Samsung’s latest Note, the Galaxy Note 9, is all set to go on sale in most parts of the world from next week. While the Note 9 might seem an iterative upgrade over the Note 8 and shares the same internals as the Galaxy S9+, Samsung has made a few key improvements that make it an interesting device to own.
Among other things, the Galaxy Note 9 comes with a massive 4,000mAh battery and a big, beautiful display that sets a new benchmark for smartphone displays. With the Note 9 release date just over a week away, the first batch of reviews of the handset from major publications have started making their way to the internet. Let’s have a look at what they have to say about Samsung’s latest note.
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Review Roundup
The Verge
The publication puts it very aptly: the new Note 9 gives the most of any Note from Samsung and it also has a price tag to match. It crowns the Note 9 as the best phone Samsung has ever made and the best Android phone one can buy right now, though it is not for everyone. The Note 9 is definitely on the bigger side but its all-day battery life justifies that size. Bixby continues to be pointless. Samsung should pour its resources into other areas instead of Bixby. Got $1,000 to spare and are looking for the best Android phone around? Buy the Note 9. Review
Engadget
The publication’s review of the Note 9 is primarily positive and only points a few issues here and there. The device has a big and beautiful display, great build quality, a handy S Pen which appeals to a certain niche of people, and a dual-camera setup at the rear that is capable of capturing some great photos.
The AI mode in Galaxy Note 9’s camera does a pretty good job, though in certain scenarios solutions from Huawei’s AI system were better. Like the Galaxy S9, the Note 9 is capable of recording super slow-mo videos at 960fps for 0.4secs which translates into 12 seconds of real-time playback. The implementation is similar to that of the S9 which means the camera will start recording slow-mo video when it detects motion in a specified box which might not be liked by all. With 6GB RAM and a Snapdragon 845 chipset inside, the Note 9 is an absolute beast in terms of performance. The 4,000mAh battery is also good enough to ensure the device lasts more than a day on full charge, though in Engadget’s video rundown battery life test, the Note 9 lasted just a wee bit longer than the Note 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. The Note 9 is far from perfect though. Apart from running an outdated version of Android, the Intelligent Scan feature is also pretty unreliable. And then there’s Bixby which is still a mess. Review
Gizmodo
Another positive review which praises the Note 9’s performance, display, and camera performance. In fact, in camera performance, Gizmodo makes it clear that the Note 9’s camera goes head-to-head with that of the Pixel 2, with no phone winning all the rounds. The Note 9 is a true battery life champion thanks to its 4,000mAh battery. The only real disappointment with the Note 9 is that it continues to run on Android 8.1 Oreo despite Google now officially releasing Android 9 Pie. The latest release of Android comes with a number of new features like App Actions, new volume controls, Adaptive Battery which would have greatly benefited the Note 9. Knowing Samsung, it will take at least a few months before the Pie update makes its way to the device as well. Overall, the Note 9 is easily the best Android smartphone around, though some may struggle to justify its $1,000 price tag. Review
Android Central
The Note 9 is perhaps the only Android phone worth $1,000 as per the publication’s review. Review What do you think about the Galaxy Note 9? Do you plan on picking one up when it launches next week?
