
Get exclusive tech offers and guides
Straight to your inbox
We’re reader-supported and may be paid when you visit links to partner sites. We don’t compare all products in the market, but we’re working on it!
While the smartphone industry moves fast, it's not so fast that the Note9 eclipses its slightly older predecessors. In fact, the Note9 is more of an offshoot of the Galaxy S9, offering similar performance and capabilities with just a few tweaks that better suit it to a specific audience.
Prime among these tweaks is the increased screen size, up from 5.8 inches on the S9 and 6.2 inches on the S9+ to a hefty 6.4 inches. This goes hand in hand with the included S-Pen, a stylus designed not just for taking handwritten notes and sketching directly onto the Note9's screen but also for using as a remote when watching videos or conducting slideshow presentations. If you're an on-the-go artist or you conduct a lot of impromptu presentations, this could be a compelling reason to pick the Note9 over either the S9 or the S9+.
On the specs front, you'll find the Note9 rocking almost identical hardware to its smaller siblings. All three sport the same Exynos 9810 processor here in Australia, and basic features like the camera, network speed and water-resistance are all consistent across the board. The Note9 is available with more RAM and storage if you're willing to pay for it, but the average smartphone user probably won't notice much practical difference in performance even then.
The one significant change from the S9 and S9+ to the Note9 is the battery. Samsung has crammed in a 4,000mAh battery this time around, a considerable step up from the 3,000mAh battery in the S9 and the 3,500mAh battery in the S9+. Even with the Note9's larger screen, this should give it a noticeable edge on battery life. We haven't had a chance to test this ourselves yet, though, so bear that in mind.
Of course, smartphone upgrades rarely come cheap, and the Galaxy Note9 is no exception. Where the Galaxy S9 and S9+ retail for $1,199 and $1,349 respectively, the Note9 is launching at a cool $1,499. The difference is even greater if you shop around, as you can find the S9 and S9+ selling for even less than RRP at certain retailers. Is the Note9 worth spending hundreds of dollars extra on? Well, that's up to you to decide.
If you can stand the price point, there’s an awful lot to like about Samsung’s highest tier Galaxy S21 handset.
Samsung’s Galaxy S21 delivers a more affordable flagship experience in a very nice form, although the lack of a charger, microSD expansion and Qualcomm’s best chips do mean it’s not quite the perfect smaller flagship phone Samsung says it is.
Samsung’s mid-range 2021 flagship phone combines some serious camera zoom and a powerful processor.
Samsung’s new flagship Galaxy S phone combines impressive telephoto muscle and a few tricks borrowed from the Samsung Galaxy Note line.
These are the 6 best Samsung Galaxy Note 20 cases you can buy in Australia right now.
The Vivo Y20s is a decent value budget phone, but once you get past the design, there's not that much to get excited about.
The iPhone 12 Pro Max is a big phone – big in size, big in camera features and big in price – making it a phone only suitable for a small number of people.
Apple’s iPhone 12 mini lives up to its name, delivering plenty of power in a truly pocket-sized phone. Predictably, the price you pay is in battery life.
Samsung's Galaxy S20 FE is, surprisingly, its best phone of 2020.
With better battery life and a lower price than the iPhone 12 Pro, this is the iPhone that Apple users planning to upgrade should buy.