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Note 9 tipped to have long battery life, record screen brightness and a heavy build

By Daniel Petrov

Updated: Jul 05, 2018, 4:35 AM

27comments

Samsung Android

Thanks to two independent sources of credible tipsters from the Benelux and Russia, who claim they have toyed around with the Galaxy Note 9 a little bit, we now have the full suite of specs, notes about camera performance, battery life and pricing suggestions. So, what's the new info?

Design and dimensions

Note 9 tipped to have long battery life, record screen brightness and a heavy build

The design action with the Note 9 will be all on the back

The Galaxy Note 9 is said to sport Samsung's Infinity Display 2.0 design that made a cameo with the Galaxy S9, but with tougher frame and cover glass, and a horizontal dual camera on the back. The previous leaks pegged the phone to be barely different in dimensions than the Note 8, but this latest tip claims it will be a tad larger and heavier.

The exact dimensions are said to be 162 x 76.4 x 8.8 mm, against the 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.6 mm of the Note 8, so the 9th generation may come a tad shorter, wider and thicker than its predecessor. This jibes with the CAD-based renders we made not long ago almost exactly to the mm, and is pretty explicable, as the sources say it now houses a way larger, 4000 mAh battery itself, plus the S Pen will have its own energy source and Bluetooth connectivity. Other than that, the Note 9 looks pretty identical with the Note 8 at the front, they add.

Processor and memory

The Exynos 9810 and Snapdragon 845 go without saying with their 2nd-gen 10nm process, but unlike the Note 8, the 6GB RAM/128GB storage version is the starting memory combo, going all the way to 8GB/256GB and 8GB/512GB, making the Note 9 the second phone landing with half a terabyte storage option. Needless to say, not all memory versions will be available in all places, and the most decked-out model will probably be reserved for Asia, as has been customary for Samsung before.

Display

The screen will stay a 6.3" QHD+ SuperAMOLED affair, but the tipsters claim that it has enhanced brightness levels, more display modes to choose from, and the same Always-on Display regimes that are now on the S9/S9+. There will be a drastic AoD overhaul, they add, but it is reserved for the Galaxy S10 that will land at the MWC next year. The maximum brightness is tipped to be 1150 nits, which would catapult the Note 9 at the top of the luminance pile.

Camera

What's new with the camera, compared to the excellent dual S9+ shooter besides the horizontal placement of the lens and sensors? Well, both sources say they noticed a much improved image stabilization, and, despite that the dual 12MP modules are identical to the ones on the S9+, the light sensitivity has improved, they say, there is the variable aperture thingy that debuted with the S9, and brand new algorithms bring enhanced photography chops. Oh, and there are new and improved AR Emoji algorithms, too, if you are into that kind of thing.

Battery life

Perhaps the biggest single improvement over the Note 9, or any Galaxy S model so far, is the 4000mAh battery which both sources confirm, making the phone feel heavier in the palm. With brightness cranked up, and a video looped, the phone is said to last 23-25 hours on a charge, which is very impressive, and we can't wait to test if Samsung finally made a two-day flagship with average use out of the Note 9.

Price

The two independent sources mention a price tag of EUR 999 in Europe, and EUR 949 in Russia, and that's for the basic 6GB RAM/128GB storage version. It's expensive, but the Note 8 also started at about the same prices - $950 in the US, now fallen to $720 - so we can expect nothing less for the Note 9, sadly. While the announcement date is already official - August 9th - the release is not yet set in stone, but will likely be towards the end of next month, if history is any indication.

Any takers of the much larger battery, more storage and better camera of the Note 9 at that tag? Oh, let's not forget the new S Pen that can unlock doors and start cars. We kid, but one of the sources does tip there is a new way to unlock the phone with the help of the stylus, sight unseen. We are all in goosebumps now.

source: Mobile-review (translated) & Techtastic

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.