Samsung officially unveiled the Galaxy Note9—as revealed on August 9 at the Barclays Center in New York City and via livestream at Marriott Hotel in Pasay City. Pre-orders start tomorrow, August 11, but if you’d want to know more about the device, here are our first impressions of Samsung’s latest introduction.
From the first look, the Galaxy Note9 surely stands out—with its size of 161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8mm, it certainly still fits into phablet territory. Weighing 201 grams, it might be quite a handful but its weight is just right, given its size.
Its sleek and shiny finish makes it a mesmerizing sight, especially when held against the light. However, do note that it is still a fingerprint magnet.
The Galaxy Note9’s camera surely impresses—especially its dual rear camera. It has a variety of tools you could toggle with according to how you want your photo to turn out. But with just the Auto mode, you could already take high quality photos. It also does well in low-light settings, due to the dual camera’s f/1.5 and f/2.4 lens aperture—making sure to capture the most out of the surroundings or subject.
And through the manual focus tool under the pro mode, you could adjust the focus points of the camera, and the phone will specifically highlight the objects in the surroundings it will focus on. If you’re not one to manually adjust the focus points of the camera, the live focus is there for quality bokeh photos.
The front camera also has the live focus option but it’s not as precise as its rear counterpart, as the side parts of the subject gets blurred with the background. Nevertheless, both cameras deliver sharp, vivid, and high-quality photos—which will surely make the phone worth it.
The Galaxy Note9 is also equipped with a Bluetooth-powered Connected S Pen, which the phone specifically has features for. The S Pen is kept tightly at a compartment inside the phone, and has to be clicked to be removed—so it won’t easily fall off. It could be used for an abundance of features, like Create note, View all notes, Smart select, Screen write, Live message, and Translate
Its quite fun to use and tinker with. It’s also convenient which could prove useful for workaholic users of the Galaxy Note9.
Pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Note9 from August 11 to 19 to enjoy exclusive freebies worth up to P17,800. Those interested in the Galaxy Note9 with 512GB storage will receive a free 2018 Samsung 32-inch Smart HD TV with a two-year warranty. Note enthusiasts may also choose from several Samsung products like the Gear Fit2 Pro, Gear IconX, or Galaxy Tab A 7-inch when they pre-order the 128GB variant.
Galaxy Note9 will be available starting August 24 in select markets at a suggested retail price of P55,990 (128GB). The 512GB variant, priced at P75,990, is a pre-order exclusive. It will be offered in Midnight Black, Lavender Purple, Metallic Copper with matching S Pen, and Ocean Blue with a Yellow S Pen.
