Display
The Galaxy Note 9 comes with a 6.4-inch QHD+ Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1440 x 2960 pixels and an aspect ratio of 18.5:9. Compared to the Galaxy S9+, the display on the Note 9 is just 0.2-inches bigger while the resolution stays the same. Nothing much to differentiate here, except for the extra digitizer on the Note 9 which supports the S-pen input.
Processor
Under the hood, both phones run on the same SoC, which is Samsung’s current-gen flagship chipset, the Exynos 9810 on global variants, while the US variant sports the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset. This means there shouldn’t be any difference in the performance between the two devices in day to day as well as CPU intensive tasks.
Memory
While the S9+ came with a maximum storage capacity of 256GB, the Note 9 takes it a step further and doubles it up to 512GB with up to 8GB of RAM as opposed to 6 on the S9+. The minimum storage as well has been upgraded from 64GB to 128GB.
Cameras
The camera department is similar to the S9+ as well with the same 12MP dual camera setup with variable aperture, with the addition of some intelligence built in like detection of closed eyes while taking a picture.
Battery
The battery on the Note 9 though is a huge leap when compared to 3500mAh on the S9+, to 4000mAh.
S-Pen
The highlight of the Note series is the glorified S-pen which has now received an upgrade. Apart from the ability to take notes, the S-pen can now connect to your phone through Bluetooth and perform multiple functions like a remote shutter for your camera, play or pause music/videos, change presentation slides, etc. If the S-pen fancies your taste, then the Note 9 should be your obvious choice.
Miscellaneous
Samsung’s Dex which provides a PC like-experience can now be used without the dock unlike the S9+, and just requires an HDMI adapter. The dual stereo speakers from the S9+ make it to the Note 8 as well. A new addition to the Note 9 which is absent in the S9+ is a liquid cooling system. While the Note 9 might seem very similar to the S9+, there are some notable changes like a beefier battery, smarter cameras and of course the multifunctional S-pen with a feature overhaul. So are these improvements worth upgrading from an S9+ or are they enough to convince you to get a Note 9 over the S9+? Let us know your opinions in the comments section below.
