Samsung Galaxy Watch vs Gear S2 classic in pictures

The Galaxy Watch is the fourth-generation Gear smartwatch from Samsung, and it takes elements from both the Gear S2 and the Gear S3. Well, the one thing it takes from the Gear S2 is the size. To be more precise: Samsung is bringing the Galaxy Watch in a 42mm flavor with a 1.2-inch display like the Gear S2. The Gear S3 didn’t offer a 42mm version and was, therefore, not too suitable for those with small wrists, so the 42mm Galaxy Watch should entice plenty of Gear S2 owners to finally upgrade.

While our review of the Galaxy Watch will go into detail about how it’s better than its predecessors, some of you might be wondering what the differences are between the Galaxy Watch and the Gear S2 when it comes to design. You can get a fair idea in the pictures below of the two watches side by side. The smartwatch on the left is the new one and the one on the right is the Gear S2 classic. For more on the Galaxy Watch, do check out our hands-on impressions.

Samsung Gear Watch vs Gear S2 (classic) in pictures

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Fun fact: The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 has a headphone jack

Well, you didn’t see this one coming, did you? Or wait, you did. The Galaxy Note 9, ladies and gentlemen, has a headphone jack (or port, since the jack is on the headphone). That’s in addition to the impressive specs inside, along with a 4,000 mAh battery, a Bluetooth-powered S Pen, up to 512GB of storage, IP68 water resistance, and more. Samsung might be delaying the “future,” a word other companies use to justify removing the headphone jack from their devices, but hey, at least we can all avoid the dongle life with the Note 9, right?

Galaxy Note 9 has it all… on-paper

Of course, one can say all of this is expected on a phone that costs 1000 euros in this day and age. But it’s only the Galaxy Note 9 that will provide it to the consumer in the coming months. The only thing we can see ourselves being disappointed by is Samsung’s usual software update delays. Android 9.0 Pie probably isn’t coming out for the Note 9 this year. Even if it does, it will most likely be sometime in December, nearly four months after the Galaxy Note 9 will hit retail shelves.

Hopefully, the Galaxy Note 9 won’t reveal any glaring problems that might have sneaked in because of everything Samsung has tried to pack inside. The battery probably went through enough checks to make sure the Note 7 debacle isn’t repeated, but we hope the overall experience is as good as we’re expecting it to be based on the on-paper specifications. Based on the Galaxy Note 8, it should be, but you will have to wait for our full Galaxy Note 9 review later this month to find out.

For now, check out our hands-on impressions of the Galaxy Note 9. Also see what we think about the new Galaxy Watch, which Samsung unveiled alongside the Note 9 today.

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Samsung Galaxy Home speaker: A closer look

We had been hearing rumors that Samsung could soon announce its own smart speaker and the company did just that today. The Galaxy Home is the much-rumored Bixby smart speaker from Samsung. The only unveiled it today and promised to provide more information about it later this year.

It did display the Galaxy Home alongside the other products it has announced today during its Galaxy Note 9 event in New York City. We were able to get up close and personal with this new addition to the Galaxy lineup and get a sense of what it’s all about.

Samsung Galaxy Home

It’s evident right off the bat that this isn’t meant to be an Amazon Echo or Google Home rival. The design, build quality and sound make it pretty evident that this will take on the Apple HomePod, a premium Siri-powered speaker that retails for $349.

The cloth cover-wrapped teardrop-like design exudes class. It flows effortlessly down to the brushed metal feet with rubber tips that securely hold it in place. The Galaxy Home has a nice heft to it as well.

It boasts AKG audio and why wouldn’t it, Samsung owns the premium audio brand that’s also tuning the audio on its mobile devices. Aside from its powerful speakers, it even has a subwoofer to deliver rich bass. Bixby will be a major part of the Galaxy Home experience so it has eight microphones for far-field voice recognition.

Samsung says that Bixby on the Galaxy Home will be able to do almost everything that it can already do on the supported Galaxy devices. The improvements that Samsung has made to Bixby will certainly go a long way in improving the user experience with the assistant on this device. With SmartThings integration, the speaker will also let users control smart home devices.

The Galaxy Home doesn’t have any physical buttons. There’s a touch surface at the top with a couple of controls and a bright, white ring which illuminates when the speaker is active or the microphones are listening. From what we gather, there are no inputs so it won’t be possible to plug in auxiliary products. Users will have to completely rely on wireless connections.

Samsung will provide more details about the Galaxy Home at its developers’ conference this November. It’s safe to assume that this won’t exactly be a cheap smart speaker but may very well provide the audio experience to match the premium price tag.

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The S Pen in the Galaxy Note 9 packs a lot of new features

S Pen and its features are what separates a Galaxy Note from a Galaxy S flagship smartphone. Every year, Samsung makes many incremental improvements to its S Pen, but this year the company has made probably the biggest changes to S Pen since its inception. Apart from retaining and improving all the previous features, the new S Pen is also getting Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connectivity, enabling it to perform a variety of tricks that were not possible before.

The new connected S Pen allows users to control the Galaxy Note 9’s camera within a 10-meter radius. It makes taking selfies and group photos incredibly easy as the button on the new S Pen can be used as a remote camera shutter button. Users can also switch between front and rear camera effortlessly with a double click of the S Pen button.

New S Pen features for Galaxy Note 9

The new S Pen also functions as a remote for controlling presentations and various media player apps. Simple controls like play, pause, skip to next are all mapped to single and double clicks of the S Pen button. Users can also configure favorite apps and features to launch instantly from anywhere with a long press of the S Pen button.

Takes just 40 seconds to fully charge

All of these connected features require a stable connection between the stylus and the Galaxy Note 9. Samsung has worked to take care of this by making sure the new S Pen is automatically paired as soon as it is removed from the device. With the BLE connectivity, it can maintain a stable connection even when the Bluetooth is turned off.

Samsung also improved some of the software features that make the S Pen so unique. The Live Message feature from the Galaxy Note 8 is updated with support for AR Emoji stickers, making the feature even more personal and fun. Users can also take notes with S Pen when the Galaxy Note 9 is in DeX mode. There are new PENUP-powered drawing features to cater to the creative souls. Samsung also has an open SDK for developers to build cool new features and apps for the new stylus.

The new S pen boats IP68 certification for water and dust resistance. The Super Capacitor on the new stylus takes just 40 seconds to fully charge and can last up to 30 minutes or 200 clicks. Even when the S Pen battery dies down, all the traditional S Pen features work without any problem. Most convenient of all, the S Pen charges automatically when inserted back into the device.

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T-Mobile’s Galaxy Note 9 unboxing is all about how long the phone’s battery can last

North American carrier T-Mobile has a habit of unboxing Samsung’s newest flagships (and other phones) in style, and the Galaxy Note 9 has received similar treatment. Only this time, Desmond Smith, the carrier’s Content Director, took the phone out on an all-day trip to see how long its 4,000 mAh battery can survive. Only this wasn’t a regular trip, but one that involved multiple rollercoaster rides, some jet skiing, and a bit of paragliding.

Galaxy Note 9 battery holds its own, as expected

The Galaxy Note 9 started off at 100 percent at 9:05 am and lost only one percent battery in idle in the next 1 hour and 25 minutes. Cue a bit of camera use to show off its features to prospective customers that will be queueing up at T-Mobile’s stores, followed by recording some video footage up in the air, and the phone still had 42 percent remaining at 7:40 PM. The day ended at 8:01 PM with 36 percent battery remaining, but not before the S Pen was used to remotely click a few selfies.

Naturally, T-Mobile’s unboxing video isn’t a true real-life example, especially since it doesn’t involve the user actually using the phone all day like many of us tend to. But it’s a pretty neat way to talk about one of the Galaxy Note 9’s best features while also talking about the rest of them in the process.

Check out the video below, and if you haven’t already, see what we think of Samsung’s newest Note in our hands-on preview. If you’re a T-Mobile customer, check out the carrier’s official pricing information for the Galaxy Note 9.

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Galaxy Note 9 takes its spot in YouTube Signature Devices list

The Galaxy Note 9, like all previous Samsung flagships since the Galaxy S8, comes with a stunning Infinity Super AMOLED display. It also supports HDR video playback, and the YouTube team has already added Samsung’s new flagship to its list of the YouTube Signature Devices. A Signature Device is one on which the user can “enjoy vivid HDR videos, immersive 360° video, and fast video load times” according to YouTube, and the Note 9 is the latest to join the party.

6 out of 18 YouTube Signature Devices are Samsung Galaxy phones

That’s right. There are a total of 18 YouTube Signature Devices right now, and six of them are Samsung phones. These include the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+, Galaxy Note 8, and the Galaxy Note 9. There isn’t any competition going on here, as the list of signature devices is simply updated based on when a phone is released. But it’s a good indication of how Samsung offers the best viewing experience on a mobile device today. Meanwhile, none of Apple’s iPhones are in the list.

Here’s the screenshot from the YouTube website that shows all devices on the list.

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Official Samsung Galaxy Watch specs

Samsung’s much-awaited new smartwatch has been officially announced today as the Galaxy Watch. It’s what was previously referred to as the Gear S4 but Samsung has decided to switch up the branding. Samsung’s smartwatches will henceforth be under the Galaxy umbrella.

Even though the Galaxy Watch looks a lot like the Gear S3, there’s a lot different under the hood. The official Galaxy Watch specs reveal that it comes with a brand new processor and bigger batteries. It will be available in 46mm and 42mm sizes with a slight difference in the display size of both models.

Official Samsung Galaxy Watch specs

The Galaxy Watch is going to be released in the United States on August 24. South Korea is going to get it on August 31 followed by other markets in mid-September. Samsung has also said that the LTE-compatible variant will be available later this year.

Check the official chart below for a detailed look at the official Galaxy Watch specs. Do read our Galaxy Watch hands-on as well to find out more about what we think of the new smartwatch.

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Specs comparison: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 vs Galaxy S9+

Samsung has a new Galaxy Note flagship in its lineup now and it will inevitably be compared to the Galaxy S9+. The devices cater to different segments of the market but are also quite similar as far as the specifications are concerned. The latter is actually the closest any other Samsung smartphone comes to the Galaxy Note 9. These similarities are evident in the Galaxy Note 9 vs Galaxy S9+ specs comparison posted below.

Galaxy Note 9 vs Galaxy S9+ specs comparison

The Galaxy Note 9’s 6.4-inch Quad HD+ display is only marginally larger than the 6.2-inch display of the Galaxy S9+. Both handsets feature the same processors and RAM. It’s only the 512GB storage variant of the Galaxy Note 9 that gets 8GB of RAM.

The devices feature the same 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel variable aperture dual rear camera and the 8-megapixel front camera. The Galaxy Note 9 does kick things up a notch by offering some intelligent software features to improve the imaging experience.

The Galaxy S9+ has the largest battery you can get on a Galaxy S flagship today – 3,500mAh to be precise. Whereas the Galaxy Note 9 with its 4,000mAh battery has the largest capacity of any Galaxy flagship. Both devices also ship with Oreo but the Galaxy Note 9 is Samsung’s first device with Android 8.1. They will also receive the Android 9 Pie update in the coming months.

Check out the full Galaxy Note 9 vs Galaxy S9+ specs comparison below:

	Galaxy Note 9	Galaxy S9+
Display	6.4-inch Quad HD+ (2960×1440) Infinity, Super AMOLED, 18.5:9, 516 ppi	6.2-inch Quad HD+ (2960×1440) Infinity, Super AMOLED, 18.5:9, 529 ppi
S Pen	Yes, 4,096 pressure levels, Bluetooth control	No
Processor	Exynos 9810/Snapdragon 845 Octa-core, 10nm, 64-bit	Exynos 9810/Snapdragon 845 Octa-core, 10nm, 64-bit
RAM	6GB/8GB	6GB
Rear Camera	12-megapixel primary, Dual Aperture (F1.5-F2.4), Dual Pixel, OIS 12-megapixel telephoto secondary, F2.4, 2x optical zoom, OIS	12-megapixel primary, Dual Aperture (F1.5-F2.4), Dual Pixel, OIS 12-megapixel telephoto secondary, F2.4, 2x optical zoom, OIS
Front camera	8-megapixel, autofocus, F1.7 aperture	8-megapixel, autofocus, F1.7 aperture
Storage	128GB/512GB internal, microSD slot (up to 512GB)	64/128/256GB internal, microSD slot (up to 400GB)
Software	Android 8.1 Oreo, upgradeable to Android 9.0 Pie	Android 8.0 Oreo, upgradeable to Android 9.0 Pie
Battery	4,000 mAh, fast wired and fast wireless charging	3,500 mAh, fast wired and fast wireless charging
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, MU-MIMO, LTE Cat.18, Bluetooth® v5.0, ANT+, USB Type-C, NFC, GPS, Galileo, Glonass, BeiDou)	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, MU-MIMO, LTE Cat.18, Bluetooth® v5.0, ANT+, USB Type-C, NFC, GPS, Galileo, Glonass, BeiDou)
Security	Fingerprint sensor (rear), iris scanner, facial recognition, Intelligent Scan (iris + face)	Fingerprint sensor (rear), iris scanner, facial recognition, Intelligent Scan (iris + face)
Other features	Samsung Pay (NFC+MST), Bixby 2.0, IP68 water resistance, heart rate sensor, AKG earphones, stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos, DeX mode, AR Emoji, Super slow-mo (960 fps)	Samsung Pay (NFC+MST), Bixby, IP68 water resistance, heart rate sensor, AKG earphones, stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos, AR Emoji, Super slow-mo (960 fps)
Dimensions	161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8mm, 201g	158.1 x 73.8 x 8.5 mm, 189g

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Samsung Galaxy Watch vs Gear S3 in pictures

The Galaxy Watch is the successor to Samsung’s Gear S3 even though the company has decided to change the branding this time around. It’s still a Samsung smartwatch through and through, running Tizen 4.0 out of the box and retaining the signature rotating bezel of the Gear smartwatches.

There are quite a few similarities between the Galaxy Watch and the Gear S3 with the design being a major one. The former is also available in 46mm which is the only size that the Gear S3 was offered in. Samsung is providing another option to customers with smaller wrists by also offering the Galaxy Watch in 42mm. That’s likely something which prevented some Gear S2 owners from upgrading to the Gear S3.

Our detailed Galaxy Watch review will have further information about the differences between these two smartwatches with respect to their specs and features. We can, however, get a sense of the design similarities of the Samsung Gear Watch vs Gear S3 by comparing them side-by-side in pictures.

We have posted several photos of the Galaxy Watch vs Gear S3 down below for precisely this reason. If you find it difficult telling the two apart, just keep in mind that the one on the right (or the one that’s silver) is the Galaxy Watch.

Samsung Gear Watch vs Gear S3 in pictures

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Specs comparison: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 vs Galaxy Note 4

Ah, the Galaxy Note 4. It’s perhaps the last “true” Note flagship if you ask some of the diehard fans, and for good reason, too. It was the last Note to come with a removable battery or an IR blaster. When the Galaxy Note 5 came along, the Note 4 was also temporarily the last device in the lineup to offer expandable storage. Many are still holding on to their Galaxy Note 4 for some or all of these reasons, but could the Galaxy Note 9 be the device that finally gives them a reason to upgrade?

That’s an answer our review of the Galaxy Note 9 will answer later this year, but for those wanting to see how the specs on the Galaxy Note 9 compare with the Galaxy Note 4, we have made the table below. Take a look, then head over to the comments section to tell us whether you’re going to upgrade to the Galaxy Note 9. Also check out our hands-on experience with the device.

Galaxy Note 9 vs Galaxy Note 4

	Galaxy Note 9	Galaxy Note 4
Display	6.4-inch Quad HD+ (2960×1440) Infinity, Super AMOLED, 18.5:9, 516 ppi	5.7-inch Quad HD (2560×1440), Super AMOLED, 16:9
S Pen	Yes, 4,096 pressure levels, Bluetooth control	Yes
Processor	Exynos 9810/Snapdragon 845 Octa-core, 10nm, 64-bit	Exynos 5433/Snapdragon 805
RAM	6GB/8GB	3GB
Rear Camera	12-megapixel primary, Dual Aperture (F1.5-F2.4), Dual Pixel, OIS 12-megapixel telephoto secondary, F2.4, 2x optical zoom, OIS	16-megapixel, F2.2, OIS
Front camera	8-megapixel, autofocus, F1.7 aperture	3.7-megapixel, F1.9
Storage	128GB/512GB internal, microSD slot (up to 512GB)	32GB, microSD slot (up to 128GB)
Software	Android 8.1 Oreo, upgradeable to Android 9.0 Pie	Android 4.4.4 KitKat, upgradeable to Android Marshmallow
Battery	4,000 mAh, fast wired and fast wireless charging	3,220 mAh, fast wired charging
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, VHT80 MIMO, LTE Cat18, Bluetooth® v 5.0, ANT+, USB Type-C, NFC, GPS, Galileo, Glonass, BeiDou)	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, MIMO, LTE Cat.6/Cat.9, Bluetooth® v 4.1, ANT+, USB 2.0, NFC, GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, IR LED
Security	Fingerprint sensor (rear), iris scanner, facial recognition, Intelligent Scan (iris + face)	Fingerprint sensor (front)
Other features	Samsung Pay (NFC+MST), Bixby 2.0, IP68 water resistance, heart rate sensor, AKG earphones, stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos, DeX mode, AR Emoji, Super slow-mo (960 fps)	Heart rate sensor
Dimensions	161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8mm, 201g	153.5 x 78.6 x 8.5 mm, 176g

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Specs comparison: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 vs Galaxy S8+

The Galaxy S8+ was an impressive smartphone when it made its debut last year. The Galaxy Note 7 fiasco was still fresh in our minds, but Samsung came out of the entire ordeal with a solid resolve. When the Galaxy S9+ came out, Galaxy S8+ owners probably didn’t see much of a reason to upgrade so soon. Waiting for the Galaxy S10 makes sense, but maybe the Galaxy Note 9 has what it takes to make some S8+ owners move to Samsung’s new flagship right now?

Galaxy Note 9 vs Galaxy S8 Plus specs comparison

While the Note lineup is costlier and more for the productivity and business-minded than the mainstream consumer, the Galaxy Note 9 has a huge list of new features that would make for a better user experience for S8+ owners. From a dual rear camera with AI enhancements through 8GB of RAM to a 4,000 mAh battery, the Note 9’s specs are rather impressive. Don’t believe us? Just check out the specs comparison table below to see how the Note 9 compares to the Galaxy S8+.

Do let us know if you’re considering upgrading to the Galaxy Note 9 from the Galaxy S8+ and see what we think of the Note 9 from our short hands-on time with the device.

	Galaxy Note 9	Galaxy S8+
Display	6.4-inch Quad HD+ (2960×1440) Infinity, Super AMOLED, 18.5:9, 516 ppi	6.2-inch Quad HD+ (2960×1440) Infinity, Super AMOLED, 18.5:9, 529 ppi
S Pen	Yes, 4,096 pressure levels, Bluetooth control	No
Processor	Exynos 9810/Snapdragon 845 Octa-core, 10nm, 64-bit	Exynos 8895/Snapdragon 835 Octa-core, 10nm, 64-bit
RAM	6GB/8GB	4GB
Rear Camera	12-megapixel primary, Dual Aperture (F1.5-F2.4), Dual Pixel, OIS 12-megapixel telephoto secondary, F2.4, 2x optical zoom, OIS	12-megapixel, Dual Pixel, OIS, F1.7 aperture
Front camera	8-megapixel, autofocus, F1.7 aperture	8-megapixel, autofocus, F1.7 aperture
Storage	128GB/512GB internal, microSD slot (up to 512GB)	64/128GB internal, microSD slot (up to 256GB)
Software	Android 8.1 Oreo, upgradeable to Android 9.0 Pie	Android 7.0 Oreo, upgradeable to Android 8.0 Oreo
Battery	4,000 mAh, fast wired and fast wireless charging	3,500 mAh, fast wired and fast wireless charging
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, MU-MIMO, LTE Cat.18, Bluetooth® v5.0, ANT+, USB Type-C, NFC, GPS, Galileo, Glonass, BeiDou)	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, MU-MIMO, LTE Cat.16, Bluetooth® v5.0, ANT+, USB Type-C, NFC, GPS, Galileo, Glonass, BeiDou)
Security	Fingerprint sensor (rear), iris scanner, facial recognition, Intelligent Scan (iris + face)	Fingerprint sensor (rear), iris scanner, facial recognition
Other features	Samsung Pay (NFC+MST), Bixby 2.0, IP68 water resistance, heart rate sensor, AKG earphones, stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos, DeX mode, AR Emoji, Super slow-mo (960 fps)	Samsung Pay (NFC+MST), Bixby, IP68 water resistance, heart rate sensor, AKG earphones
Dimensions	161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8mm, 201g	159.5 x 73.4 x 8.1 mm, 173g

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Galaxy Note 9 promo videos highlights its main features

Samsung has got done with the unveiling of the Galaxy Note 9, its new flagship smartphone. The leaks prior to the launch had revealed much of what Samsung talked about today during the event. The company has officially confirmed the price and release date of its new flagship as well in addition to the Galaxy Note 9 pre-order gifts which will be offered to customers who pre-order the device before August 23.

Samsung has also posted the official Galaxy Note 9 promo videos online. The videos it has published on YouTube highlight some of the core new features of the flagship. The features include its intelligent camera, enhanced Bluetooth-compatible S Pen, DeX support as well as its high-performance features that enable an improved gaming experience.

You can watch the videos posted below. Don’t forget to read our Galaxy Note 9 hands-on to find out what we think about the new flagship.

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What’s new in the Galaxy Note 9 S Pen

The S Pen has received its biggest update ever with the Galaxy Note 9. It’s the first time that the stylus has got Bluetooth support. This enables the S Pen to perform a wide variety of features that were just not possible before.

Some of you must be wondering what’s new in Galaxy Note 9 S Pen. The important thing to note (pun intended) is that all of the features that S Pen users already know and love are still there. This includes screen off memo, the Air Command menu and more. Even when it’s not charged, the S Pen can still perform all of those features.

What’s new in Galaxy Note 9 S Pen

The new S Pen has a Bluetooth Low-Energy module and antenna which enables it to act as a remote control within a 10-meter radius of the device. It can be used as a shutter button for the camera, as a clicker during a presentation or even as a remote to play and pause video.

There’s a Super Capacitor built inside the S Pen which can charge it fully in 40 seconds. It will last for 30 minutes on a full charge and that Super Capacitor will ensure that your stylus never runs out of charge since you’re always going to put it back inside whenever you’re done using it.

Check out the infographic posted below to find out in detail what’s new in Galaxy Note 9 S Pen. Don’t forget to read our Galaxy Note 9 hands-on for additional details about the stylus.

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Software updates: One big reason to buy a Galaxy Note 9 over the Galaxy Note 8

The Galaxy Note 9 is, plain and simple, a tempting upgrade for even Galaxy Note 8 owners. It brings plenty of new features that aren’t available on the Note 8, such as stereo speakers, a bigger battery, an S Pen that works as a remote, Super Slow-mo video recording, and up to 512GB of internal storage and 8GB of RAM.

But those who don’t own either of these devices might be thinking these features aren’t worth it and thinking of picking up a Galaxy Note 8 because it’s now available for a lower price than it was launched for. There’s a solid reason, however, for holding off and getting the Galaxy Note 9 later this month even if you have to save up some cash: software updates.

Galaxy Note 9 software updates are guaranteed till 2021

The Galaxy Note 8 runs Android 8.0 Oreo at the moment and the Galaxy Note 9 comes with Android 8.1 Oreo. The same software for the most part, right? Well, yes, but the difference is that the Galaxy Note 9 comes with Oreo out of the box, so it will be updated to Android Pie and Android Q (whatever it ends up being called). The Galaxy Note 8, meanwhile, will end its life at Pie, as Samsung only offers two major upgrades for each flagship. Security updates will also come out for the Galaxy Note 9 regularly till 2021 but the Note 8 will only have regular support until 2020.

So if you’re someone who cares about software updates, the Galaxy Note 9 is ultimately the better device out of the two simply because it’s newer and, therefore, going to be updated for a longer period. Of course, all the new features further add to the overall value of the Note 9, especially since its price is more or less similar to the Galaxy Note 8’s launch price. And there’s not even a competition if you compare it with the Galaxy Note 5, making it an ideal upgrade for Note 5 owners as well.

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[Poll] Galaxy Note 9: Which color are you picking up?

The Galaxy Note 9 is now official, and as expected, Samsung will be putting its latest flagship up for sale on August 24 in some markets. The phone will be available in Lavender Purple, Ocean Blue, Midnight Black, and a new Metallic Copper option. Not all colors will be released in every market, but until we find out availability details for specific markets, how about telling us what color has taken your fancy?

Which Galaxy Note 9 color did you like?

Which color will you be picking up (or are hoping you will be able to pick up) when buying the Galaxy Note 9? Midnight Black is, without a doubt, the color for traditionalists. But the other colors are also quite endearing, including the Ocean Blue Note 9 which has a yellow/golden S Pen. You can check these out in our hands-on experience with the Galaxy Note 9, then tell us the color you’re looking at right now by voting in the poll and leaving a comment with your thoughts.

Which Galaxy Note 9 color did you like?

• Ocean Blue
• Midnight Black
• Metallic Copper
• Need to see in person to decide
• Lavender Purple
• Why's there no red?!

Results

• Ocean Blue 37%, 14 votes
  14 votes 37%

  14 votes - 37% of all votes
• Midnight Black 34%, 13 votes
  13 votes 34%

  13 votes - 34% of all votes
• Metallic Copper 13%, 5 votes
  5 votes 13%

  5 votes - 13% of all votes
• Need to see in person to decide 11%, 4 votes
  4 votes 11%

  4 votes - 11% of all votes
• Lavender Purple 3%, 1 vote
  1 vote 3%

  1 vote - 3% of all votes
• Why's there no red?! 3%, 1 vote
  1 vote 3%

  1 vote - 3% of all votes

Total Votes: 38

9 August 2018

×

You or your IP had already vote.

• Ocean Blue
• Midnight Black
• Metallic Copper
• Need to see in person to decide
• Lavender Purple
• Why's there no red?!

×

You or your IP had already vote.

Results

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Specs comparison: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 vs Galaxy Note 5

The Galaxy Note 9 has been officially announced today. Samsung fans have long been looking forward to this new device as it was expected to bring some great new improvements. It has the largest battery ever for a Galaxy flagship, the first S Pen with Bluetooth support and even 512GB of onboard storage. Thus a Galaxy Note 9 vs Galaxy Note 5 specs comparison goes to show just how rapidly the technology has advanced in the past couple of years.

Galaxy Note 9 vs Galaxy Note 5

Many Galaxy Note faithful who stuck with their Galaxy Note 5 will now be particularly interested in this specs comparison and there certainly is a world of difference between the two devices. The Galaxy Note 9 has a noticeably larger and higher resolution display, a more capable S Pen, powerful internals, double the RAM (in the 512GB variant) and a significantly improved camera. The 4,000mAh battery is a particularly noteworthy addition.

It’s unquestionably a viable update for Galaxy Note 5 owners who now want to upgrade their devices. Many will be ready to do that, particularly owners in the US, who may no longer have contract constraints restricting them from upgrading. Do check out the full Galaxy Note 9 vs Galaxy Note 5 specs comparison down below to get a better idea of how these two devices stack up against each other.

	Galaxy Note 9	Galaxy Note 5
Display	6.4-inch Quad HD+ (2960×1440) Infinity, Super AMOLED, 18.5:9, 516 ppi	5.7-inch Quad HD (2560×1440), Super AMOLED, 16:9, 518 ppi
S Pen	Yes, 4,096 pressure levels, Bluetooth control	Yes, 2,048 pressure levels
Processor	Exynos 9810/Snapdragon 845 Octa-core, 10nm, 64-bit	Exynos 7420, 64-bit, 14nm
RAM	6GB/8GB	4GB
Rear Camera	12-megapixel primary, Dual Aperture (F1.5-F2.4), Dual Pixel, OIS 12-megapixel telephoto secondary, F2.4, 2x optical zoom, OIS	16-megapixel, F1.9, OIS
Front camera	8-megapixel, autofocus, F1.7 aperture	5-megapixel, F1.9
Storage	128GB/512GB internal, microSD slot (up to 512GB)	32GB/64GB, no expansion
Software	Android 8.1 Oreo, upgradeable to Android 9.0 Pie	Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, upgradeable to Android 7.0 Nougat
Battery	4,000 mAh, fast wired and fast wireless charging	3,000 mAh, fast wired and fast wireless charging
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), MU-MIMO, LTE Cat18, Bluetooth® v 5.0, ANT+, USB Type-C, NFC, GPS, Galileo, Glonass, BeiDou)	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, MIMO, LTE Cat.6/Cat.9, Bluetooth® v 4.2 LE, ANT+, USB 2.0, NFC, GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou
Security	Fingerprint sensor (rear), iris scanner, facial recognition, Intelligent Scan (iris + face)	Fingerprint sensor (front)
Other features	Samsung Pay (NFC+MST), Bixby 2.0, IP68 water resistance, heart rate sensor, AKG earphones, stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos, DeX mode, AR Emoji, Super slow-mo (960 fps)	Samsung Pay (NFC+MST), heart rate sensor
Dimensions	161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8mm, 201g	153.2 x 76.1 x 7.6 mm, 171g

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Spotify will be Samsung’s go-to music service across all its devices

At the Galaxy Note 9 Unpacked event, Samsung and Spotify have announced a long-term partnership that will make Spotify Samsung’s go-to music service across all its devices. The partnership hopes to offer an integrated multi-device music experience that seamlessly and meaningfully spans across all of Samsung’s smart devices.

As part of the partnership, Spotify will be integrated into all Samsung products ranging from Galaxy smartphones to Family Hub refrigerators to smartwatches to Galaxy Home to SmartTVs. Even within the Galaxy smartphones, Spotify will occupy a prominent place. It will become the default music service for Bixby.

Integration across Samsung devices

Discovering Spotify service will also be very easy as it will become part of the setup experience on all compatible Samsung devices. While setting up the devices, users will be able to link their Spotify account to their Samsung account to integrate into Samsung IoT ecosystem.

The partnerships will vastly benefit both the companies. Samsung will be able to offer an Apple Music-like integrated experience without owning a music streaming service of their own, while for Spotify, this partnership will help find more customers due to the ease of use. Spotify will get the hardware they need, and Samsung will get the music service they need – all without actually owning them.

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Bixby on Galaxy Note 9 is more powerful and conversational

Samsung had promised that it would showcase Bixby improvements with the Galaxy Note 9. The improvements were previously referred to as Bixby 2.0. While the company isn’t branding it as such, its digital assistant is now more powerful and conversational than ever before.

There’s an all-new interface for Bixby Voice. The improvements that Samsung has made to its assistant aren’t just cosmetic. It’s better at processing natural language and thus has quicker response times. It can even understand the user’s habits and offer a more personal experience, so it’s also more powerful.

Bixby on Galaxy Note 9

During the demonstration at its event today, Samsung showcased that it’s now possible to have more natural conversations with the assistant. For example, if you ask Bixby about concerts in Brooklyn over Labor Day weekend and follow up with a question like “What about the first weekend in October?” Bixby will remember that you previously asked it about concerts and it will surface the relevant results. There’s no need to remind Bixby of what you were talking about before.

Bixby is even better at making recommendations based on the user’s preferences. If you ask it for restaurant recommendations, Bixby will surface options that are related to the places where you have made reservations in the past. If you decide to make a reservation, it will also autofill the number of people in your party and preferred time based on those previous reservations.

Samsung has also improved Bixby’s integration with other apps. It can pull up directions from Google Maps at the touch of a button and can even let users call an Uber with just voice commands.

Many Samsung fans have long been frustrated with Bixby but the company will be hoping that it addresses their concerns and gets them to give its assistant another chance with this latest update. Whether or not Bixby on Galaxy Note 9 succeeds in doing that remains to be seen. Since these are software-based improvements, it’s unclear as yet when these Bixby improvements will be released for existing devices like the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S9 and Galaxy Note 8.

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Galaxy Note 9 pre-order gifts include AKG headphones and Fortnite V-bucks

Samsung has confirmed the Galaxy Note 9 price and release date today. Its carrier partners will soon start taking pre-orders and will release the handset on August 24. The company obviously wants a lot of people to pre-order the Galaxy Note 9 which is why it’s offering Galaxy Note 9 pre-order gifts.

The company has a habit of offering incentives to customers who pre-order its handsets so this is hardly surprising. In the weeks leading up to the launch, we had heard that the Galaxy Note 9 pre-order gifts would include AKG headphones and in-game currency for Fortnite, which is exclusive to Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones for now.

Galaxy Note 9 pre-order gifts

The pre-order gifts tend to vary by market but in most places, Samsung is going to offer a pair of AKG noise-canceling headphones as an incentive. The headphones cost $299 at retail. Customers who don’t want them can opt for the unique Fornite Galaxy skin with 15,000 V-bucks worth $150. Those who want both can pay $99 over and above the smartphone’s cost.

Samsung’s regional divisions will confirm their Galaxy Note 9 pre-order gifts in due course. Customers in most markets should expect to receive these incentives that the company is offering to customers in the United States.

Customers should keep in mind that they will only be able to get these gifts if they pre-order the Galaxy Note 9 before August 23.

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Galaxy Note 9 price on Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint

Samsung has officially unveiled the Galaxy Note 9 today and its carrier partners in the United States have now confirmed how much the device is going to cost and when it’s going to be available. Pre-orders open in a couple of days and August 24 has been confirmed as the Galaxy Note 9 release date.

Galaxy Note 9 price on Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint

Verizon

Verizon confirms that it will start taking pre-orders for the Galaxy Note 9 on August 10 at midnight, ET. The handset will be released and available in stores on August 24. The 128GB Galaxy Note 9 will be available for $41.66 per month for 24 months on the device payment plan. The 512GB model will cost $52.08 per month for 24 months. The full retail price is $999 and $1,249 respectively.

AT&T

Prices not confirmed as yet.

T-Mobile

T-Mobile is taking pre-orders for the Galaxy Note 9 starting tonight at 9:01 pm PT. It will also release the device on August 24. The 128GB and 512GB models cost $999 and $1,249 respectively at full retail. The 128GB model is $30 per month for 24 months on T-Mobile’s 24 month EIP plan and $40 per month for 18 months on its JOD plan. The 512GB Galaxy Note 8 is $30 per month for 24 months. It’s not available on the JOD plan.

Sprint

Prices not confirmed as yet.

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