Make a Note: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Review

Samsung Note 9 is in the race for the best phone of 2018. We test it to see if it can be a winner.

After an excruciatingly long wait, thorough and rigorous testing, Samsung finally launched it’s flagship device, the Note 9, amidst much speculation and enthusiasm from consumers. After the debacle over the battery of the Note 8, and a failed attempt to salvage the phone by replacing the battery, which failed again last year, it was speculated for some time that the Note series had it’s swansong in the Note 8.

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If Samsung and the fans of the Note are to be believed, the naysayers have been proven wrong time. The Note series has always been controversial because of it’s size, and it’s claims of making devices such as DSLRs, laptops and gaming consoles redundant. To a certain degree it is true. Samsung is aware of that, and time and again reminded the same to everyone attending the keynote before the launch of the Note 9.

The Note 8 was a great phone, if we leave aside its battery fiasco. Specification and feature wise, it was destined to knock flagship devices from every other manufacturer out of the park. Therefore, following up on that would have been difficult. The only manner in which this could have been done, is by giving the Note 9 some incremental updates. Samsung, however, went a step beyond that. There is no beating around the bush for this one.

It checks almost everything one can imagine that the perfect smartphone would have. A top of the line display with minimal bezels? Check. A great camera, capable of shooting stunning images even in the dark? Check. A device capable of multitasking with a breeze, managing tasks as quick as the user can possibly be, and a battery that is capable of powering the most demanding scenarios throughout the day, and not be tethered to a power outlet? Check, check and check.

Samsung knows its core audience for the Note and has catered to everything their power users could ever imagine. A 6.4 inch quad HD Super AMOLED display, powered either by Samsung’s Exynos 9810 Octa or the Snapdragon 845, six or eight GB of RAM, 128 or 512 GB flash storage, expandable by another 512 GB via micro SD, dual rear cameras at 12 MP, both with OIS, and one of them with dual aperture, capable of shooting 4K videos at 60 fps and 1080p videos at a smooth 240 fps, a front facing 8MP camera, capable of shooting 1440p videos, all sourcing their power from a 4000 mAh battery, capable of wireless charging. Samsung has developed a new water-carbon cooling system. The copper heatsink in the device that is responsible for dissipating heat, works really well, and keeps the device cool, even during an intense round of a resource-hungry game like Fortnite.

Then, there is the S-Pen. No Note device is a Note without this seemingly simple tool. The latest generation of the S-Pen has a low powered Bluetooth chip that allows the Pen to be used a remote. Not only does it allow users to take photos without being anywhere near the phone, it also doubles up as a remote for a presentation in case it is being used with the new version of the Samsung Dex.

Samsung also launched the new Samsung Watch. Apart from the usual that can be expected of a smart watch, it is capable of tracking your sleep, what kind of workout you are currently have, and whether or not you are having any anxiety issues. Based on your heart rate, pulse, perspiration and breathing patterns, it will show you breathing exercises to calm you down. Now that’s what we really call a personal trainer.

Samsung is optimistic about the Note 9 in India, as well as about the tech prowess of the country. DJ Koh, the company’s Mobile Chief said, “We believe that the time has come to move ahead of ‘Make in India’. We believe that it is time to ‘Make For India’. And soon, we will be, from India, ‘Making for the World’. ”

With the 128 GB storage, 6 GB RAM variant comes at ₹67,900 and the one with 512 GB storage, 8 GB RAM variant is for ₹84,900. The pricing isn’t that far off compared to Galaxy S9+, which means Samsung has been cautious with its pricing.

FHM VERDICT: The Note 9 seems promising and should make up for the unexpectedly lackluster performance of the Galaxy S9 and the S9+. It is the best mobile device that you can buy, today.

From the October 2018 issue of FHM India.