Samsung Galaxy Note 9 vs Pixel 3 XL: What You Need to Know

Note 9 vs Pixel 3 XL: Specs

Another important aspect for potential buyers is the specs. How much power, storage, and RAM these phones have. Either way, they'll both be great, but here are the numbers. There are a few important differences worth paying attention to. 

Galaxy Note 9 Specs

• 6.4-inch Quad-HD Curved Infinity AMOLED Display 
• Snapdragon 845 Processor with 6-8GB of RAM
• 128 or 512GB storage options (512GB has 8GB RAM)
• Android 8.1 Oreo with Samsung UX
• Dual 12MP Rear Cameras with variable aperture, IOS, 960 FPS Slow-mo, more
• 8MP Front Selfie Camera with Portrait Mode & Improved AR Emoji
• Stereo Speaker tuned by AKG
• 4,000 mAh battery with fast and wireless charging 
• IP68 Dust & Water-resistance
• USB Type-C, Bixby 2.0, Bixby AI, 3.5mm headphone jack
• Heart-rate sensor, Face Unlock, Iris Scanning
• S-Pen with Bluetooth, New Features, etc
• and more

As you can see, the Note 9 tops the charts in almost every single category. That said, Google's will offer a similar experience for buyers. 

Pixel 3 XL Specs

• 6.3-inch Quad-HD AMOLED Display
• 8-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Processor with 4GB of RAM 
• 64 and 128GB storage configurations, no microSD expansion
• Android 9 Pie Software 
• Improved 12.3 Megapixel Rear AI Camera with f/1.7 aperture, tons of software tricks
• Dual 8MP Front-facing cameras for Portrait selfies, emoji and more
• Dual Front-Facing Boomsound Stereo Speakers (40% louder than before)
• 3,450 mAh Battery with fast and wireless charging 
• IP68 Dust & Water Resistant
• USB Type-C, Google Assistant, Face Unlock technology, no 3.5mm headphone jack, wireless charging, squeezable sides
• more

These phones are a lot closer than most people think on the inside. They have the same processor too, Samsung just has more RAM and storage options. It's more of a personal preference around the software more than anything else. Both phones are fast, powerful, and highly capable devices. 

One key difference is the bigger 4,000 mAh battery in the Galaxy Note 9. Allowing Samsung's big phablet to last longer than any other Samsung device we've tested lately. And, it'll get better with the Pie update. This potentially gives the Note 9 a leg up over the 3 XL, but the Pixel has stock Android software.