Samsung Galaxy Note 9 vs Galaxy Note 8: What to Know

Now that the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is official and available for pre-order potential buyers have some tough choices to make. Buy something like the S9+ or Galaxy Note 8 now, or wait for Samsung’s new phone. Or, wait and pay more for the latest Galaxy.

In this guide we’ll go over everything you need to know about the Galaxy Note 9 and how it compares to the Note 8. That way you’ll know if the Note 9 is worth waiting for and worth the higher price.

Read: Where to Buy the Note 9: The Best Deals

Samsung announced the Galaxy Note 9 on August 9th, and it will hit shelves and retail stores on August 24th. If you’re thinking about pre-ordering or buying one, here are all of the improvements this year. You can expect longer battery life, a bigger screen, a new and improved S-Pen and more.

The Galaxy Note 8 is still a great phone. It’s not even a year old, runs the latest Android 8.0 Oreo, and takes amazing photos with the dual rear cameras. Basically, if you need a phone right now you’ll love the Note 8. However, if you can wait a few more weeks and can afford the Note 9, there are a few major changes worth considering.

Both of these phones have huge screens, two cameras, and the S-Pen stylus. Not to mention more features than one would ever need. If a big screen is all you’re after, either phone is a great choice. However, the Note 9 is bigger and has a 6.4-inch screen vs 6.3-inches. That said, the big screen isn’t all these phones have to offer.

Read: Why You Shouldn’t Buy the Galaxy S9+ or Note 8 Right Now

And considering they look nearly identical, some buyers won’t even be able to tell the difference. A lot is changing though, and these are changes you’ll want to know about. Like the new location for the fingerprint scanner, the fancy new S-Pen features, or the larger battery. The Note 9 will get better battery life than any other Note.

For those trying to decide between the Galaxy Note 9 and something else, we’re here to help. The slideshow below will compare all aspects of the Note 9 and Note 8 to help you choose what’s best for you.

Galaxy Note 9 vs Note 8: Design & Display

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The first thing we want to talk about is the design. Simply because almost nothing changed with the design. These phones look nearly identical. Not to mention the Note 9 will look like the Galaxy S8+ and S9+ from the last few years too. Well, at least from the front. Samsung is sticking to its popular big screen with curved edges. Keep in mind though that the Note 9 is a hair bigger, coming in at 6.4-inches. Honestly, though, that's such a small difference that no one will notice. Otherwise, you'll get the same beautiful curved all metal and glass phone.  There is, however, two very noticeable differences on the back of the Note 9. Samsung finally moved the fingerprint scanner to the middle of the phone, under the camera. Instead of placing it off to the side, which was out of place and a far stretch. This makes the Note 9 instantly easier to use than the Note 8. We saw something similar with the S9. Additionally, the black bezels around the screen (on the top and bottom) are slightly smaller this year, which is how the screen grew a little bit without the phone getting physically bigger. Sadly we're not getting triple cameras, an in-glass fingerprint scanner, or anything else crazy. You'll have to wait for the Galaxy S10 to get those. Basically, the Note 9 will look like most high-end Samsung phones from the last two years. We're not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.  So, both of these phones have huge screens, water-resistance, wireless charging, 3.5mm headphone jacks, expandable storage, and dual cameras. Plenty of things to love.

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