The new and improved S Pen stylus, a selling point of the Note series, now connects to the phone via Bluetooth so that it can also be used away from the device, for activating the camera shutter or similar. View image in fullscreen ‘It remains to be seen whether these will be enough to impress those outside the fiercely loyal Note user base,’ said analyst Laura Simeonova. Fortnite is also now available on Samsung phones from the Galaxy S7 on. The game has been available on Apple’s iOS devices since April, as well as traditional consoles and computers, and will eventually be available directly via Epic’s website for other Android devices. The Note 9 will also be one of the first Android devices to be able to run Epic’s hugely popular multiplayer first-person shooter Fortnite, with exclusive access to the beta of the game for a limited period.
The phone also has Samsung’s water cooling solution to help dissipate heat from the processor over extended periods to prevent performance drops associated with overheating. The Note 9 will have Samsung’s octa-core Samsung Exynos 9810 processor in the UK or an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 in the US, with a choice of either 6 or 8GB of RAM, depending on storage variant. “Note fans are Samsung’s most loyal we know they want it all, to get the most out of work and play, and Galaxy Note 9 is the only phone that can keep up with their busy lives.” “The Note has always been our showcase for premium technology and industry-defining innovation, and Galaxy Note 9 is no exception,” said DJ Koh, president and CEO of IT and mobile communications division for Samsung.
The phone’s body is slightly thicker at 9mm and heavier at 205g, accommodating a significantly larger 4,000mAh battery, which Samsung says should provide all-day battery for the heaviest of users. The 6.4in Quad HD+ Super AMOLED screen is slightly bigger than last year’s model.