First Galaxy Note 9 firmware download available now

The Galaxy Note 9 is yet to be released but Samsung rolled out the first Galaxy Note 9 firmware last week. The update was released over-the-air. We now have the first Galaxy Note 9 firmware available for download from our firmware section. It brings minor improvements such as a new toggle in the Super Slow-mo camera mode.

Galaxy Note 9 firmware download

The first software update for a new device is always an important one as it brings up the firmware to the final retail version. Samsung has done well by rolling it out a few days before the actual release of the new flagship.

The first Galaxy Note 9 update that Samsung released a few days ago adds a toggle in the Super Slow-mo camera mode. The toggle enables users to decide if they want to record 0.2-second or 0.4-second moments in manual mode.

This isn’t exactly a new feature as Samsung introduced this on the Galaxy S9 with a recent update. This toggle was added after another update which had restricted manual mode to recording only 0.4-second moments at 480 frames per second.

Firmware version N960NKSU1ARH5 for the Galaxy Note 9 is now available for download from our firmware section. It’s Android 8.1 Oreo with the latest security patch for the month of August 2018. The firmware is for the Korean variant of the flagship. The relevant files for other variants will be available soon as well.

Samsung is going to release the Galaxy Note 9 on August 24. That’s when pre-order customers will get their units and also when the handset is going to be available from retail stores. Owners will have the update waiting for them to be downloaded once they get their brand new flagship out of the box and connect it to the internet for the first time.

Galaxy Note 9 (Korea)

• Model: SM-N960N
• Dimensions: 161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8mm
• Display: 6.4" (162.5mm) Super AMOLED
• CPU: Exynos 8910
• Camera: 12 CMOS Dual OIS (F1.5/F2.4) & Telephoto: 12MP AF F2.4)

More specifications

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SamMobile Firmware Update Magazine: August 20, 2018

Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly Firmware Magazine. You can think of it as your go-to resource to find out which of your Samsung devices has received a new update or if it’s going to receive a new firmware update in the near future.

To keep things interesting, we present the Firmware Magazine in new designs every week. It will always include the important details about firmware updates such as the firmware versions, device model numbers, Android OS versions and the country where said update is out already.

SamMobile Firmware Update Magazine

Keep in mind, however, that these firmware details are based on the firmware that are available in our database. In some cases, the latest updates might not show in the same week as the full firmware files take additional time to make it to our database.

The purpose of this magazine is to bring all of that important information about firmware updates to you, the reader, in a manner that’s easy to comprehend. Even if you’re new to the world of firmware, you’ll have no trouble making sense of it all.

Click on the image below to grab the latest firmware magazine!

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Galaxy Note 9 pre-orders outperform the Galaxy S9

Samsung’s carrier and retail partners across the globe started taking Galaxy Note 9 pre-orders last week. It was expected that initial sales of the handset might outperform the Galaxy S9, Samsung’s first flagship smartphone of the year. That appears to be the case if a new report out of South Korea is to be believed.

Galaxy Note 9 pre-orders

Even though Samsung said that the Galaxy S9 would outperform sales of the Galaxy S8 it didn’t actually happen. It was reported multiple times over the past few months that the new flagship’s sales were lagging behind its predecessor.

South Koreans were particularly not that enthused about the new flagship due to its lack of substantial upgrades. Samsung did acknowledge in its recent quarterly earnings report that the mobile division’s revenues took a hit due to soft sales of the Galaxy S9.

On the other hand, the Galaxy Note 9 delivers significant improvements compared to its predecessor. Its new features include a massive 4,000mAh battery, 512GB internal storage option and a new Bluetooth-equipped S Pen, among others.

Citing a source from a local mobile carrier, Korean media reports that the Galaxy Note 9 has seen more pre-order sales compared to the Galaxy S9. “The number of preorders for the Galaxy Note 9 is roughly 30 to 50 percent higher than the Galaxy S9,” said the carrier representative.

Despite the strong numbers, the Galaxy Note 9 pre-orders are said to match almost 80 percent of the pre-orders for the Galaxy Note 8 last year. That device was highly anticipated by the Galaxy Note faithful as the Galaxy Note 7 debacle forced the company to skip a generation.

The Galaxy Note 9 pre-orders will end today in South Korea as carriers gear up to ship the devices to customers on August 24. That’s also when it will be available in stores not only in Samsung’s home country but in key markets across the globe as well.

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For those wondering, the Galaxy Note 9 works with the DeX Station and DeX Pad

The Galaxy Note 9 is Samsung’s first smartphone that allows the user to work on a desktop-like interface without the need for Samsung’s DeX station/dock. Just a USB Type-C to HDMI adapter cable is enough to use the phone with an external monitor in DeX mode, but what about those who already have a DeX Station or DeX Pad and don’t want to spend money on the Type-C cable? Well, you can use both DeX docks with the Galaxy Note 9 just as you can use them with the Galaxy S8, Galaxy Note 8, and the Galaxy S9.

The DeX Station and DeX Pad work with the Galaxy Note 9 just fine

This shouldn’t be a surprise for most people, but given the way Samsung has been touting the inbuilt DeX mode on the Galaxy Note 9, some DeX dock owners may have been wondering if it works with the Note 9. It does, and thanks to the upgraded cooling system inside the phone and the fan on the dock, it should run cooler and have consistent performance in DeX mode. The DeX dock is also necessary if you don’t have a Bluetooth keyboard or mouse lying around, as it offers two full USB ports for wired peripherals. Of course, the phone’s display can also be used as a touchpad, although that is a good experience only on the DeX Pad, which isn’t available as widely as the DeX Station.

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Samsung leads the premium smartphone segment in India, says CMR

Towards the end of last month, a report from Counterpoint Research crowned OnePlus as the largest premium smartphone vendor in India with a 40% market share. A new report from CyberMedia Research (CMR), however, says Samsung dominated the premium smartphone segment in the country with 48% market share in the first half of 2018.

Though the findings by the two firms appear contradictory at first glance, it may not necessarily be the case as CMR’s report is for H1 2018 (6 months) and Counterpoint’s report covers only Q2 2018 (3 months). Also, the Galaxy S9/S9+ hit the market in mid-March, while the OnePlus 6 went on sale in India towards the end of May, giving the Samsung flagship devices an edge in availability and thereby sales.

The early launch of the Galaxy S9/S9+ helped?

CMR placed OnePlus in the second position with 25% market share and Apple in the third place with 22% market share in the premium segment. While reporting Q2 earnings, Samsung acknowledged the sales of the Galaxy S9/S9+ were slow. Yet, an early launch and a poor show by Apple helped the Korean company fare better than others in the first half of 2018.

“The premium smartphone segment, though small, is driven by aspirational, tech-savvy millennials and in the coming years, will continue to grow significantly. Samsung’s flagship S9 helped it garner a lion’s share of the premium smartphone segment,” said Prabhu Ram, Industry Intelligence Group, CMR.

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Galaxy Note 9 storage: How much of the 128GB is actually available for use?

When it comes to storage capacity, the Galaxy Note 9 is special because it has 128GB of storage on the base model. But anyone who has used electronic devices probably knows that the actual usable storage capacity of a disk is always a bit less than the rated – or raw – capacity. So how much usable capacity does the Galaxy Note 9 offer? Well, for the 128GB version, around 111GB is available out of the box.

Nearly 110GB usable storage on the 128GB Galaxy Note 9

Pre-installed apps take up around 1GB, along with a few megabytes of data such as pictures and audio files. 16.8GB of the total 128GB is assigned to the system and is inaccessible by the consumer (unless they root the device, which we don’t endorse). All of that leaves around 109GB of usable storage for the user (the screenshot below says 107GB, but that’s because we had already restored some of our existing data using Samsung Smart Switch). 109GB is still plenty of storage for the average user, and the microSD slot will ensure most folks are never left wanting for space on the Galaxy Note 9.

We’re not sure about the usable space on the 512GB model. But even if you took away 50GB, you will have upwards of 400GB available for personal use.  That’s a lot any way you look at it, and thanks to the microSD slot, you are looking at nearly 1TB of storage if you have the money to buy a 512GB card.

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PSA: Don’t forget to switch to WQHD+ display resolution on your Galaxy Note 9

It was with the Galaxy S8 that Samsung started using a lower screen resolution on its flagships by default. The Galaxy S8, Galaxy Note 8, and the Galaxy S9 come with the resolution set to Full HD+ (2220×1080) out of the box, and you have to take a trip into the display settings to increase it back to WQHD+ (2960×1440) to get the full experience. While the not-so-big batteries on those phones were a good reason for using a lower screen resolution, it’s something the Galaxy Note 9 does not need thanks to the 4,000 mAh battery that powers it.

Don’t settle for anything but the best

Most of you probably know that the lower screen resolution doesn’t really result in any noticeable improvement in battery life. And, well, most folks are unlikely to be able to tell the difference between FHD+ and WQHD+. There is a difference if you look hard enough, but even it if wasn’t, we see no reason why the Galaxy Note 9’s 6.4-inch AMOLED screen shouldn’t be enjoyed at its maximum resolution. Again, the Note 9’s battery has the grunt to keep up, so if you are one of those who want the best experience from their phone, switching the display resolution to WQHD+ is one of the first things you should do once you fire up your Galaxy Note 9.

The screen resolution can be adjusted in the Display section of the phone’s settings.

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