Samsung has been building up to its latest Unpacked event for quite some time, and now that August 9 has finally rolled around, the company has finally officially unveiled its newest flagship handset, the Galaxy Note 9.
Samsung took some time on stage to talk about the way the company wants to move forward, including the inclusion of smart devices, accessories, and more. But of course, the event was primarily designed to talk about a new smartphone, and the company didn't waste any time getting into the thick of things. As expected, the Galaxy Note 9 takes what was great about the Galaxy Note 8 --and even the Galaxy S9-- and builds upon those ideas, putting together a brand new device that should offer up plenty of features and specs for future owners.
First, the display. This is a 6.4-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED panel, with a resolution of 1440x2960 and 516 pixel density. The new phablet is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, and there are two variants to choose from. The first has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of built-in storage, while the other has 8GB of RAM and 512GB of built-in storage. Both options support a microSD card up to 512GB.
Around back, there are a pair of cameras. The first offers a 12-megapixel wide-angle Super Speed Dual Pixel option with AF, F1.5/F2.4, and OIS. The second camera is another 12MP option, this being a telephoto lens with AF, F2.4, and OIS. The front-facing camera is an 8MP option, which features autofocus and an aperture of F1.7.
Samsung bills the new camera system on the back as an intelligent camera. It can automatically detect scenes, like flowers, landscapes, and more, and adjust the color tones automatically. The camera will also inform the person taking a picture of any issues, including lens blur or closed eyes, letting them fix the issues before they snap a photo.
The battery measures in at 4,000mAh, supports wireless charging and Fast Charging with QuickCharge 2.0. The Galaxy Note 9 is running Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box, offers mobile payment options with NFC and Samsung's MST, and there is a fingerprint reader on the back of the phone below the camera setup. The smartphone also boasts support for iris scanning and facial recognition for additional biometric security options.
The S Pen received a major upgrade and now supports Bluetooth LE (Low Energy). This means the device can be used for a variety of different tasks, including pushing the button on the side to quickly snap a photo, flip through Microsoft PowerPoint presentations, and more. The battery lasts for half an hour on a full charge. To recharge it, which gets a full charge in less than a minute, just slide the S Pen back into the phone.
Samsung built its DeX feature into the Galaxy Note 9, so simply plugging the phone into a monitor will bring up a virtualized desktop so they can get work done on an even bigger screen. It will also serve as a secondary display if the user wants.
Samsung was open about availability, too. The 128GB Galaxy Note 9 will be available in Ocean Blue and Lavender Purple at AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Sprint beginning August 24. U.S. Cellular and Xfinity Mobile will also be offering up the new phablet on the same date. This variant is priced at $999.99. The 128GB option will be available from Amazon, Best Buy, Sam's Club, Costco, Straight Talk Wireless, Target, Walmart, Samsung's online store, and in the ShopSamsung app.
Meanwhile, the 512GB option will be available at "select retail locations and online" at AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, U.S. Cellular, and Samsung.com on August 24. It is priced at $1,249.99.
Pre-orders start on Friday, August 10 at 12:01 AM EDT.
Are you planning on picking up a new Galaxy Note 9 later this month?