Samsung Galaxy Note 9 review: Should you buy?

Samsung's new stylus-wielding gizmo is back, and you'd obviously have high expectations from the Galaxy Note9. The eighth device in the Note series (there was no Note6) was billed as one built for power, so that pretty much gives us a clue to what we're about to encounter. The display and overall design are practically the same, save for that tiny 0.1 inch difference against the Note8 - enough to make it Samsung's biggest device to date.
But there's reason to celebrate: Samsung decided - finally! - to move the fingerprint sensor to the centre. I had a real issue with its earlier placement to the right of the dual-lens camera system.

The display on the Note9 is still a sight to behold, bright enough to light up a dark room - although the bezels on top and below are thick.

There are a couple of things that stand out here: storage and battery. Basically, what Samsung did was double the storage of both the base and high-end model, eliminating, in the process, the need for a version with 'only' 64GB. You now have a choice between a 128GB underling and a 512GB monster. Add to the fact that you can slot in a 512GB microSD, and you have a 1TB juggernaut. You also get a 2GB bonus in the RAM department with the latter.

Samsung's also pumped up its battery, making the jump all the way to 4,000mAh, kept in check by an improved water cooling system. This definitely proves that they've gotten over the Note7.
Our standard one-hour YouTube-at-full-brightness test resulted in 11 per cent of battery life ousted from the Note9 - a nice improvement from the 13 per cent we saw gone in the Note8. However, an interesting tidbit: that figure compares to the 10 per cent drain of the Galaxy S9+'s 3500mAh battery.

The S Pen, meanwhile has been blessed with Bluetooth Low Energy, which means you can use the stylus as a remote control, which allows you to perform tasks such as snapping pictures, and navigating through photos, voice recording and playing music tracks - even PowerPoint presentations - all within 30 feet of the Note9.

The Live Translate function, among a number of others, is back on the S Pen, although sometimes it doesn't always hit the mark at the first go - hover your pen over some text and see it work its magic.

If the S Pen doesn't suit your translating needs, then Bixby can come to your rescue. Samsung's answer to Siri and Google Assistant has been improved again, and speaks English right off the bat.

Samsung also made some noise when they announced a partnership with Fortnite. Basically, the brand is trying to show that the Note9 can handle the most heavy-duty games out there, and what better way to do that than by proving it with one of the hottest titles?
When it comes to the camera, you'll be dealing with practically the same dual-lens 12MP system from the Note8, though there are a couple of additions to the Note9's snappers: a lower f/1.5 aperture - the lower this figure, the more light it can gather inside the system - and Scene Optimiser, which detects the scene you're taking and automatically adjusts the camera to get the best results.

The Note9 is once again IP68-rated, meaning it can withstand dust and water, the latter for up to 1.5 metres for up to half-an-hour. The security is also back with not many changes. Aside from Samsung's very own Knox security platform, you'll get Intelligent Scan, which is a combination of face and iris scanning. Before you register your likeness, you'll be asked to wear your glasses (if you do) "for best results". Here's what I observed: while Intelligent Scan does work well in good lighting, it tends to become inconsistent when it comes to really dim rooms or total darkness. In the latter, it didn't recognise me while I had my glasses on (to be fair, the glare on spectacles reflects back to the device), but even if I took it off, I'd either have to open my eyes very wide or just let the scan lapse without it recognising me. Some work to be done here.
AND SO.
Well, we could go on forever but one thing is clear: the Samsung Galaxy Note9 is a beast in its own right. However, the lack of those wow additions pull down its rating a bit. The storage and RAM upgrades are nice, but with minimal bump-ups to the rest of its parts, this could well be a pumped-up version of the Note8.
alvin@khaleejtimes.com

• Hard Drive