Samsung Galaxy Note9: What can you expect tomorrow night?

What is it going to look like?

Similar to the current Galaxy S9 models, the Galaxy Note9 is very likely to look similar to its predecessor, the Note8.

Purported renders and a 54-second video published by @OnLeaks and @91Mobiles suggest that you shouldn't expect any design changes other than the repositioning of the rear fingerprint sensor to be below the camera module - one of the main design updates to the Galaxy S9 phones.

Mobile industry veteran Eldar Murtazin, who claimed to have an early hands-on with the device, shared that there are minimal design changes too. 

Our thoughts: It's going to look the same.

Are they going to do something about the rear fingerprint sensor?

It has been reported extensively that Samsung has been trying to integrate an in-display fingerprint sensor since the days long before the Galaxy S8 was launched. It didn't happen for the Galaxy Note8 last year due to uneven screen brightness, and the same could be said about the upcoming  Galaxy Note9.

Former KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo cited "technological difficulties" as the reason for Samsung dropping the in-display fingerprint sensor from the Galaxy Note9. Renders leaked so far also seem to confirm that Samsung is sticking to the rear fingerprint sensor.

As experienced from our recent bout with the vivo X21, which claims to be the first major device to retail with in-display fingerprint technology, this feature brings with it several new handling expectations that might not have been well thought about as we encountered several setbacks. Perhaps Samsung was doing the right thing to not debut features prematurely.

Our thoughts: No in-display fingerprint sensor yet, but it will likely have a have a better placement of the fingerprint sensor.

Evolving to a Connected S Pen?

The S Pen has been the signature feature of the Galaxy Note series and its features have been expanded vastly over the past few years. This year could see a major leap in its functionality thanks to Bluetooth connectivity. 

Mobile industry veteran Eldar Murtazin is among the first to report on the S Pen with Bluetooth connectivity. FCC filing also revealed that there will be a Bluetooth-equipped S Pen which can be charged via the phone. ETNews added that the S Pen can be used to control home appliances and act as a remote shutter for the camera. Going by these supposed features, it's not a far stretch to probably even expect presentation capabilities out of the S Pen.

Our thoughts: The evolved S Pen will be a headline feature in the Note9.

Will Bixby progress to counter Alexa and Siri assistants?

Samsung's digital AI voice assistant, Bixby will see an upgrade alongside the Galaxy Note9. Samsung's AI research center head Gray G. Lee reportedly told the Korea Herald that Bixby 2.0 will ship with the Galaxy Note 9. 

Bixby 2.0 is expected to have better natural language processing, faster responses and better results in noisy environments. Since Samsung recently expanded Bixby support to the new Family Hub refrigerators, it is likely that the company will showcase tighter integration of Bixby 2.0 with its SmartThings IoT ecosystem.

Our thoughts: Don't expect leaps, but Bixby will be easier to use and have more use-case scenarios.

The Camera. Reimagined. And improved?

Samsung introduced the dual aperture lens and computational photography on the Galaxy S9. If history is any indication, the Galaxy Note9 will most likely inherit the same features although there are reports that it will have better imaging performance. 

Following Bloomberg's report of an upgraded camera on the Galaxy Note9, mobile industry veteran Eldar Murtazin also shared that the upcoming handset will have the same camera hardware as the Galaxy S9 with new algorithms and better OIS. We hope the new software processing will tone down the excessive sharpening we noticed during our review of the Galaxy S9.

Our thoughts: The existing camera is already good and we expect the Note9 to keep the same hardware found on the S9, but with minor tweaks.

You can never have enough battery

After opting for a smaller battery capacity (3,300mAh) on the Galaxy Note8, Samsung appears to be ready to pack a bigger juice pack for the Galaxy Note9.

Ice Universe, who is known for his accurate leaks, is very confident that the Galaxy Note9 will come with a 4,000mAh battery. Mobile industry veteran Eldar Murtazin shared that the Galaxy Note9 has a heavier chassis due to the massive 4,000mAh battery, which is stated to provide up to two days of battery life on a single charge! 

Considering that the S Pen is rumored to be charged via the phone, packing a bigger battery capacity will maintain the long battery life that consumers expect of the Galaxy Note lineup.

Our thoughts: Yes, we believe the upcoming Galaxy Note9 will have a larger battery pack now that they've had time to dial back and slap on more procedures to check on battery quality.

You can never have enough out-of-the-box storage

Samsung is said to be increasing the storage options for the Galaxy Note9. Compared to the meager 64GB storage option for the Galaxy Note8, there are rumors and indications that Samsung will bump the storage options to even offer a 512GB version! 

In December 2017, Samsung revealed that it has started mass production of the industry's first 512GB embedded Universal Flash Storage (eUFS) solution for use in the next generation mobile devices. Two different sources reported last month that the Galaxy Note9 will come with 512GB storage option although this model may be limited to certain markets.

Our thoughts: 64GB is certainly not enough for many consumers these days and we expect more storage options to come either for the Note9 or at least by next year's S10.

When is it launching and coming to stores?

Samsung has confirmed that it will be holding the Galaxy Unpacked 2018 event on 9 August. It will be streamed live on its website at 11PM (SGT) on Singapore's National Day.

As for the retail availability, ETNews claimed that the handset will go on sale in South Korea on 24th August. Since Singapore is typically among the first wave of countries to sell the latest flagship phones, you can expect the Galaxy Note9 to be available on the same date. As usual, Samsung's retail partners and the local telcos are likely to commence pre-orders for the handset soon after the official announcement. 

Samsung is also said to be introducing more color options for the Galaxy Note 9. It is speculated that you can see as many as five color options: blue, black, brown, lavender and gray. It is possible that not all colors will be available at launch or in all markets. 

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