Samsung has officially introduced their newest addition in the Note series. Unveiled during their Unpacked Session in New York, the Samsung Galaxy Note9 builds on the successes that its predecessors had and implements more innovations as expected from a smartphone of this caliber.
One of the most interesting innovations that Samsung has implemented on the Note9 is on the S-pen. The new S-Pen is no longer just a pen, it’s much more powerful than its contemporaries. It now has a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) module inside that allows it to act as a remote for the Note9. With a 30-minute battery life once out of the smartphone, the S-Pen can now become a remote for the Note9’s camera as well as control presentations from afar. The device does not need any kind of special charging ports since it gets its charge from the Note9 itself and charges for just around half a minute.
Processing power of the Samsung Galaxy Note9 comes from a 10nm octa-core that can boost from its base clock of 1.7GHz up to 2.8GHz. The Note9 also comes with up to 8GB of RAM depending on the model as well as up to 512GB of internal storage that can be expanded up to a terabyte of storage via the microSD slot.
Of course, the camera is still important for the Note9. The smartphone sticks to a familiar dual camera setup at the back with a 12MP f/1.5 – f/1.24 primary shooter with OIS and a 12MP AF f/2.4 OIS telephoto camera that can reach zoom levels of 2x optical zoom and 10x digital zoom. At the front, on the other hand, is a more traditional single camera setup with the Note9 having an 8MP AF f/1.7 selfie camera.
Software has also improved for the camera in the Note9. The smartphone now comes with a Scene Optimizer that allows the cameras to identify elements in a photo and automatically categorize it in one out of twenty categories and optimize it for better colors and definition.
The camera now detects flaws in the scene even before taking the shot like smudges in the screen or if anyone blinks at the wrong moment while taking selfies. This should allow the Note9 to ultimately take better photos by removing imperfections and blurriness in the scenes even before the image is taken.
The display on the Samsung Galaxy Note9 is a massive 6.4-inch Super AMOLED screen with a QuadHD+ (2960 x 1440) resolution that results to a total pixel count of 516ppi. Users, however, may find that the Note9 will have a FullHD+ resolution at default settings and may need tinkering to achieve the QuadHD+ resolution.
To keep the Note9 topped up for the day, it comes with a 4,000mAh battery. The largest battery in a flagship Galaxy smartphone yet. The Note9 does support quick charging on both wired and wireless forms of charging.
| Chipset | 10nm octa-core processor, 2.8GHz |
| Screen | 6.4-inch, Super AMOLED, 2960 x 1440 |
| RAM | 6GB/8GB |
| OS | Android 8.1 Oreo |
| Rear Camera | 12MP AF, f/1.5 + f/2.4, OIS primary, 12MP Telephoto AF, f/2.4, 2x optical zoom, 10x digital zoom |
| Front Camera | 8MP AF, f/1.7 |
| Storage | 128GB/512GB |
| Network | Dual Hybrid SIM, 4G, LTE, 4×4 MIMO |
| Connectivity | WiFi 802.11 a/b/c/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, A-GPS, Beidou, GLONASS, VHT80 MU-MIMO, 1024QAM, USB Type-C |
| Others | Facial Recognition, Fingerprint Scanner, Iris Scanner, Intelligent Scan, S-Pen, IP68 Water and Dust resistance |
| Battery | 4,000mAh, supports Fast Charging 2.0 |
The Samsung Galaxy Note9 will be up for pre-order from August 11 to 19. Those who will pre-order the latest Note will enjoy exclusive freebies of up to PhP 17,800, which include a free 2018 Samsung 32-inch Smart HD TV with a two-year warranty and a NanoFixit Screen Protection with one year insurance.
Fans of the Note9 may also choose from several Samsung devices such as the Gear Fit2 Pro, Gear IconX, or Galaxy Samsung Tab 7-inch when pre-ordering the 128GB variant. Special add-ons such as the Samsung Galaxy Watch or Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 may also be purchased with a 10% discount.
The Samsung Galaxy Note9 will be officially available in the Philippines for PhP 55,990 for the 128GB variant while the 512GB version will be sold for PhP 75,990.
