Galaxy Note 9: Do you really need all that power?

Friday, 7 September 2018

Visitors to the 2018 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona were treated to Samsung's unveiling of the new S9 and S9+.

OPINION: The latest Samsung smartphone is as powerful as my laptop, packing a huge amount of memory and storage.

This phone is not for the casual user or for anyone frugal with their money as all that tech power comes with a high price.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is now on sale in New Zealand. The 128GB model costs $1699 and the 512GB costs $1999.

Since that's about the price of a laptop I guess it's no surprise the Note 9 has similar internal specifications to most computers.

* Samsung Galaxy S9 faces reports of unresponsive touchscreen

While this will be appreciated by power users it's not really necessary for the average user.

But if you are tempted to get a new phone the Note 9 offers a huge number of features.

DESIGN

The most noticeable thing about this phone is how big it is. It has a 6.4-inch screen and it's hefty at 201g so you'll find it hard to slip into the pocket of your jeans or shorts.

Starting at the top left and going clockwise, the phones used are Samsung's Galaxy Note 9, Samsung's Galaxy S9, Google's Pixel 2 XL and Apple's iPhone X.

If you're unfamiliar with big phones it's worth going into a store and handling it before buying.

However, it does look good with a big, bright screen that makes it great for scrolling through content online or on social media, watching movies or playing games.

With all that tech inside, hopefully you'll be using it for more than just the basics.

FEATURES

The main reason you'd want to buy the Note 9 over other models is for its stylus, which is tucked away neatly when not needed.

Using a stylus (which Samsung calls the S Pen) is an acquired taste but once you learn how it can be effective and efficient, especially if you take a lot of notes though it's also handy for quick, precise navigation of your phone.

Another feature of interest to power users is the ability to use the Note 9 as a computer. You don't need a dock, just plug it into a screen using a USB-C to HDMI adapter (not included) and it goes into desktop mode.

This has a lot of potential and if you properly set up your work and home office could replace your computer.

I guess that's why the base model comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage - specifications usually found in laptops. The 512GB model has 8GB of RAM.

The Galaxy Note 9 is a great option for people who need a lot of features.

It's also got a good-sized 4000mAh battery that should last most users all day unless you're watching back-to-back movies and making lots of calls at the same time.

The Note 9 comes with Android 8.1 (Oreo) but hopefully Samsung will soon upgrade it to the latest version (9.0), which was released last month.

It also has a headphone port which will be appreciated by many users, along with fast charging (charger included) and wireless charging (you'll need to buy a charging pad).

There are also several ways to secure the phone - facial recognition, fingerprint scanner, iris scanner or PIN. I usually prefer using my fingerprint but the size of the Note 9 means you need to adjust your grip to touch the scanner on the rear so I used an old-school PIN which worked just fine.

CAMERA

The camera is great but that's no surprise as Samsung's top phones are all capable of taking excellent images and videos.

Critics will argue for forever about which phone has the best camera but all you need to know is that the Note 9 is one of the best around at the moment.

It has a dual 12MP rear cameras (one has a telephoto lens) and is packed with tech, such as image stabilisation (which helps in low-light situations and with fast-moving subjects), to make sure your photos look as good as possible.

Sometimes it can be a little too smart for its own good but mostly it works well.

IS IT WORTH UPGRADING?

There's no need anymore to upgrade your phone from last year's model as the improvements aren't worth it.

This applies to every make and model (unless you're a diehard fan) and it's the same for the Note 9.

Compared to last year's Note 8, this model is a bit bigger, slightly more powerful, and a little bit more expensive.

Unless there's a feature you desperately need, be patient save your money.

VERDICT

The Note 9 is an excellent phone but it is probably too feature-filled and expensive for most people.

The average user will barely tap into many of the features and they would be better served buying a more affordable phone.

But for the power user, the Note 9 offers everything you need, plus a bit more, though you'll need to be up for handling a big phone.

While it is a great piece of technology it does come at a high price - though that is becoming more common in today's tech world.