Samsung has finally launched the much anticipated Galaxy Note 9 with a bunch of smart gizmos the company showcased at the event.
Kicking off the campaign was the South Korean tech giant’s boss DJ Koh who launched the Galaxy Note 9. Later in the evening it was followed by the Samsung Watch and the Samsung Home smart speaker.
The Galaxy Note 9 will be available starting 24 August across different countries. Yes, the new smartphone will make it to India very soon and will be priced starting at Rs 67,900 for the 128GB variant and the Rs 84,900 for the 512GB variant.
People who pre-book the Galaxy Note9 will also get a chance to get their hands on a Samsung Gear Sport smartwatch for just Rs 4,999. The smartwatch currently retails at Rs 22,990 in India.
Watch the unveiling:
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Specifications
- Display: 6.4-inch QUAD HD Super AMOLED
- Processor: Snapdragon 845 octa-core
- RAM: 6GB/8GB
- Storage: 128GB/512GB (expandable)
- Rear camera: Dual 12-megapixel
- Front camera: 8-megapixel
- Battery: 4,000mAh
- Price: Rs 67,900 (128GB)/ Rs 84,900 (512GB)
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Hardware
The new Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will come with a 6.4-inch QUAD HD display that will sport a Super AMOLED screen. This is the same Infinity Display that’s been carried forward from phones like the S9+.
Inside, it’s running on a Snapdragon 845 octa-core processor coupled with RAM options between 6GB and 8GB. There is no 64GB variant this time around and the minimum storage available on the Note 9 will be 128GB with an option to expand up to 1TB. There is also a 512GB variant.
The Note 9 now comes with a 12+12-megapixel dual lens ‘Intelligent Camera’ which offers modes like ‘Scene Recognition’ and Super Slo Mo as well. These are some features also on the Galaxy S9. The fingerprint sensor on the back has now been shifted below the camera setup (to avoid people accidentally putting their fingers on the lens).
The battery on the Note 9 gets a major upgrade. Now the phone is powered by a 4,000mAh battery that supports wireless charging. This will allow for longer hours of use.
A Bluetooth-Enabled S-Pen
Though there have been major advancements in the S-Pen, perhaps the biggest addition is Bluetooth on the new Note 9 stylus.
With the Bluetooth capabilities of the S-Pen, one can use it to take pictures remotely, scroll through pictures without touching the screen and also use it as a remote on bigger Samsung devices. You can also pause and play videos using the pen on YouTube.
The S-Pen charges when you insert it into the phone and gives a power back-up of at least half an hour.
Fortnite Comes to the Note 9
The CEO of Epic Games Tim Sweeny announced that the Note 9 will be the first Android smartphone to get Fortnite while the beta version of the game will be rolled out very soon. The game will also come with an exclusive Samsung Galaxy avatar.
To enhance the gaming experience on the Note 9 , Samsung has installed a more efficient cooling system in the phone to tackle the long gaming hours.
Dex is Here to Stay
Samsung also showcased its Dex platform where the Note 9 acts as a standalone desktop. All you need to do is connect the phone to a display and it transforms the phone into a PC. All you need is an HDMI to USB converter.
The Dex feature also allows one to use the smartphone while using Dex simultaneously!
Though, the earlier version of Dex really didn’t kick off, Samsung hopes this one will.
Samsung Smartwatch
So after a long hiatus away from the smartwatch division, Samsung is back with yet another smartwatch after the Samsung Gear S3. The newly launched Samsung Watch comes with an AMOLED screen and Gorilla Glass protection and also offers more than 60,000 watch faces you can use.
The watch is water-resistant and “swim ready” as the company called it. Perhaps the biggest additon to this setup is the LTE connectivity. You can now use this Samsung Watch as a standalone device and make calls and respond to messages without the need to have the phone with you!
Also, the Samsung Watch comes with it’s own suite of health and activity tracking which offers tracking for individual exercises as well.
Late to the Smart Speakers Party
The final unveling of the evening was Samsung’s smart speaker dubbed Samsung Home. The new speaker has been made in partnership with Samsung’s audio partner AKG, which also made the headphones for the Note 8.
Samsung Home comes with an 8 mic setup so that it can pick up voice commands from far away and it also comes activated with Bixby on it.
The company hasn’t said when the speakers will be available commercially, but it did hint at a release date sometime near Samsung’s Developers Conference.
Samsung also announced Spotify as it’s official music partner for the Note 9 and announced that the music streaming app will be integrated with Bixby and Samsung Music very soon.
What’s weird is that Spotify doesn’t work in India. Maybe this partnership will fasten the process of getting the music streaming app to the country. Expect the device to be launched in India somewhere around the third week of August.
Stay tuned to The Quint as we will get you all the updates from the Note 9 launch in India later this month and also give you a first impression as soon as we get our hands on the device.
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