Grab the Certified Ethical Hacker Bootcamp for just $39!

Not all hacking is bad hacking. The word itself is associated with negativity usually, but it can be used for just as much good as it can bad. Have you ever thought how cool it would be to research vulnerabilities and try to discover them on your favorite websites while working for them? It would be pretty sweet, right? But, how do you even get started?

Become an ethical hacker for only $39! Learn More

Meet the Certified Ethical Hacker Bootcamp, a perfect way to get going. The boot camp offers access to more than 40 hours of content that you can access at any time of the day, along with nearly 150 lectures on different topics. From learning perimeter defenses to gaining practical experience with DDoS attacks and more, there is a wide variety of great information here that will help you advance your current career, or help you make a move to a new one.

The bootcamp includes:

• Access 526 lessons & 877 hours of content 24/7
• Learn from industry experts in an interactive, lab-filled environment
• Foster skills in incident management, penetration testing & more
• Explore common threats, such as viruses, social engineering & DDoS attacks
• Understand the necessary steps to secure a system
• Prepare to ace the EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker v9 exam upon completion

This sure sounds like it would cost a lot, right? Well, normally this boot camp is priced at over $3,000, but right now you can pay just a fraction of that. You won’t set yourself into a financial debt to try and learn something new here.

Become an ethical hacker for only $39! Learn More

Priced at just $39 for a limited time you’ll get everything mentioned above and even more. Don’t miss out on this deal or you may regret it later.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 hands-on preview: $1000 well spent

Samsung is building for the state of the market, not the state of the art.

Sitting down to write my impressions of the Galaxy Note 9, I’m struggling to figure out where to start. Picking up the glass monolith, it’s instantly recognizable as yet another Samsung flagship — so I’m having a tough time deciding how to find anything interesting to say about it that hasn’t already been said about Samsung’s last four flagships.

In that respect, the Note 9 isn’t all that exciting. Whether you follow the industry as closely as I do or you’re just an average smartphone buyer that does a little research every couple of years, you aren’t going to be blown away by the Note 9’s core principles. It generally looks the same, has the same software, and leans on the same basic features as each Galaxy since the S7.

But don’t let that take away from the fact that the Note 9 is shaping up to be a downright powerhouse of a phone. Samsung has, once again, crafted incredibly beautiful hardware. The phone is huge, packed with the latest specs, and sports all of the features anyone could want. For the first time in a few years, Samsung is actually doing something entirely new with the S Pen. And a few of the critical issues with the Note 8 have been addressed. This isn’t a simple refresh — it deserves attention.

See at Samsung

The look and feel

Galaxy Note 9 Hardware and specs

At its core, the Galaxy Note 9 is mostly a Galaxy S9+. In terms of basic specs, features, connectivity, capabilities, buttons and ports, the phones are indistinguishable. The Note 9 has the same Snapdragon 845 processor, 6GB of RAM and supporting radios for LTE, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It has the same stereo speakers, headphone jack, microSD card slot, USB-C port, buttons and fingerprint sensor. The cameras are entirely identical in terms of hardware. It charges at the same speed, both wired and wireless. It’s water and dust resistant to the same IP68 specification.

This isn’t particularly surprising or even upsetting; the Galaxy S9+ is a wonderful phone with all of the features and power you’d need, so building the Note 9 from that foundation is great. But it can’t be entirely identical, right? Correct, there are some improvements — and they’re in areas that will make Note fans swoon.

Samsung has finally decided to give the Note a much-needed battery bump — all the way up to 4000mAh, which is 14% larger than the Galaxy S9+ and 21% larger than the Galaxy Note 8. It always felt a bit odd that the power user-focused Notes have had relatively small batteries, and Samsung has addressed it. Given how the Galaxy S9+’s battery life has been pretty good, adding another 14% for the Note 9 running the same specs should translate directly to more people having worry-free all-day use.

Love local storage? The Note 9 has you covered. The base storage for the phone has been doubled to 128GB, which is impressive in itself. But what’s really cool is the upgraded model that offers a whopping 512GB of storage. And this isn’t just some special edition model for certain markets — it’s available globally, including from U.S. carriers. The upgraded 512GB model also makes a bump up to 8GB of RAM, which is of dubious value right now (just as it is in the OnePlus 6) but gives you some future-proofing potential, on top of bragging rights. The microSD card slot supports cards of that size (and larger), so with currently available tech you can throw an extra 512GB in the phone for over 1TB of total storage. Even if you want to keep things reasonable (and under $100) and get a 256GB microSD card, that’s 768GB of storage … in your phone. I find it hard to believe anyone needs more than that right now.

The hardware isn’t unique, but it’s near-perfect in materials and execution.

Samsung doesn’t have much of a story to tell in terms of materials or design this time around. It’s no secret that things haven’t changed demonstrably since the Galaxy S7, and the Note 9 only makes incredibly subtle changes from the Note 8 and Galaxy S9+. The metal frame has gone back to being a bit more … metal feeling, with a lightly textured finish and a nicely chamfered edge that makes it stand out a bit. But it’s still sculpted to flow gently into the curved glass on both sides of the phone. It’s big and feels amazing, but it doesn’t provide anything new or exciting on the hardware front.

The colors, at least, are unique to the new phone. In the U.S., we’ll be choosing between “Ocean Blue” or “Lavender Purple,” both of which being notably different from previous hues. I like the blue a lot, especially with its exclusive contrast-colored yellow S Pen, but the purple is appealing to anyone doesn’t want something so harsh. Samsung will also be releasing a standard “Midnight Black” color alongside a new “Metallic Copper” for international markets — unfortunately, I wasn’t able to see these in person.

It isn’t possible to get better specs than this right now.

When you set a Note 9 next to a Note 8 face-up, you can’t tell them apart. The Note 9 is imperceptibly wider and thicker, which is a necessity due to the also imperceptibly larger display — now up to 6.4-inches from 6.3. The display is gorgeous, but in the same way its predecessors are; it’s an 18.5:9 2960×1440 Super AMOLED panel with the same wonderful characteristics we’ve come to expect from Samsung. That means it’s poised to once again be the best smartphone display available today.

Flip the phones over and you notice the one notable change: fingerprint sensor placement. It’s now positioned below the camera arrangement, and from everything I can tell it’s the same as the Galaxy S9’s. It has the added advantage of being physically separated from the cameras, which makes it easier to find and use without accidentally reaching too far and smudging the camera lenses — but I’ll argue it still isn’t as ergonomically optimal as some others, like the Pixel 2 XL’s. But let’s not look a gift horse in the mouth here, because this is a dramatic improvement from the Note 8’s situation, and I applaud it.

How it works

Galaxy Note 9 Software and experience

When you go into the Note 9’s settings you’ll see a bump up to Android 8.1 Oreo and Samsung Experience 9.5, though you wouldn’t actually know any changes had been made unless you really got into the nitty gritty details with a Samsung Experience 9.0 phone beside it. Interface-wise, this is typical Samsung. I’m sure there are subtle feature changes, but none of them were big enough for me to notice or for Samsung’s representatives to point out.

The only notable software changes come in two areas: the S Pen and the camera — the former being quite important, and the latter less so.

This is the extra-capable S Pen the Note line deserves, offering far more than just writing and drawing.

So it’s true: the S Pen is now Bluetooth-enabled and able to work wirelessly for extra features. We all had different expectations and speculations about how it’d work … and, they mostly came to be. At the core of it, the S Pen is the same basic size and shape before, but it now has a small supercapacitor (effectively a high capacity, low voltage battery) to provide power for a short period so it can connect to the phone over Bluetooth.

That supercapacitor provides 30 minutes of connectivity, and up to 250 clicks before it needs to be recharged. But that’s nothing to worry about, as it goes from 0 to 100% in just 40 seconds while in the phone — and it remains at 100% so long as it’s inside. Even if the S Pen’s battery dies, it still works as a writing implement on the screen exactly as it does on previous Notes.

The depth of the interaction is that you can use the S Pen’s button to perform actions on the phone. A long-press on the button can launch any app, and then depending on the app you can perform additional actions using single- and double-clicks of the button. For example in the camera, a single click captures a photo while a double-click switches between the front and rear cameras. Samsung has configured several of its built-in apps to work with the S Pen — including Powerpoint, Gallery, Camera, Voice Recorder, media playback and more — and each one offers configurability of 1-4 different actions for both single- and double-click actions.

At its base level, the S Pen’s button functions just like a play/pause button does on a pair of Bluetooth headphones, meaning you can easily use it in an app like Spotify to control your music from a distance. But more advanced features in third-party apps will have to wait a couple months, as Samsung will release an SDK for developers to integrate this feature into their own apps if they desire. Even if you don’t get the extra functions in third-party apps, Samsung has built a compelling experience here. You can easily see these features being used on a regular basis, even though they’re extremely simple. And importantly for Samsung, it starts to expand the S Pen’s appeal beyond just writing and drawing to further functions that anyone could find useful.

Let’s cut through the marketing message: the cameras are identical to the Galaxy S9+.

Samsung is talking a big game about the Note 9’s cameras, but let’s cut through the marketing message from the start: they’re identical to the Galaxy S9+. The sensors, lenses and hardware support are all the same as the flagship from earlier this year. Just like the specs discussion above, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s worth noting that Samsung hasn’t made any hardware upgrades. The only thing that’s changed is the software, and not even the interface itself — there are merely two new “AI” camera features called “scene optimizer” and “flaw detection.”

Scene optimizer is a great way for Samsung to put a brand on something it’s already doing, cramming in some mentions of “artificial intelligence” and “neural networks” for good measure. It effectively runs algorithms that detect features and objects in scenes, and then automatically changes camera settings to get you the best possible photo of that scene. It can detect 20 scenes in total, including all of the usual suspects like snow, street scenes, night time, animals, indoors, beach, text, landscape, people, mixed lighting, food, plants, flowers, cats and dogs. Scene optimizer is turned on by default and works in the standard auto mode of the camera, and the only indication it’s working is a small icon in the interface showing when it recognizes something.

It’s difficult to discern the differences between photos taken with and without scene optimizer.

It’s difficult to discern the differences between a photo taken with and without scene optimizer, as Samsung’s auto camera mode is already fantastic at detecting scenes and choosing the right settings to get the best possible photo. This feature purports to go even further in that customization based on the actual elements of the scene … but until we can do side-by-side testing I’m extremely skeptical. This is the type of “smart” camera tech we expect to see in every smartphone, and is so often happening behind the scenes anyway — and giving it a brand feels just as forced here as it does on the LG G7 and Huawei P20 Pro.

Flaw detection is legitimately useful with no strings attached. The camera software is trained to detect when it thinks there are major flaws in a photo you just took, including someone blinking, a blurry shot, a smudge on the lens, or poor backlighting. Immediately after taking the photo, you’ll get a pop-up telling you that the photo is likely flawed and you should fix the problem and shoot again. This is useful for those quick point-and-shoot shots where things aren’t thought through perfectly … and could save you from frustration later when you go to review the photo.

Reducing the barriers to using DeX just makes sense — now all you need is a dongle.

Right on the heels of a new DeX interface for the Galaxy Tab S4 tablet, Samsung is making it even easier to use the feature on the Note 9. The DeX desktop-like interface no longer requires a full DeX dock or USB hub — it can now be used with a simple USB-C to HDMI dongle. When connected to a monitor or TV, your phone can act as a trackpad and keyboard for input, or you can simply use the monitor to display information while you use your phone with its regular apps and interface.

Lowering the friction to using DeX is super cool, and once again shows Samsung’s dedication to making the Note 9 a super-powerful phone for doing more than the average phone. But the expectation is that this software will make its way back to the Galaxy S9 and S8 series, probably with their next platform update.

Hands-on preview

Galaxy Note 9 Hands-on preview

There’s been a common theme across my coverage of the last few Galaxy flagships: Samsung is in many ways a victim of its own success. It’s been making fantastic phones that have so many great specs and features, with so few flaws, for years now. When paired with the general homogeneity that has overtaken the modern high-end smartphone space, there isn’t a whole lot Samsung can do to make each individual model stand out — particularly when you look at the company’s rather rapid six-month release cadence between Galaxy S and Galaxy Note phones.

Samsung is a victim of its own success — this is an amazing phone, yet I’m not surprised by anything it does.

You can’t actually have any complaint about the Note 9 as a product. It’s as close to a perfect power user phone as Samsung’s ever made. The only mark against the phone is purely abstract and theoretical: you can argue that the Note 9 doesn’t push the boundaries in any way or try something truly innovative.

Samsung made the changes it needed to make coming from the Note 8. It rises to the Galaxy S9+’s platform in terms of cutting-edge specs and baseline features including the cameras, stereo speakers and fresh camera hardware. The battery got bigger, the storage was doubled, the fingerprint sensor now has a sane placement, and the S Pen has new functionality. But … it didn’t do anything more than what was necessary to make the Note 9 just a little bit better than the Galaxy S9+. There are so many areas Samsung could’ve made generational leaps to really make the Note 9 stand out from the crowd and help make its $1000 price tag a no-brainer. We could’ve seen an even larger display, proper large stereo speakers, new charging capabilities, different design materials or processes, or altogether new hardware features.

The Galaxy Note 9 is a masterfully executed miraculous technological achievement.

But we don’t, because Samsung didn’t have to — it’s been so far ahead for so long, there’s no reason to push any further than necessary. And despite the fact that it didn’t try anything crazy and new, the result is a phone that’s wonderful, and will crush the competition. The Note 9 has a list of specs, features and capabilities that people ask for every other phone to offer. Every part of the phone matches or exceeds the phones it’s compared to, and leans heavily on Samsung’s industry-leading expertise in displays, cameras, stylus input and hardware design.

The Galaxy Note 9 is a masterfully executed miraculous technological achievement in every way. It’s unsurprising that Samsung is charging $1000 for it — because it’s clearly worth the price.

See at Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

• Samsung Galaxy Note 9 hands-on preview
• Galaxy Note 9 vs. Note 8
• Where to buy the Galaxy Note 9
• Galaxy Note 9 specifications
• Is the Note 8 still a good buy?
• Join our Galaxy Note 9 forums

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 specifications

The company’s biggest and best.

The Galaxy Note line of phones has always been known for going all-out. They have big screens, top-notch specs and all sorts of hardware features. The Galaxy Note 9 is no exception, with all of the latest and greatest specs you could ask for — and finally, Samsung has upped the battery capacity to match the rest of the spec sheet.

Here’s everything you’ll find inside the Galaxy Note 9.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

• Samsung Galaxy Note 9 hands-on preview
• Galaxy Note 9 vs. Note 8
• Where to buy the Galaxy Note 9
• Galaxy Note 9 specifications
• Is the Note 8 still a good buy?
• Join our Galaxy Note 9 forums

Fortnite is now available as a Samsung Galaxy exclusive for three days

The Fortnite Beta is now available for anyone rocking a recent Samsung Galaxy device.

After months of patient waiting, Android users can finally dive into Fortnite… but there’s a catch.

Epic Games and Samsung have agreed to make the game exclusively available to Galaxy phone and tablet owners for the opening weekend. That means from August 9 to 12, only those who own a Galaxy S7 phone or later running Oreo will be able to download the Android version of the game. Anyone with a non-Samsung Android phone will have to wait until August 12 to download the game.

Users will have to go to the Samsung Game Launcher app to download the game since Epic has decided to circumvent Google and release their app outside the usual confines of the Google Play Store. After the exclusivity period ends, the game will also be available through Epic Games’ website.

Which Samsung devices are compatible?

On top of being exclusive to Samsung Galaxy devices to start, the Fortnite Beta is also limited to Galaxy devices released in the past two years. That means you’ll need one of the following phones or tablets to play the game:

• Galaxy Note 9
• Galaxy S9 and S9+
• Galaxy Note8
• Galaxy S8 and S8+
• Galaxy S7
• Galaxy S7 edge
• Galaxy Tab S4
• Galaxy Tab S3.

Exclusive V-Bucks offer for Note 9 pre-orders

But that’s not the only Samsung Fortnite news announced at today’s Samsung Unpacked event.

Pre-order the Note 9 and you can get 15,000 V-Bucks for Fortnite as a free gift!

Anyone who places a preorder for a Galaxy Note 9 between August 10, 2018 and August 23, 2018 can choose between a bonus gift of a pair of AKG noise-cancelling headphones ($299 retail value) or the Fortnite Galaxy skin along with 15,000 V-bucks ($150 retail value), for free—or get both for just $99 ($449 retail value). Galaxy Note 9 and Galaxy Tab S4 owners also get a free Fornite character skin.

For a bit of context, V-Bucks can be spent on cosmetic upgrades to your character that include new character models, skins, and emotes, which range from 500 to 2,000 V-Bucks. You can also spend your V-Bucks on a Fortnite Battle Pass, which lets you participate in Season play and unlock up over 100 unique rewards each season. Fortnite seasons typically last about 10 weeks, and we’re midway through Season 5, so using your pre-order bonus on a Battle Pass should probably be your first investment if you want to get the most value.

Where to buy the Galaxy Note 9

Are you planning to get a Note 9?

Fortnite is sure to become popular on Android as it is on every other platform, but this Note 9 deal from Samsung is sure to be a compelling offer for anyone looking to stand out from the herd.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

• Samsung Galaxy Note 9 hands-on preview
• Galaxy Note 9 vs. Note 8
• Where to buy the Galaxy Note 9
• Galaxy Note 9 specifications
• Is the Note 8 still a good buy?
• Join our Galaxy Note 9 forums

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Where to buy the Galaxy Note 9: Best deals for your new phone

Live in the U.S. or Canada? Here’s what you need to know about buying the Galaxy Note 9!

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 9 is here, and as you probably know by now, there’s a lot to get excited about. The all-new S Pen is more powerful than ever before, the cameras are shaping up to be the best we’ve seen from Samsung to-date, and the massive 4,000 mAh battery should be perfect for road-warriors.

Galaxy Note phones are usually available just about everywhere, and with the Note 9, that’s no different.

Whether you live in the United States or Canada, here’s everything you need to know about where to buy Sammy’s latest and greatest.

• AT&T
• Sprint
• Straight Talk
• T-Mobile
• Verizon
• U.S. Cellular
• Xfinity Mobile
• Amazon
• Best Buy
• Samsung

United States

AT&T

Starting first with AT&T, the carrier is getting both the 128GB and 512GB models that are priced at $999.99 and $1249.99, respectively.

While you can pay that full price upfront if you’d like, you’ll also be able to finance both storage configurations over 24 months for $41/month and $52/month.

See at AT&T

Sprint

If Sprint’s your carrier of choice in the U.S., your choices are a bit more limited. Specifically, Sprint is not selling the 512GB Note 9.

Instead, you’ll only be able to pick up the 128GB model. Pricing is the same $999.99, but you’ll also have the option of leasing it for 18 months with the Sprint Flex plan for $41.66/month.

For a limited time, however, Sprint’s letting customers get the Note 9 through Sprint Flex for 50% off —resulting in a final price of just $20.83/month.

Lastly, if you pre-order through August 23, you can get your choice of free AKG headphones, 15,000 Fortnite V-Bucks + an exclusive Galaxy skin, or the headphones, skin, and V-Bucks for just $99.

See at Sprint

Straight Talk

Post-paid carriers are fine and dandy, but if you prefer buying pre-paid, Straight Talk Wireless has your back as it’s also carrying the Note 9.

Similar to Sprint, Straight Talk is selling just the $999.99 128GB model with no 512GB variant anywhere to be found.

Also, even though this is a pre-paid MVNO, Straight Talk still lets you finance the Note 9 over 24 months to help make its nearly $1000 price tag a bit more affordable.

See at Straight Talk

T-Mobile

Moving over to T-Mobile, everyone’s favorite Un-Carrier is selling the Note 9 in 128GB and 512GB flavors. Full retail pricing is the same, meaning that the 128GB version will set you back $999.99 while the 512GB one is going to cost $1249.99.

Alternatively, you can get the 128GB model for $30/month and $279.99 down on an equipment installment plan or for $40/month and $81.99/down with Jump! On Demand. The 512GB version is not available with Jump! On Demand but can be purchase on an installment plan for $30/month and $529.99 down.

Looking to sweeten the deal even more? T-Mobile’s offering 50% off the Note 9 via 24 monthly bill credits when you trade-in an eligible Samsung phone. On top of that, you’ve got your choice between free AKG headphones or 15,000 V-Bucks and a Galaxy skin in Fortnite. If you want both, you can pick up the headphones and Fortnite goodies for just an extra $99.

See at T-Mobile

Verizon

Similar to AT&T and T-Mobile, Verizon is also selling the 128GB and 512GB Note 9.

By default, you’ll pay $999.99 and $1249.99 for each model, respectively. For Verizon’s installment plans, you’ll pay $41.66 for the 128GB unit and $52.08 for 512GB over the course of 24 months.

To make that deal a bit sweeter, Verizon’s also running a buy one, get one free promo when you purchase the 128GB Note 9.

This deal is available for a limited time, and if you don’t want a second Note 9, you can also get the Galaxy S9 or S9+ for free in its place. As if that wasn’t a good enough deal on its own, placing your pre-order by August 23 will secure you with either a free pair of AKG noise-canceling headphones ($299 value), 15,000 V-Bucks and a special Galaxy Skin in Fortnite ($150 value), or you can purchase both of them for $99.

See at Verizon

U.S. Cellular

U.S. Cellular isn’t nearly as popular as the above carriers on our list, but even so, it’ll still carry the Galaxy Note 9. Better yet, you can choose to pick up either the 128GB or 512GB configuration!

Pricing is still the same at $999.99 and $1249.99, but even so, it’s great to see both models make their way over here.

See at U.S. Cellular

Xfinity Mobile

For the last U.S. carrier on our list, we’ve got Xfinity Mobile.

Like most other carriers, Xfinity Mobile is selling the Note 9 in 128GB and 512GB options for $999.99 and $1249.99. You can buy the phone outright if you’ve got the cash, or finance it over the course of 24 months to lessen the stress a bit on your wallet.

If you purchase a Note 9 on Xfinity Mobile, activate a new line, and port over an existing number, you can get a $300 prepaid card that you can use wherever you’d like.

See at Xfinity Mobile

Amazon

Stepping away from carriers, Amazon is one of the many retailers in the U.S. that’s got the Note 9 up for grabs.

Amazon’s offering the 128GB and 512GB models for $999.99 and $1249.99, respectively.

There’s no way to finance it with 0% APR like you can with the likes of AT&T, T-Mobile, etc., but you can always use an exisitng credit card or apply for Amazon’s own credit card that comes with up to 5% cash back on Amazon purchases if you’re a Prime member.

See at Amazon

Best Buy

Best Buy is the go-to store for all things tech, and as expected, you’ll be able to purchase the Note 9 here, too.

Just like the Note 8, Best Buy allows you to purchase the Note 9 through AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, or completely unlocked. Best Buy typically matches any promotions being offered by carriers, in addition to running its own from time to time. As such, if you’re looking for the vest best deal, you’ll want to hit up Best Buy’s site to see what’s being offered.

When there aren’t any promotions to take advantage of, you’ll spend $999.99 for the 128GB model and $1249.99 for the 512GB one.

See at Best Buy

Samsung

Rounding out our U.S. picks, the Galaxy Note 9 will be sold on Samsung’s official website and through the ShopSamsung app. Shocking, right?

Along with selling the unlocked version of the phone, Samsung also lets you buy the AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile Verizon, and U.S. Cellular variants.

Samsung often runs various discounts and goodies on all of the models it sells, so this is another good source to check in with frequently to see what kind of deal is being offered.

And, although it should go without saying at this point, the 128GB option costs $999.99 and the 512GB model is $1249.99.

See at Samsung

Canada

No details on Canadian availability quite yet. We’ll update this article as we get them!

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 hands-on preview: $1000 well spent

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

• Samsung Galaxy Note 9 hands-on preview
• Galaxy Note 9 vs. Note 8
• Where to buy the Galaxy Note 9
• Galaxy Note 9 specifications
• Is the Note 8 still a good buy?
• Join our Galaxy Note 9 forums

Here’s everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy Note 9

It’s finally here. After relentless leaks, rumors, and more, Samsung’s finally unveiled the Galaxy Note 9.

Even though we already knew a lot about the phone prior to its official announcement, there’s still plenty to talk about. What colors does it come in? What are the final specs? Were we impressed during our hands-on preview?

All those questions and more are answered right here, so without further ado, here’s everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy Note 9.

Check out our hands-on preview

Before you do anything else, be sure to check out our initial hands-on preview of the Galaxy Note 9!

This is Samsung’s biggest and most powerful phone of the year, and during our early look, we got a chance to check out the Note 9’s design, new S Pen features, cameras, and more.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 hands-on preview: $1000 well spent

Here are the specs

Like past Notes before it, the Galaxy Note 9 is packed to the gills with all of the latest available tech. That means it has the latest processor, a massive battery, an insane amount of RAM, and much more.

Here are all the specs you can look forward to.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 specifications

The 4,000 mAh battery is huge

Samsung’s Galaxy Note phones have typically been known for packing huge batteries, but following the disaster that was the Note 7, Samsung decided to play it safe with the Note 8 by including a fairly modest 3,300 mAh battery.

With the Note 9, Samsung’s going all the way with a seriously huge 4,000 mAh pack.

It’s being touted that the Note 9 will offer XX hours of use on a single charge, and while we’ll certainly need to put the phone through its paces to see how accurate that claim is, we’ve got high hopes considering the battery’s size and power efficiency of the Snapdragon 845.

When you do finally drain the Note 9, you’ll be able to top it up via wired and wireless fast charging.

Should you upgrade from the Note 8?

As exciting as the Galaxy Note 9 is shaping up to be, last year’s Note 8 is still one heck of a smartphone.

The Note 9 offers the expected improvements in regards to RAM, camera performance, etc., but really gets a strong edge over its predecessor thanks to its improved S Pen and a massive battery.

Then again, if you already have the Note 8 and don’t feel like throwing down $900 (?) on a new phone, maybe upgrading isn’t the right move for you?

Let Andrew break everything down for you in his comparison of the Note 8 and Note 9

How’s it compare to other phones?

That’s fine and dandy, but how’s the Note 9 hold up against other non-Note devices?

Without a doubt, one of the Note 9’s biggest competitors comes from Samsung itself with the Galaxy S9+. A lot of features are shared between the two phones, including a large Super AMOLED display, Snapdragon 845, Samsung’s custom software, excellent dual cameras, and more.

The Note 9 is obviously the only one of the two that uses the S Pen, but is that reason enough to make the pricey upgrade?

Similarly, there are still plenty of other phones that are scheduled to come out before 2018 is over — most importantly the Google Pixel 3 XL. Rumors and leaks are hinting at a phone with considerably slimmer bezels, an even better camera package, and an all-glass back (not to mention the ginormous notch).

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 vs. Galaxy S9+

Should you buy the Galaxy Note 9 or wait for the Google Pixel 3 XL?

A lot is new with the S Pen

The S Pen is easily the biggest reason so many people flock to the Note series year after year, and this time around, Samsung’s giving the S Pen one of its biggest upgrades in years.

For the first time, Samsung’s adding Bluetooth Low Energy to the S Pen. With this new connectivity, the S Pen picks up a heap of new features that allow you to control the Note 9 from a distance.

Some use cases include being able to use the S Pen and its button as a camera shutter, navigating through presentations, and more. The presence of Bluetooth also means this is the first S Pen to have a battery, and as with all things that have a battery, the S Pen will need to be charged.

Thankfully, seeing as how the S Pen seamlessly charges in the background when stored inside the Note 9, this shouldn’t ever prove to be an issue of any sort.

These are all the colors

Samsung’s typically one of the better OEMs when it comes to offering a good variety of colors, and with the Note 9, that’s no different.

In the United States, buyers will be able to choose from Ocean Blue and Lavender Purple. In other parts of the world, Samsung’s releasing Midnight Black and Metallic Copper.

Here’s where you can buy the Note 9

There are a lot of reasons you may want to pick up the Note 9, and whatever those reasons may be, you’ve got a lot of options for deciding where to get it.

In the United States, pricing starts at $999.99 for the 128GB model and goes up to $1249.99 for the 512GB one.

You’ll be able to get the phone at Best Buy, Amazon, Samsung’s website, all of the major carriers, and more.

Where to buy the Galaxy Note 9: Best deals for your new phone

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

• Samsung Galaxy Note 9 hands-on preview
• Galaxy Note 9 vs. Note 8
• Where to buy the Galaxy Note 9
• Galaxy Note 9 specifications
• Is the Note 8 still a good buy?
• Join our Galaxy Note 9 forums

Updated August 9, 2018: The Galaxy Note 9 is official! As such, we’ve completely overhauled this guide with all of the latest available info.

MrMobile’s Galaxy Note 9 Hands-On: Look at this absolute unit

“We are confident that we have built the best smartphone on the market.” That’s the kind of braggadocious boast so common to phone releases that I usually don’t even bother to write it down. But when it’s Samsung saying it, I take … note. Not because Samsung is infallible –far from it– but because in a sea of companies making huge promises, it’s one of the only ones to consistently deliver.

The Galaxy Note 9 is everything you expect from a Note. It’s an oversized smartphone with oversized specifications to match – from a 512GB storage option to a massive 4,000 mAh battery to a custom carbon-fiber cooling solution for its Snapdragon 845 processor. Whether those attributes justify its thousand-dollar starting price remains to be seen, but you can get an early taste of what the Note 9 brings to the table in the video above.

Join me for MrMobile’s Galaxy Note 9 hands-on, subscribe to the YouTube Channel so you don’t miss the full review coming next week, and check out Android Central’s in-depth Note 9 coverage right here!

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Samsung Galaxy Note 9 vs. Galaxy Note 8: Should you upgrade?

Here’s why you’ll be considering a $1000 phone upgrade this year.

Note users make the most of their phones. They work them hard and take all of their features to the max. That means they’re also typically willing to upgrade on a more frequent basis than someone that buys a typical Galaxy S phone or whatever other mainstream device is in the headlines.

The Galaxy Note 9 is out less than a year after the Note 8 hit the scene, but that isn’t going to stop Note 8 owners from taking a look at its successor and consider dropping a minimum of $1000 to get one. Here are the reasons why you should go for it, and a few to give you pause.

Reasons to upgrade to the Note 9

It’s simple to see how much is shared between the Note 8 and Note 9. The hardware, software and capabilities are mostly the same at the core level, which makes sense if you have followed Samsung’s update cadence year after year. The Note 9 does have a clear leg up in a few areas, though.

This upgrade will be all about the battery for some people.

First and foremost, it’s the battery size — at 4000mAh the Note 9 has 21% more capacity than the Note 8, and that’s going to translate directly to dramatically improved battery life considering the similarities of the rest of the phones. If you have issues with the Note 8’s battery life, the Note 9’s going to be your savior.

Chances are if you bought a Note 8 you wanted to make use of its ample storage — possibly optioning up to the 256GB model, and adding even more with the microSD card slot. Here’s one place where the Note 9 will make your mouth water: it has an optional 512GB of internal storage. For those who absolutely cannot stream or be bothered to manage their storage, and want a seemingly infinite amount of room, the Note 9’s 512GB storage — plus another 512GB via an SD card — will make the buying decision a whole lot easier.

Hardcore Note users will be able to appreciate the S Pen improvements.

Hardcore Note users will also be able to appreciate the much-improved S Pen experience from the addition of wireless connectivity. The S Pen is unchanged in terms of writing and drawing, but now it can be used for much more — it can launch and control apps remotely, from the camera and gallery to Powerpoint and music players. If you weren’t someone who used the S Pen much because you’re not a big writer, this addition may put you over the top to considering a Note.

On a far more subtle note, the Note 9’s cameras have improved — and we don’t need to use them to know how they perform, because the hardware is unchanged from the Galaxy S9+. That means you’ll be getting much better low-light performance compared to the Note 8, but the rest of the experience is roughly the same. The Note 8 can easily match it in terms of the secondary camera, daylight shots and portrait mode — so you won’t be upgrading merely for the camera.

And how could I forget, the fingerprint sensor placement is so much better on the Note 9 than the Note 8. It’s easy to reach and use, it’ll make you hate the Note 8’s sensor all over again. Don’t upgrade your phone just to get it — but if you do get the Note 9, thank yourself every day for this little convenience.

Reasons to stick with the Note 8

Right before the Galaxy Note 9 was announced, I wrote an 11-month follow-up review of the Note 8 and found that it still felt like a modern and capable device with no sign of aging. It’s important to keep this in mind when you look at the shiny new Note 9 and start convincing yourself that you “need” a new phone. The Note 8 is still a great device, and it has really good specs that still feel modern — with 6GB of RAM it matches the Note 9’s base model, and the Snapdragon 835 is extremely powerful. The screen is nearly identical to the Note 9’s, too — you’re not losing out on brightness, colors or resolution here.

Don’t let the Note 9’s announcement make you forget the Note 8 is still a fantastic phone.

The external hardware, too, is nearly indistinguishable between the two. The Note 9’s metal frame has added new edge chamfers and a slightly different finish, but there’s nothing here that actually makes a difference in the quality of the experience. The rest of the hardware features are the same in terms of IP68 resistance, charging speed, glass strength, buttons and ergonomics. Sure the Note 9 has dual speakers … but they aren’t good enough to factor into this decision.

Outside of minor tweaks, the software is nearly the same on these phones. Samsung Experience 9.5 on the Note 9 has a couple visual changes, and the few new features to support the S Pen and dockless DeX experience — and remember, many of these features should be arriving on the Note 8 in its next platform update.

Should you upgrade?

The way Samsung updates its phones year after year has shown that it isn’t really targeting people who upgrade on a 12-month cycle. When you look at the Galaxy Note 9, it’s hard to say it’s worth spending $1000 on if you already have a Note 8 in your hand. Yes it has a much larger battery, a new S Pen, improved cameras and a 512GB storage option — but those are pretty fringe items with primarily marginal improvements. The rest of the experience is going to be identical to what you already have in the Note 8. At that point, it doesn’t make sense for most people to spend that kind of money on such a small change.

If you’re just looking to get the latest and greatest, and have a whole bunch of money burning a hole in your pocket, sure you can get the Note 9 as an upgrade. It’s better than the Note 8 in several ways, and no worse in any — and from that perspective it makes sense. But just don’t make the big-money move expecting it to be an entirely different experience than what you’re used to today.

Where to buy the Galaxy Note 9: Best deals

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

• Samsung Galaxy Note 9 hands-on preview
• Galaxy Note 9 vs. Note 8
• Where to buy the Galaxy Note 9
• Galaxy Note 9 specifications
• Is the Note 8 still a good buy?
• Join our Galaxy Note 9 forums

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch could be the Android smartwatch you were waiting for

Turn the dial to 11.

Samsung’s new Galaxy Watch bears a striking resemblance to the Gear Sport from last year, but it’s refined in a number of ways that, along with the rebranding to bring it closer to the company’s line of Galaxy phones, could help it stand apart.

Available in two watch face sizes, 46mm and 42mm, the Galaxy Watch features an OLED display covered in Corning’s new Gorilla Glass DX+ glass built specifically for wearables. So not only is the screen scratch-resistant, but the watch itself is both waterproof (up to 5 ATM) and sweatproof, something that will help it perform as a workout assistant. The 42mm screen is 1.2 inches, whereas the 46mm screen is 1.3 inches. Both have resolutions of 360×360 pixels. There’s 768MB of RAM and 4GB of storage in both models (the LTE version has 1.5GB of RAM), but the 46mm has nearly double the battery: a 472mAh cell as opposed to the 42mm’s 270mAh. Watch band sizes will be 22mm and 20mm respectively.

Samsung is enhancing its Tizen OS to integrate more closely with Samsung Health. The watch tracks heart rate all day, and can automatically detect workouts. Samsung’s included 39 specific workouts on the watch, but six of them, like running, biking, and swimming, are detected automatically.

Battery life has also been tuned thanks to a new “optimized” dual-core Exynos 9110 processor, so Samsung is encouraging users to sleep with the Galaxy Watch to track sleep patterns. This is on top of the regular Gear functionality like notifications and up to 60,000 watch faces available through the phone app.

Samsung also plans to release a standalone LTE version that will allow users to stream music and check news while they work out, no phone required. Of course, being a Samsung device, there’s Bixby functionality built in, too.

The 42mm version will sell for $329.99 and the 46mm option will be a slightly more expensive $349.99. The smaller version will be available in Midnight Black and Rose Gold color schemes, while the larger one will just be sold in Silver. The Galaxy Watch will be available starting August 24 in Korea and the U.S., with an LTE model launching later this year.

See at Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

• Samsung Galaxy Note 9 hands-on preview
• Galaxy Note 9 vs. Note 8
• Where to buy the Galaxy Note 9
• Galaxy Note 9 specifications
• Is the Note 8 still a good buy?
• Join our Galaxy Note 9 forums

Will my Galaxy Note 8 case fit on my Galaxy Note 9?

Nope. Sorry.

In case you haven’t heard, the Galaxy Note 9 is finally official! As you probably expected, it’s another ultra-powerful Samsung phone augmented by a newly improved S Pen — but from most angles, it looks almost indistinguishable from last year’s Galaxy Note 8.

With that in mind, you might be thinking about picking up an older, cheaper Note 8 case to use on your shiny new Galaxy Note 9 … but sadly, that’s just not going to work. For as similar as the two phones look and feel, there are just a few key differences that will stand in your way.

Remember how frustrating it was to try and reach the fingerprint sensor on the Galaxy Note 8 without accidentally smudging the camera sitting right next to it? That is, if your finger could even reach the fingerprint sensor, since the entire module was placed so high up on the back of the phone. It was a bad location from the very beginning, and it needed to change.

The good news with the Galaxy Note 9 is that the fingerprint sensor has been moved below the cameras, which makes it significantly easier to reach and should lead to fewer camera smudges. The bad news is that the relocated fingerprint sensor will obviously require a cutout that just isn’t there on Note 8 cases.

Don’t be stingy — the Note 8 case just isn’t made to fit the Note 9.

Suppose you just use Intelligent Scan to unlock your phone, though, and you don’t care about the fingerprint sensor. Depending on how flexible your Note 8 case is, you could technically jam the Galaxy Note 9 into it … but it still probably isn’t a good idea. On top of the case obviously not being made to accommodate for the relocated fingerprint sensor, the new Note is physically just a bit wider (and shorter) than before; measuring in at 161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8mm, the Note 9 is 0.6mm shorter, 1.6mm wider, and 0.2mm thicker than the Note 8. While that all seems pretty negligible, the added width is enough to keep tight-fitting cases from playing nicely with the Note 9.

If you’re moving from a Note 8 to the Note 9 and just need something to hold you off for a few days until the Note 9 case you ordered online shows up, sure — assuming it fits, go ahead and slap on your old case for a bit. Some protection is better than none, and the last thing you want is to break your expensive new phone after just a day or two. But don’t rely on it forever — be smart and buy a case made specifically for your phone.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

• Samsung Galaxy Note 9 hands-on preview
• Galaxy Note 9 vs. Note 8
• Where to buy the Galaxy Note 9
• Galaxy Note 9 specifications
• Is the Note 8 still a good buy?
• Join our Galaxy Note 9 forums