The world's leading smartphone-maker Samsung has launched the much anticipated Android flagship Galaxy Note9 in New Delhi on 22 August 2018.
The company is releasing two Galaxy Note9 models— 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and the 8 GB RAM + 512 GB storage—in India for Rs 67,900 and Rs 84,900, respectively.
Samsung Galaxy Note9: All you need to know
The design language of Galaxy Note9 is almost same as the Galaxy Note8 with Infinity Display having dual curved edges on the sides. However, we are not complaining as the company has made some meaningful cosmetic changes on the back side.
In the previous iteration, the biometric sensor was placed beside the camera. This caused the device owners to accidentally touch the latter -- most of the time, leaving smudges on the camera lens. This time, there will less chance of this issue recurring.
Another huge upgrade in the Galaxy Note9 is the S Pen. For the first time, Samsung has incorporated a Bluetooth modem inside the stylus. With this upgrade, device owners can use S Pen to control music and volume, take photos and flip camera view from the main rear-side camera to the front-snapper mode for selfies without having to physically touch or open the smartphone.
Samsung added that the third app developers will also able to code functionalities for the S Pen and be able to roll out new functionalities later in the year.
However, the S Pen, which now has a modem inside will need to be charged for it to work. This won't be an issue for the consumers as it automatically gets charged wirelessly inside the phone and if reports are to believed, only 40 seconds of charging is needed to power the S Pen for one hour.
Another big upgrade that we will see in the Galaxy Note9 is the battery. It comes packed with a massive 4,000mAh cell, 700mAh (21 percent) more than the Galaxy Note8 (3,300mAh). It boasts fast charging and a wireless charging capability.
Like the previous iterations, the Galaxy Note9, depending on the region of sale, will be deployed with different chipsets. The Galaxy Note9 model bound for Europe and Asian markets, including India, will house Samsung's in-house built Exynos 9810 Octa-core CPU chipsets.
On the other hand, the Galaxy Note9 with Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 octa-core will be heading to US, China, Japan and other select nations.
As far as the camera is concerned, it houses the same camera hardware as seen in the Galaxy S9 series but the module is horizontally arranged. It houses 12 MP sensors with LED flash (and heart rate sensor). It also boasts dual aperture (F1.5 and F2.4), AR Emoji capability, slow-motion video recording and Optical Image Stabilization (OIS).
On the front, the Galaxy Note9 comes with an 8 MP wide-angle sensor having F1.7 aperture and is complemented by several facial recognition sensors. This enables the device to capture Augmented Reality photos of the user to create 3D emojis -- Samsung's answer to Apple iPhone X Animoji feature -- but the latter's utility is very limited. It can only be used on iMessage app, whereas the former allows users to share them on all messaging apps and social media sites.
The Galaxy Note9 will be available across Flipkart, Amazon and in Samsung authorized retail chains starting August 24 and will be offered in Midnight Black, Lavender Purple, Metallic Copper with matching S Pen and Ocean Blue with a Yellow S Pen.
If the consumers book the Galaxy Note9 via Airtel and Samsung store, they will be eligible to get cash discounts and other lucrative benefits.
Additional offers for consumers buying Galaxy Note9 on Samsung authorised stores:
- Buying the new smartphone through Paytm Mall will get the consumer a cashback of Rs 6,000.
- Buying through HDFC Bank credit or debit cards or using HDFC Consumer Durable loans (CD Loans) will get consumers a cashback of Rs 6,000.
- Under the Samsung Upgrade Program, consumers can get an upgrade bonus of Rs 6,000 in exchange of their old device for the Galaxy Note9. The upgrade bonus is over and above the exchange value.
Key specifications of Samsung Galaxy Note9:
| Model | Samsung Galaxy Note9 |
| Display | 6.4-inch Quad HD+ (2960×1440p) super AMOLED, Corning Gorilla Glass 5 shield
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| OS | Android 8.1 Oreo-based Samsung Experience UI |
| Processor |
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| GPU |
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| RAM+ storage | 6GB RAM + 128GB storage/ 8GB RAM + 512GB storage (UFS)
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| Camera |
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| Battery | 4,000mAh
*May differ by market and mobile operator |
| Security | Lock Type: Pattern, Pin, Password Biometric Lock Types: Iris Scanner, Fingerprint Scanner, Facial Recognition Intelligent scan: Combines iris scan and face recognition for convenient unlocking and in some cases provides enhanced security for certain authentication services |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, Barometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, Heart Rate Sensor, Proximity Sensor, RGB Light Sensor, Iris Sensor, Pressure Sensor |
| S Pen | Comes with inbuilt Bluetooth modem. With this, device owners can use S Pen to control music and volume, take photos, flip cameras from main to front for selfies without having to physically touch or open the smartphone. The company has added that third app developers will also able to code functionalities for the S Pen and be able to roll out new functionalities later in the year. |
| Network |
*May differ by market and mobile operator |
| Audio | MP3, M4A, 3GA, AAC, OGG, OGA, WAV, WMA, AMR, AWB, FLAC, MID, MIDI, XMF, MXMF, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, DSF, DFF, APE |
| Video | MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, WMV, ASF, AVI, FLV, MKV, WEB |
| Add-ons | IP68 ( can sustain up to 1.5 meters underwater for 30 meters) Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), VHT80 MU-MIMO, 1024QAM, Bluetooth v 5.0 (LE up to 2Mbps), ANT+, USB Type-C, NFC, MST, Location (GPS, Galileo*, Glonass, BeiDou*)*Galileo and BeiDou coverage may be limited. Stereo speakers, which are tuned by AKG, and ability to deliver Dolby Atmos® immersive audio |
| Dimensions | 161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8 mm |
| Weight | 201g |
| Colours | Midnight Black, Lavender Purple, Metallic Copper with matching S Pen, and Ocean Blue with a Yellow S Pen |
| Price |
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