Early this year, I confidently (and admittedly, somewhat hastily) predicted the Samsung Galaxy S9+ could well be the phone of 2018. I made that prediction after playing with one for only an hour or so and weirdly, I copped a bit of flack for it.

 

As it turns out, so far I've been absolutely right.

 

There are other handsets that are slightly stronger in certain areas... maybe a higher-spec camera... a bit more processing power... bigger storage... but none of these come close to offering the complete package the GS9+ does.

 

Till now...

 

 

Right off the bat I want to be quite clear in declaring the Samsung Galaxy Note9 is not my phone of the year... but only because it's a bit ugly. Call me shallow, but compared to most other flagship devices out there, the Note9 is decidedly square and brick-like. The team from Samsung tried to tell me this was a deliberate design choice to differentiate it from the S9 and S9+. Are they suggesting there's a market out there for big, heavy, block things? They're probably right. I mean, they also decided to make the S-Pen for the blue Note9 yellow, so what would I know?

 

The Note9 is in fact available in 3 colours, the mandatory Midnight Black, the aforementioned Ocean Blue and a very classy Metallic Bronze. Depending on the deal you choose, there seems to be the option of a lavender S-Pen floating around too. Talk about being spoilt for choice.

 

I think the real implication is Note users are traditionally more interested in functionality over form, with the Galaxy Note range usually being one of the biggest handsets on the market. That's not necessarily true this time round because although the screen is a whopping 6.4 inches, (Samsung's largest Infinity display to date) the device is practically bezel-free so the Note9 isn't actually that much bigger than the GS9+.

 

The main point of the Note9 is what's under the hood. I'm not usually one to get bogged down with tech specs, facts and figures, but you can't help but be impressed by the sheer brute force of this device. There are two variants available, the 128GB and the 512GB. What's significant here is they both have microSD expansion slots so the 512GB version can accommodate another 512GB in flash memory, effectively making this the world's first terabyte smart phone. That's literally millions of selfies you can store on there... so much for us all moving to the cloud.

 

The processor has been upgraded since the S9 and there's now a stunning 8GB of RAM available on the 512GB variant. I was only sent the 128GB version to review, which has a mere 6GB of RAM, but even then there was a noticeable bump in speed. Nothing causes this phone to slow down, pause or stutter. Gaming, streaming, multi-tasking, downloading and installing apps - the Note9 is easily one of the fastest phones I've used with most functions happening instantly. Whether you unlock via fingerprint or facial recognition, your homescreen now appears before you really have time to think about it.

 

Even if those memory numbers don't mean much to you, just compare them to your work laptop. There aren't too many people walking around with that much storage and power on their computers, let alone their phones. That's why Samsung has now taken DeX mode a step further. Previous devices required a DeX dock to create a desktop experience on a large screen. Now you can plug the Note9 into any HDMI display directly, using a single USB Type-C to HDMI cable. Then you can really use it like a full-sized PC, presenting and even creating documents, PowerPoints, slideshows or other multi-media projects. Only high-end Huawei devices offer anything approaching this kind of functionality and the Note9 takes it a step further with its new S-Pen.

 

The S-Pen has been the most full-featured stylus around for generations, letting you take notes, screen write, capture images, translate and create live animations. Now its bluetooth connectivity means you can also use the S-Pen as a remote control. That's right, we're no longer faced with the prospect of a projector we don't know how to use, with a clicker that doesn't work properly anyway. Just plug your Note9 in (or share the screen wirelessly) pop the S-Pen out and your presentation'll run just the way you planned it. You can also use the S-Pen as a media-controller, playing and pausing your content.

 

Camera-wise, we have a same-but-different situation. In terms of hardware, it's the same camera configuration as the GS9+, although the rear camera looks different because the dual lenses are now side-by-side instead of one above the other. However, because of all the extra processing grunt, there's a host of new AI capabilities and Bixby lens features available, including live object recognition and live online shopping link suggestions. Although the camera is no major leap forward, just remember, the GS9 cameras were already stunning, especially in low light.

 

I also continue to be impressed by the stereo sound tuned by AKG... now with the inclusion of Dolby Atmos, you can legitimately enjoy your Netflix and the like without headphones or other speakers. It's not surround sound home theatre, but it certainly packs plenty of aural punch.

 

At 4000mAh, the Note9 boasts the biggest battery in a Galaxy phone to date, so as you'd expect you'll coast through a whole day on a single charge with no problems, even if you're doing a lot of streaming or bluetooth connecting. The S-Pen's charge doesn't last anywhere near as long, but it charges itself every time you slot it back into the handset.

 

Just on charging; one of Samsung's innovative line of new accessories includes the Duo wireless charging pad - a double-sized charger with a space for your phone and an extra spot for your smart watch. There's also a nifty flip cover that folds out to a triangle shape for a surprisingly stable instant tripod. Group selfies up the mountain? No longer a problem. Plonk the Note9 on a rock, pop out the S-Pen and use it as your camera remote. Come on, that's clever.

 

It's that sort of functionality that warrants the Note9's $1699-$1999 price tag - it really is more than just a phone (a fantastic phone)... it's a cool camera... but most significantly of all, it's probably more powerful and has more storage than your computer. All this, and it still fits in your pocket.

 

Oh, and it's not actually that ugly either. I just said that so I wouldn't be wrong about the phone-of-the-year thing.

 

 

Click here for more information and pricing on the Samsung Galaxy Note9