology. Samsung offers a 512GB SD card for about $200, which is about the going rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/sim.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nHowever, between the 512GB Note 9 itself and the 512GB SD card, you could easily spend close to $1,500 for your phone, which is undoubtedly a lot of money. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The good news is that as I wrote this, I found the 512GB model at Amazon and elsewhere for about $200 off the MSRP of $1,250 (and the 128GB version, which also supports the 512GB microSD card, for about $150 less than its list price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally, not only is the Note 9 well built, but it also meets the IP68 waterproof and dust-proof standard\u2014with or without the S Pen embedded in its compartment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Samsung says you can dunk it in up to five feet of water, which is much deeper than your toilet bowl. There\u2019s also a wealth of security features, including the aforementioned fingerprint reader, facial and iris recognition, PIN, dot pattern, and others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dazzling Display<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
From smartphones, to Galaxy tablets, to computer monitors, to 90-inch UHD TVs, nobody makes better screens than Samsung, and the Note 9\u2019s 2,960 by 1,440 resolution Super AMOLED Infinity Display is the best in the business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s much brighter and has about a third more contrast ratio than the Note 8, which is no slouch itself. And Samsung\u2019s near-bezel-less curved edges are nothing short of, well, awesome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/imageQaulity.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nEven so, the screen resolution is the same as on the Note 8 and Galaxy S9+. Not only is this a great size for watching movies on the go, but whether you\u2019re looking at it from an extreme right, left, top, or bottom angles or straight on, the picture quality looks the same, with no noticeable degradation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to my testing, the Note 9\u2019s screen reproduces 228% of the sRGB color gamut (range), compared to the Note 8\u2019s 209%, the S9\u2019s 217 percent, and the iPhone\u2019s 135%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Specs and benchmarks aside, though, after years of evaluating tablet, laptop, and smartphone screens, the Note 9\u2019s is certainly the best smartphone screen I\u2019ve seen so far\u2014and that includes the iPhone X\u2019s impressive 2,436 by 1,125 Retina Display. While the Galaxy S9 and S9+ displays are similar, even they are not as spectacular to look at as is the Note 9\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/neon-1.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nS Pen: Stylus Plus<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The S Pen just keeps getting better. It has been the best stylus around for jotting notes, drawing, selecting text, and more, for some time now, but with the Note 9, Samsung has added Bluetooth LE and a remappable button for controlling compatible apps remotely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
By default, a long press of the button opens the camera app, and short presses, or clicks, snap pictures, allowing you to take selfies or group shots without the camera app\u2019s built-in timer or by waving your hand in front of the camera lens to activate the awkward gesture-initiated camera timer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/penButton.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nYou can also use the S Pen button to advance slides in PowerPoint presentations, scroll through pictures in Gallery, play, pause, and skip to the next track in Music Player, toggle between the front and rear cameras, and so on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So far, aside from Google and Samsung core apps, there\u2019s a shortage of apps that support S Pen, but Samsung offers a software development kit (SDK) to aid third-party developers in creating S Pen-compatible apps, which should help increase the number of S Pen-ready apps before too long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/sPen.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nI could go on for a while about what S Pen can do, but one of the more impressive features is the ability to take screen-off memos. When you remove the stylus while the display is turned off, Note 9 goes in to a note-taking interface against a black background. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This allows you to take notes without unlocking the phone and launching a specific app, thereby making note taking quick and easy. Screen-off memos are saved automatically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/sPen3.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nAs mentioned, the S Pen does require charging, which takes\nonly about 40 seconds in its compartment. That 40 seconds should give you,\naccording to my testing, about 40 minutes of\nstandby time or about 220 clicks of the remote-control button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Professional-Grade\nCameras<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Over the past few years, smartphone cameras have made great strides, to the extent that some of them shoot photos and videos on-par with lower-end professional photographer cameras. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like most of today\u2019s smartphones, the Note 9 comes with a front camera primarily for taking selfies, but the rear shooter is a dual-aperture camera with wide-angle telephoto lenses. Inherited from the Galaxy S9+, the Note 9\u2019s cameras are supported by an advanced, highly effective camera app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/blue.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThe Note 9\u2019s 8MP (megapixel) front-facing camera includes\nautofocus (a first for the Note brand), as well as countless mode options: Super\nSlow Motion digital video at 960 frames per second at 720p resolution, AR\nstickers, wide group selfies, and much more\u2014making it one of the most feature-rich\nsmartphone camera apps, period. Even so, it\u2019s easy to use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But it\u2019s the rear camera that shows off the camera app\u2019s\nprowess. The dual 12MP lenses use variable-aperture tech to switch\nautomatically from an f\/1.5 aperture for low-light conditions to an f\/2.4 opening\nfor normal lighting photography. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the camera app\u2019s many tricks is a built-in artificial intelligence (AI) that automatically configures settings depending on your subject. The Note 9 recognizes 20 scenes, including beaches, backlit subjects, food, snow, and sunsets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It then adjusts the brightness, contrast, saturation, white balance and a slew of other settings normally configured manually in the app\u2019s Pro mode, with Scene Optimizer turned off. My experience with Scene Optimizer is that it works well most of the time, especially compared to the photos I shot with the feature shut off. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scene Optimizer isn\u2019t perfect, though; a couple of my photos, especially a few shots of food, came out a bit over saturated and lacking some detail, but switching to Pro mode fixed that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the more impressive features is Flaw Detection, which tells you when your photo didn\u2019t shoot as desired. Flaws like blurriness, red-eye, a smudged lens, closed eyes, are detected, and then the app warns you and offers a second chance, as shown here\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/flawDetect.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThe truth is, I\u2019m probably one of the world\u2019s worst photographers; I have trouble shooting stills of IT hardware in perfect lighting and no background for these reviews. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I need all the help I can get, making the Note 9\u2019s dual lenses, AI, and Flaw Detection just right for me. Now that not all my photos suck, I find myself taking a lot more pictures than before. It\u2019s also worth noting that it takes great 4K videos, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/natureShot-1.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nBixby<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m not going to say a lot about Bixby, Samsung\u2019s\nvoice-activation app, here, primarily because it has always been an inferior\napp to its competitors, and nobody likes it. The Oreo version that comes on the\nNote 9 isn\u2019t much of an improvement. It still misinterprets a lot of words and\nphrases that Siri, Cortana, and Amazon\u2019s Alexa do not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And, yes, the Bixby button\u2014for those of us who don\u2019t want to use Bixby\u2014is still in an inconvenient place and you can\u2019t remap it to another app or function. However, as I was finishing this review, Android Pie (Android 9) became available for the Note 9 and I installed it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Samsung claims that Android 9 fixes Bixby and now it rivals its peers. Frankly, I didn\u2019t have enough time to test it before filing this story, but I can tell you that, yes, you can now remap the Bixby button to almost any other app or function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Bixby.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nAs for Android Pie itself, I haven\u2019t spent much time with\nit. It did, however, cripple the third-party launcher I was using, as well as a\ncouple other apps I use regularly, such\nas Samsung\u2019s File Manager. It looks like I\u2019m in for an hour or two of\nre-tweaking my home screen and other areas to get it back the way I want it,\nthough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stellar Performance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Though I did run a few benchmarks, including overall\nperformance tests with Geekbench 4 and graphics prowess with 3DMark Slingshot\nExtreme, I\u2019m not going to spend much time discussing test results in detail\u2014except\nto say that the Note 9 fell slightly behind the iPhone X and OnePlus 6,\nslightly ahead of the Galaxy S9+, and well ahead of the Note 8 and Google Pixel\n2XL. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Suffice it to say that the Note 9 isn\u2019t quite as fast as the iPhone and the super-fast OnePlus 6. As for my experience using the phone over the past few weeks, so far, I haven\u2019t waited for any app to open; switching between apps, no matter how many I have open, is as smooth as cutting warm butter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I don\u2019t play a lot of games, but during the time I played the hardware-taxing 3D game Fortnite (unavailable for Android 9 except in beta as I wrote this), I experienced no lags, the screen was beautiful, and, while the phone did heat up some, not excessively so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Fortnite.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nAll that, and I ran a recent Star Trek movie on a loop until the battery conked out for 12 hours and 36 minutes. Why such fast, smooth, long-lasting performance? Well, we\u2019ve already talked about the Infinity Display, which explains the gorgeous graphics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Below is a list of the Note 9\u2019s other performance hardware and what it does. My test unit was the 128GB version with 6GB of RAM. (Assume that the 8GB RAM model runs a little better still in some scenarios.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Snapdragon 835 Processor: <\/strong>While not as fast as Apple\u2019s A11 Bionic CPU or the OnePlus 6 with 8GB of RAM, the CPU in the Note 9 is by no means a slouch. But, as I\u2019ve said, I have no complaints about this CPU\u2019s (and its built-in GPU) performance. Note that this is the same CPU that\u2019s in the S9+. <\/strong>Note also that in the UK and several other non-U.S. locations the Note 9 comes with the Samsung Exynos 9810, which is a little faster than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835.<\/li>
- 6GB RAM<\/strong>: Obviously, within reason, the more memory a computing device has the better. During my tests, 6GB seemed more than adequate, at least for the way I use a smartphone. And, as mentioned, it ran Fortnite without hesitation.<\/li>
- Water Cooled CPU: <\/strong>The Note 9 is protected against overheating with a “notebook-class” water carbon cooling system. Samsung claims that this protects the phone against overheating and allows it to run at its peak over longer periods. All I can say is that it never got too hot for me, nor did I notice it slowing down to compensate for excessive heat.<\/li>
- 4,000mAh Battery:<\/strong> At 700mAH bigger than the Note 8 and 500mAH bigger than the S9+, the Note 9\u2019s 4,000 milliampere hours battery is to date the biggest in the business. Again, it lasted over 12.5 hours during my battery drain tests.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Galaxy Note 9 versus\nCompetitors<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n \n <\/td> SG Note 9<\/strong> <\/td> SG S9 Plus<\/strong> <\/td> iPhone X<\/strong> <\/td> OnePlus 6<\/strong> <\/td><\/tr> Display size, resolution<\/strong> <\/td> 6.4-inch Super AMOLED; 2,960×1,440 pixels <\/td> 6.2-inch; 2,960×1,440 pixels <\/td> 5.8-inch; 2,436×1,125 pixels <\/td> 6.28-inch OLED; 2,280×1,080 pixels <\/td><\/tr> \n Pixel density<\/strong>\n <\/td> \n 516ppi\n <\/td> \n 529ppi\n <\/td> \n 458 ppi\n <\/td> \n 402ppi\n <\/td><\/tr> \n Dimensions (Inches)<\/strong>\n <\/td> \n 6.4x3x0.35 in\n <\/td> \n 6.2×2.9×0.33 in\n <\/td> \n 5.7×2.8×0.30 in\n <\/td> \n 6.1×0.3×0.31 in\n <\/td><\/tr> \n Weight <\/strong>\n <\/td> \n 7.1 oz\n <\/td> \n 6.7 oz\n <\/td> \n 6.1 oz\n <\/td> \n 6.2 oz\n <\/td><\/tr> \n Mobile software<\/strong>\n <\/td> \n Android 8.1 Oreo, upgradeable\n to Android 9 Pie<\/a>\n <\/td> \n Android 8.0 Oreo, upgradeable to Android\n 9 Pie\n <\/td> \n iOS 11\n <\/td> \n Android 8.1 Oreo, upgradeable to Android\n 9 Pie\n <\/td><\/tr> \n Camera<\/strong>\n <\/td> \n Dual 12MP (wide), 12MP (telephoto)\n <\/td> \n Dual 12MP\n <\/td> \n Dual 12MP\n <\/td> \n 16MPstandard, 20MPtelephoto\n <\/td><\/tr> \n Front-facing camera<\/strong>\n <\/td> \n 8MP\n <\/td> \n 8MP\n <\/td> \n 7MP\n <\/td> \n 16MP\n <\/td><\/tr> \n Video capture<\/strong>\n <\/td> \n 4K\n <\/td> \n 4K\n <\/td> \n 4K\n <\/td> \n 4K\n <\/td><\/tr> \n Processor<\/strong>\n <\/td> \n Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 octa-core\n processor (2.8GHz + 1.7GHz), or Octa-core Samsung Exynos 9810 (2.7 GHz + 1.7\n GHz)\n <\/td> \n Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845\n processor (2.8GHz + 1.7GHz), or Octa-core Samsung Exynos 9810 (2.7 GHz + 1.7\n GHz)\n <\/td> \n Apple A11 Bionic\n <\/td> \n 2.8GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 845\n <\/td><\/tr> \n Storage<\/strong>\n <\/td> \n 128GB, 512GB\n <\/td> \n 64GB, 128GB, 256GB\n <\/td> \n 64GB, 256GB\n <\/td> \n 64GB, 128GB, 256GB\n <\/td><\/tr> \n RAM<\/strong>\n <\/td> \n 6GB, 8GB\n <\/td> \n 6GB\n <\/td> \n 3GB\n <\/td> \n 6GB, 8GB\n <\/td><\/tr> \n Expandable storage<\/strong>\n <\/td> \n 512GB\n <\/td> \n 400GB\n <\/td> \n None\n <\/td> \n None\n <\/td><\/tr> \n Battery<\/strong>\n <\/td> \n 4,000mAh<\/a>\n <\/td> \n 3,500mAh\n <\/td> \n 2716mAH\n <\/td> \n 3,300mAh\n <\/td><\/tr> \n Fingerprint sensor<\/strong>\n <\/td> \n Back\n <\/td> \n Back\n <\/td> \n None \n <\/td> \n Back\n <\/td><\/tr> \n Connector<\/strong>\n <\/td> \n USB-C\n <\/td> \n USB-C\n <\/td> \n Lightning\n <\/td> \n USB-C\n <\/td><\/tr> \n Headphone jack<\/strong>\n <\/td> \n Yes\n <\/td> \n Yes\n <\/td> \n No\n <\/td> \n Yes\n <\/td><\/tr> \n Special features<\/strong>\n <\/td> \n Water resistant (IP68); wireless\n charging; S Pen with Bluetooth; Iris and facial scanning\n <\/td> \n Dual-aperture camera, water-resistant\n (IP68); wireless charging; iris scanning\n <\/td> \n Water resistant (IP67); wireless\n charging; Face ID 3D unlock\n <\/td> \n Portrait mode, dual-SIM, Dash Charging\n <\/td><\/tr> \n Price MSRP (USD)<\/strong>\n <\/td> \n $1,000 (128GB), $1,250 (512GB)\n <\/td> \n Varies: $840-$930 (64GB)\n <\/td> \n $999 (64GB), $1,149 (256GB)\n <\/td> \n $529 (64GB), $579 (128GB), $629 (256GB)\n <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n More than a Pretty\nFace<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Every review of the Note 9 I\u2019ve read rants about the $1,000 purchase price, but if you shop around, you\u2019ll find it for much less. eBay, in fact, has some new-unopened-box offers for as low as $700. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/writing-1.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nGranted, that\u2019s still a lot of money, but if you use your smartphone as much as I do, it\u2019s well worth it. The screen is big enough for my aging eyes to do research, and the S Pen is perfect for highlighting passages in Microsoft OneNote or wherever. When I pair it with a keyboard, well, it\u2019s not quite like using a PC, but more than adequate for typing away from home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unless you\u2019re locked in to the iPhone X, or simply must have the fastest Android available, I can\u2019t think of a reason not to buy this phone, unless, of course, you want to hang out with what you have now until the Galaxy Note 10 comes out later this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But I\u2019m guessing that it will list for a bit more than 1K\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
More and more users are in to big phones with big beautiful high-resolution displays, such as Google\u2019s Pixel, OnePlus 6, or Apple\u2019s iPhone X, but Samsung\u2019s flagship Note brand (now […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":61582,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ub_ctt_via":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-61575","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-gadgets"},"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/colors2.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"William Harrel","author_link":"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/author\/wharrel\/"},"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t
- 6GB RAM<\/strong>: Obviously, within reason, the more memory a computing device has the better. During my tests, 6GB seemed more than adequate, at least for the way I use a smartphone. And, as mentioned, it ran Fortnite without hesitation.<\/li>
- Snapdragon 835 Processor: <\/strong>While not as fast as Apple\u2019s A11 Bionic CPU or the OnePlus 6 with 8GB of RAM, the CPU in the Note 9 is by no means a slouch. But, as I\u2019ve said, I have no complaints about this CPU\u2019s (and its built-in GPU) performance. Note that this is the same CPU that\u2019s in the S9+. <\/strong>Note also that in the UK and several other non-U.S. locations the Note 9 comes with the Samsung Exynos 9810, which is a little faster than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835.<\/li>