72 hours with Samsung Galaxy Note 9: the camera, battery, and screen

We have spent 72 hours with the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, together with a weekend filled with continuous testing in preparation for our full Notice 9 overview. 

There’s quite a bit to inform you already.

We first unboxed new $999 (£899 / AU$1,499 / AED three,699) Android telephone dwell on Fb on Thursday, taking your questions as we arrange the gadget. We then launched the digital camera app to snap photographs with the Bluetooth S Pen as a remote-control set off.

From there, we used the display screen in direct daylight and took notes – copious notes, in fact – relating to the battery efficiency and the way shortly the Notice 9 recharged. There is definitely extra good than dangerous to say about this smartphone.

Here is what we have uncovered within the first 72 hours.

S Pen digital camera shortcuts are enjoyable, besides…

Remotely taking photographs with the brand new Bluetooth-enabled S Pen is like performing a magic trick, and does certainly open up new photographs exhibits each your arms. That is been nice, as Samsung proclaimed on launch day.

I do not know if a business-focused smartphone purchaser is the appropriate viewers for this, however we had a bunch of enjoyable testing it out after work on Friday. It expanded my use time with the S Pen past doodling some notes each now and again.

And sure, you may customise the S Pen shortcuts, however I discovered remotely triggering the digital camera to be the very best use of its Bluetooth capabilities. This is not the brand new function that can make you rush out to purchase the Notice 9 when you’ve got a Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus or the Note 8. Nevertheless, when you’ve got an older telephone or are due for an upgraded on a contract, you may get a kick out of it too.

Two issues we realized try to be conscious of:

First, the shortcut set off on the S Pen is definitely the tiny S Pen button close to the tip of the stylus. It is not the clicky finish cap like we thought (and had hoped). We love clicking that non-functional cap (it is a actually dangerous behavior). It will have made for a extra pure distant shutter set off. Sadly, it stays non-functional.

Second, and extra importantly, I had a tough time discovering a spot to relaxation the telephone as a way to take significant distant photographs. Too typically, my photographs – both with a bridge within the distance or really on a New York bridge – did not have a resting spot for the telephone. There was all the time lot of concrete or deep water close by. The Notice 9 is waterproof, however not that waterproof.

The S Pen digital camera distant operate has made me understand that, for selfies, my arms are the last word tripod. Posing for photographs with each arms in body means I’ve to discover a new method to arise my telephone. Possibly Samsung can repair that subsequent.

I’ve began utilizing a Samsung Galaxy Note 9 case to treatment this final drawback. The S-View flip cowl case doubles as a tri-folding stand for the Notice 9. I will begin utilizing that extra as I start to belief it will keep collectively. I will report again with extra epic photographs and movies… or a Notice 9 damaged telephone.

Is the Notice 9 digital camera actually higher?

We have taken a number of dozen photographs with the Galaxy Notice 9 digital camera and likewise matched them up with different gadgets on our best camera phones checklist. This consists of the iPhone X, Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus, Google Pixel 2, and final 12 months’s Galaxy Note 8.

We’re nonetheless amassing extra brilliant scenic photographs in addition to the all-important low-light photographs and reserving ultimate judgment till that occurs. Within the meantime, this is a side-by-side comparability of some telephones we have been carrying alongside the Notice 9.

We additionally now have a set of smartphone cameras with telephoto lenses on them. Secondary optical zoom lenses are on the Notice 9, S9 Plus, Notice eight, and iPhone X. You will discover that the Google Pixel 2 is not part of this telephoto gallery:

The large display screen is nice, even in daylight

I used to be strolling throughout the Williamsburg bridge on a brilliant, sunny New York Metropolis day this weekend, taking the scenic path to dinner (only for the Notice 9 photographs and the train). Was I making good time? I checked Google Maps.

Usually, on a transparent summer season day, seeing my smartphone display screen would imply I needed to discover shade simply to see the display screen. With the Notice 9’s large, brilliant 6.Four-inch show, I did not have that drawback and I did not have to regulate the brightness. The telephone responded to the atmosphere, bringing the brightness as much as the utmost stage. Every part was really easy to see due to the dimensions and brightness. I actually get pleasure from that facet of Notice telephones.

The brightness bar turned from the traditional blue shade to crimson to point that I am burning some further battery life and the telephone might run a bit scorching. However seeing my display screen with out having to regulate the settings whereas squinting at a boring show gave me a ‘it simply works’ second. Sure, Google’s Android 9 Pie replace has some sensible auto-brightness performance coming, however this Samsung Android 8 Oreo telephone has this function built-in now and one of many brightest telephones screens ever made to associate with it.

Battery life has been glorious

We’re nonetheless working battery life exams on the Notice 9 and I wish to get a number of further full days of use out of the Notice 9 earlier than drawing ultimate conclusions on its longevity. However up to now the Four,000mAh battery capability could also be my favourite Notice 9 function.

It is not a flashy social gathering trick just like the S Pen customizable shortcuts, however like the intense display screen, it helps you turn out to be extra productive all through the day. And actually, that is what the Notice 9 is all about: productiveness. Samsung has positioned this gadget because the one for individuals who use their smartphone the very best. So it will get Samsung’s greatest battery in a flagship gadget.

Recharging the telephone is pretty fast, too. We checked the battery proportion each 15 minutes, from zero% to 100%. We’ll do it once more earlier than coming to a conclusion on recharge speeds.

• 15 minutes: 17%
• 30 minutes: 37%
• 45 minutes: 52%
• 60 minutes: 70%
• 75 minutes: 83%
• 90 minutes: 90%
• 105 minutes: 98%
• 1h 49 minutes: 100%

Now we have to place the numbers into context a bit. It is quick, however not the quickest charging telephone amongst prime flagship handsets. Why? Bear in mind, it has an even bigger battery than most mainstream telephones (excluding telephones in China that by no means come West, and excluding battery-focused variants, like 5,000mAh telephones from Asus and others).

Three days of testing tells us this can be a highly effective telephone with distinctive battery life. We simply need to nail down how nicely it stacks as much as the competitors. Oh, and have to make sure it would not repeat the Note 7 fireplace incidents.

We’re updating our ideas on the Notice 9 on a regular basis, so you should definitely verify again as we proceed to overview this telephone with a gentle stream of hands-on impressions.

Verify again quickly for our 96-hour replace.