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Samsung Galaxy Note9 vs Galaxy S9 vs Galaxy S9 Plus

Samsung's current flagship smartphones are tough to choose from, so compare them side by side.

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Matt Sayer
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Samsung Galaxy Note9

Samsung Galaxy S9

Samsung Galaxy S9+
Product Name Samsung Galaxy Note9 Samsung Galaxy S9 Samsung Galaxy S9+
Display size 6.4 5.8 6.2
Operating system Android 8 Android 8 Android 8
Height (mm) 161.9 147.7 158.1
Width (mm) 76.4 68.7 73.8
Depth (mm) 8.8 8.5 8.5
Weight (g) 201 163 189
Battery size (mAh) 4,000 3,000 3,500
Front camera (1) megapixels 8 8 8
Rear camera (1) megapixels 12 12 12
Rear camera (2) megapixels 12 12
Water Resistance IP68 IP68 IP68
Wi-Fi connectivity 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Network Category Speed Category 18 Category 18 Category 18

Note9 vs S9 vs S9+

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.

Design

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+.

Performance

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.

Battery

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.

Price

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.

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