The Galaxy Note 9 Rumor & Pre-Release Thread

[The_Chief]

Tough crowd in Barcelona LOL they must all have iPhones...

But the loud STEREO speakers bode well for the Note9! Woo hoo!

 

[kokiangel]

I'm just hoping that the fingerprint scanner will get moved back to the front of the phone by the time the NoteX is released. I never can find that stinker without turning the phone over and looking for it which kinda defeats it's purpose.

 

[Hadron]

Curious: I'm using a phone with a rear-mounted scanner and find it with zero effort. In fact I rarely see the lock screen because the phone is unlocked before I finished pulling it from my pocket.

The only way the scanner is moving back to the front on a Galaxy S or Note is if it goes under the display. That is now available through others, but from what I've read is noticeably slower than the best regular scanners, so that would be a choice they'd have to make if they want to do that just now (possibly why the S9 has adopted a conventional approach).

 

[dontpanicbobby]

Does that actually mention the Note 9 anywhere @The_Chief? Tl : DW.

 

[The_Chief]

No mention of the Note9 specifically. Many articles are tracking patents, design and prototyping... and then the components supply chain as production gets close. EVERYTHING is rumor right now. While I'm not at all sure about the sensors-under-the-screen thing for this year, I'm pretty confident that the Note9 will feature the fingerprint scanner under the screen.

 

[kokiangel]

Well, Hadron your hands are probably a bit larger than mine! And it doesn't help that I usually hold my phone in my left hand and when it is in my pocket it is in the left one.

 

[Hadron]

Well, Hadron your hands are probably a bit larger than mine! And it doesn't help that I usually hold my phone in my left hand and when it is in my pocket it is in the left one.

I really, really doubt that my hands are larger than yours (unless you are a small woman).

However, I'm using a Pixel 2, which has a centered fingerprint scanner (as does the S9). Though I find the S8 scanner fine in my right hand, but too close to the edge in my left. I find the S8+ too large for comfort full stop, and haven't even bothered picking up a Note 8. Personally I would prefer my current Pixel to be slightly smaller.

 

[kokiangel]

I really, really doubt that my hands are larger than yours (unless you are a small woman).

You catch on.

 

[The_Chief]

Here's more information about the expected features of the Note9, including the latest rumors of 100% screen ratio on the front. No bezels at all!

https://www.christianpost.com/news/...-fingerprint-reader-under-the-display-219842/

 

[The_Chief]

It's on again, it's off again... apparently it's on again! This article from the Korea Herald suggests that Samsung has FINALLY perfected the in-sceeen fingerprint scanner! The only challenge is whether or not they can successfully scale it for mass production in time:

http://m.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20180322000780

Note9 firmware is already in development, and the phone is being prototyped before mass production begins in July. It will be interesting to see if Samsung can implement this technology in time, and they're under pressure and do so.

The S9 was little more than a Note8 without the S Pen... and low sales and lack of consumer enthusiasm prove it. While the Note8 played it safe to draw fans back to the Note series, Samsung needs to knock it out of the park this year.

 

[kokiangel]

That would be a nice treat for the Note buyers. Now if they could only give us one with a metal back instead of a breakable glass one that really needs to be protected by a case! Um...without losing wireless charging.

 

[The_Chief]

I have a clear silicone case on my Note8 - the Alcantara case was just worn out.

I'm also reading that Samsung is moving their release schedule up more & more. The firmware for the S9 was tested weeks earlier than the S8, and it was released much earlier. Now that firmware for the Note9 is being readied, it could signal an announcement in late July and a release in early August... which would give Samsung over a month of market domination before IFA Berlin and the announcement of the new fruit phone.

 

[kokiangel]

What! Your alcantara case is already worn out? But you loved that case! And as expensive as they are they should last at least 6 months.

 

[The_Chief]

I called Samsung about the uneven wear, particularly in the ONE SPOT near the fingerprint scanner where my index finger naturally lies. That and the edges, where my thumb stays. Almost all the Alcantara in those spots is gone! Samsung told me that "normal wear & tear" are not covered under warranty... and would not entertain my assertion that such a case should not wear so quickly.

 

[kokiangel]

Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. They were real butts about it. Should have stepped up and sent ya another one like a decent company would. Someone musta whizzed in their wheaties that morning and they weren't feeling very rosy with the world.

 

[The_Chief]

I'm sure they didn't appreciate the 2-star review I left on their website, either... but they earned it in spades and STILL never reached out to me to fix it! Granted, I got a new S Pen within 5 days... but still!

 

[The_Chief]

Well, THIS is interesting.

Samsung has long been working on a mobile device with a folding display. We are assured that this device has been finalized, and is due in Q3. That's around the time of the Note9 release.

Since Samsung likes to space out the release of their flagship devices to maximize sales, this can mean one of two things: (a) the Note9 will be released globally and this new device, aka 'Galaxy X', will get a limited release in South Korea; or (b) this IS the Note9. I'm not sure Samsung is willing to take that big a risk with a device that has such a fanatical following. We'll see.

And the photo in this article shows a remarkably thin device leaning against a mirror. That's awfully thin for something that folds open!

http://nseavoice.com/tech/samsung-galaxy-note-9-to-embrace-a-flip-body-style-920034259.html

 

[El Presidente]

It doesn't look like it's leaning against a mirror, rather it's supporting itself. The angles are wrong and if you look at the back part of there's a small indent about 2/3 of the way up which doesn't appear on the front section.

There's also a small dot on the front side which doesn't appear on the back.



The top kinda looks joined too and it doesn't look like the device they're talking about in the article. It's the same device from here.

 

[kokiangel]

So it will flip from the long edge? That would be nice!

 

[The_Chief]

Good catch but that would be a heck of a panorama screen! Seems more logical to have it open sideways, revealing a little more real estate in one place and not stretched out. Anyway...

I ran across this article, which seems to confirm that the Note9 will be 5G ready. It notes an HRC antenna (it stands for 'harmonically related carrier' and that sent me down the rabbit hole) and will be ready to connect to upcoming 5G networks out of the box.

https://theleaker.com/galaxy-note-9-may-feature-5g-antenna/

5G is going to be a far greater leap from 4G than 4G was from 3G - we're talking about up to 10 GB per second real-world download speeds... fast enough to download Guardians of the Galaxy Blu-ray in about 5 seconds. And that's WITH a 500% increase in connected devices by 2020. With IoT demanding more bandwidth than 4G can support, carriers are furiously grabbing spectrum allocation and deploying 5G test platforms in major markets.

EDIT: I just followed EP's link and saw that the inside is not all screen... but this is a glorified Motorola Razr with a screen on the inside and on the outside. Yayyy. I have no idea who would use this or why, unless they just really have a hard time tapping numbers to call. There's a Galaxy Note with an S Pen for that...

 

[The_Chief]

Okay, fellow Galaxy Note fans: feast your eyes on this render of the Note9, based on the latest rumors and prototype leaks!

After the release of the rather lackluster Galaxy S9 and S9+, I was seriously considering skipping a model and holding out for the Note10 - but this thing has gorgeously thinner top & bottom bezels. And the long-awaited in-screen fingerprint scanner is included, it's worth the upgrade just for that!

This is ONLY A CONCEPT RENDER: the actual Note9, rumored to be announced in July, may be more (or less) amazing. Reports still abound that Samsung has figured out how to embed the cameras and sensors UNDER the display... so the Note9 could be the first truly bezel-less phone with 100% screen ratio on the front!

 

[The_Chief]

Wow, does time fly: we're about two months away from announcement! Word is firming up that Samsung will announce the Note9 in July, with a release in early August. It's said to come with an in-screen fingerprint scanner and new S-Pen functionality. Bixby 2.0 is expected, which should really bring the much-maligned assistant to the forefront. Also, there's a new version of the Samsung User Experience called "Crown UX" that should make life easier with the Note9. Lots of things coming out... plenty enough to compel Note 4 & 5 owners to move up. But is it enough to convince Note8 owners to upgrade?

 

[dontpanicbobby]

I need bezels.
I need something to hold on to.
I'm like a guy; you know?

 

[The_Chief]

I need bezels.
I need something to hold on to.
I'm like a guy; you know?

I'm a guy, too. That's what my wife's for...

 

[The_Chief]

Here's the Forbes article on the latest Note9 news:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/gordon...ote-9-specs-design-camera-price-release-date/