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HOT TAKE: We unpack Samsung Unpacked! (Podcast #18)

Matt Adams
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Join Matt, Andrew, Donovan, and Keyan as we express our collective excitement and disdain at all the announcements from Samsung Unpacked. Topics include out of control phone pricing, Galaxy Note 9 hype, and the merits and drawbacks of Tizen vs Wear.

Samsung Unpacked coverage

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Galaxy Watch is Official, Still runs on Tizen

AndroidGuys
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Samsung unveiled quite a bit in today’s Unpacked event. Besides the Note 9 and the Galaxy Home, Samsung showed everyone it’s new smartwatch, the Galaxy Watch. The Watch comes in two sizes, three colors, and unfortunately still runs on Samsung Tizen OS.

If you’re into Samsung and either your health or general accessibility, the Galaxy Watch was made with you in mind. The Watch has a significant focus on fitness (similar to its biggest competitor) with new features for stress management, sleep tracking, and exercise tracking.

As far as other hard specs go, the Galaxy Watch sports either a 1.2 or 1.3 circular Super AMOLED with Corning Gorilla DX+ glass, for the 42mm and 46mm respectively. They both contain dual-core Exynos 9110 processors, 4GBs of storage, and up to 1.5GBs of RAM. Lastly, they are waterproof up to 5ATM and MIL-STD-810G military-grade durability. The battery life is rated to last multiple days on a single charge – rated explicitly at 270mAh and 472mAh.

You can get the 42mm Galaxy Watch in either Midnight Black or Rose Gold, while the more massive 46mm only comes in Silver. Bixby has also been revamped this year and is featured on the watch as well.

The Galaxy Watch goes on pre-order tomorrow August 10. We’re looking at $329.99 for the 42mm and $349.99 for the 46mm. That pricing is for the Bluetooth-only models that will be available from Amazon, Best Buy, and Samsung’s website. These models will be available on August 24th. Carriers will be getting LTE models later on this year.

Hearing all the specs and new features and goals, is this year’s Galaxy Watch something to run out and get? So far it looks like another smartwatch only for the Samsung family. If that’s the case, it might eliminate a huge portion of potential consumers.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Preorder and Info

Anker Roav VIVA review – add Alexa to your car for just $59.99

Donovan Jeska
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We took a look at the new Roav VIVA from Anker. Priced at $59.99, it’s a Bluetooth unit that promises to add Amazon Alexa to your vehicle. It’s a little pricier than most dual-outlet car chargers on the market, but does that Alexa integration make it worth the extra cost? Read on to find out.

Setting up an Anker Roav VIVA is pretty simple. Just plug the unit into an open port on your dash, pair your phone to it, open the app (which you’ve of course downloaded ahead of time) and follow the prompts with regards to music streaming.

From there, just log in to your Amazon account to get started with Alexa. It took me way too long to realize that I wasn’t connecting to the VIVA through my Bluetooth menu – just pairing it. Don’t be like me.

Compatibility-wise, Anker’s acknowledges that there may be some hiccups. A number of cars use different Bluetooth standards and software than are standard – this can cause issues. The list of makes and models that may not be compatible is comprehensive and somewhat unnerving.

It’s far from ideal, but Anker offers a 30-day unconditional money-back guarantee through Amazon. So, even if your car is on the list, there’s really no risk to giving it a try. And for what it’s worth, I drive a 2015 Honda Fit – definitely on the list – and I’ve had no problems whatsoever.

Build

As we’ve come to expect from Anker, the Roav VIVA is well-designed. It’s got an odd mixture of materials, textures and finishes: faux carbon fiber siding, glossy black plastic plug, a matte black plastic cap, and a frosted translucent LET ring and icon. Somehow it works, though – especially when plugged in.

That matte black cap is at home in basically any black interior. The LED ring – characteristic of an Alexa device – is surprisingly nuanced, the multi-color LED featuring fades, patterns and blinks with impressive sophistication.

In an odd design choice, the two USB ports are located on the underside of the unit, rather than its face or sides. It’s a strange decision, especially when you consider that not all DC ports offer enough clearance to plug a cable in there. When installing the VIVA, I’d definitely insert the cables before plugging in the unit; it’s tough to do, otherwise.

Anker’s Roav VIVA has two microphones and a dedicated noise canceling chip onboard, making it especially adept at isolating voice commands, even in a noisy cabin.

Granted, it’s probably not going to hear you shout at Alexa when you’re blaring Childish Gambino with the bass cranked, but for your average in-car experience, it’s totally adequate. The face of the VIVA also features a physical mute button, for when you’d rather not give Amazon access to every single word you say while driving.

Performance

As a charger, the Roav VIVA performs about as well as I expected. It features two PowerIQ USB ports, which automatically detects the voltage (between 5-12V) and amperage (between 1-2.4A) of your device and charging it at that speed.

While my V30 didn’t detect it as charging via Quick Charge 3.0, the estimated time to take my phone from 74% to 100% (56 minutes via PowerIQ vs 50 minutes for QC3.0) was pretty similar.

But the real selling point here is the VIVA’s on-board Alexa. It essentially uses your phone’s Data to do anything Alexa can do, including communicating with your Smart home devices; unlock your door, turn on your A/C, start up your Roomba… now, your phone can already do any of that, but the Anker Roav VIVA will let you do it while driving – safely.

While many cars on the road have some kind of voice control, Alexa adds a layer of (artificial) humanity to what is often a cumbersome experience. With over 15,000 recognized commands, and the ability to create custom ones, the possibilities are pretty extensive. From Home Automation to ordering, music, sports and communication, Alexa – and its Google/Apple counterparts) – is the future.

Value

At $59.99, the Anker Roav VIVA is expensive for a car charger. But for an Alexa speaker, it’s right on the money. The Amazon Echo Dot retails for $49.99 as well, though you can find it for as low as $34.99 often enough.

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While the Roav VIVA doesn’t have the same speaker power as an Echo Dot, it does offer mobility and charging solutions, which the Dot does not. As such, the Roav VIVA is a decent price-point, though not the door-busting bargain we’re used to seeing from Anker.

Get the Anker Roav VIVA for $59.99 on Amazon

What’s new with the S-Pen?

Jason England
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A Note just isn’t a Note without the S-Pen. It is an essential component to the Note line up that helps set itself apart from the competition. As such, Samsung is always looking for ways to make it more useful and add more features.

Over the years we’ve come to appreciate the S-Pen for navigating the phone and writing notes. Most recently we’ve come to love Off Screen Memo and Live Messages. The good news is, those features are still there and with the Note 9 Samsung has found a new way to innovate. For the first time, the S-Pen will include Bluetooth Low Energy technology.

Once the S-Pen is removed it pairs automatically with your phone using Bluetooth LE, even when Bluetooth is turned off. With the use of this new wireless technology, the button on the S-Pen gains new abilities.

What Can it Do

With a press of a button, you can pause or play videos, snap selfies with the camera, or control a Powerpoint presentation. When taking photos a single click will snap the photo while a double click will switch between the front and rear camera.

Controlling media playback and the gallery works similarly. A single click will play/pause the song or video and a double-click will go to the next track or photo in the gallery. The S-Pen can even be used to launch an app with a customizable long press shortcut.

What’s even better is Samsung has plans to open up the SDK for developers. Soon developers will be able to add more functions to their apps making the S-Pen even more useful.

A Couple of New Tricks

Last year Samsung introduced Live Message and AR Emojis. This year they have combined them allowing you to write messages on your own custom AR Emoji and share it with friends.

Another cool trick is your Off Screen Memos will not watch the color of the S-Pen you are using. For example, yellow for the Ocean Blue model or light grey for the Midnight Black model, as well as matching colors for the Lavender Purple and Metallic Copper models.

Battery Life and Distance

If you’ve ever used a Bluetooth device before then I’m sure you are familiar with charging the battery. The S-Pen will be no different in this respect. To charge the S-Pen all you have to do is slide it into your phone.

It only takes 40 seconds for the Super Capacitor to reach a full charge, and that lasts you for 30 minutes or up to 200 clicks. Thirty minutes might not sound very long, but don’t worry all of the original S-Pen features work fine even with the battery fully drained.

Another aspect of Bluetooth you’re probably familiar with is the limited range. The new Bluetooth LE S-Pen has a working range of 10M or 32ft. Fortunately, in most instances, you wouldn’t be anywhere near its maximum range while using it.

Fortnite available to more than just the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 at launch

Donovan Jeska
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The guys over at SamMobile have discovered that Fortnite isn’t just exclusive to the Galaxy Note 9. Apparently, it’ll be available to all Samsung Flagships, starting with the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy Tab S3, on up.

SamMobile confirmed it to be working on the Note 8 and S9+, though both devices featured lower graphics settings and a lower frame-rate than we’d expect to see on the Note 9.

To install it, hit this link in your Galaxy device’s browser and install it manually. So far SamMobile was only able to confirm it works in the Netherlands and India, but it might work outside those countries as well. Were you able to get it to install? Let us know if you did, and where you are!

Samsung Exclusivity

Fortnite was rumored to be a 30-day exclusive to the Note 9, but it sounds more like it’ll be only a few days. This news will likely bring a collective sigh of relief for non-Samsung gamers.

If you’re interesting in participating in the forthcoming Fortnite beta for Android, sign up for updates here, and play the waiting game with the rest of us.

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With 125 million users across all platforms, Fortnite is far and above the hottest game on the planet right now. Bringing Android into the fold will only bolster that number by leaps and bounds – maybe even breaching the 200 million user mark.

We aren’t sure how long it’ll be until we can get Fortnite on our non-Samsung phones, but count me among those waiting with baited breath for that day. We’ve been waiting since March – we can wait a couple more days.

…Right?

Nine things we love about the Note 9

Jason England
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Samsung just unveiled their shiny new Note 9 and now it’s time for us to check out all of the great features. Like every year the Note 9 is Samsung’s best of the best and here to impress. Check out the nine features we love about the Note 9 below.

Display

Samsung is one of the best display makers out there consistently winning awards year after year with their phones. The Note 9 will certainly be no exception here and the screen has even gotten slightly larger. When we say slightly we do mean it slightly though. The Note 8 screen was 6.32-inches while the Note 9 has grown to 6.4-inches.

It won’t be a huge difference, regardless fitting a larger screen in the same size body is still impressive. Plus they shrunk the bezels and there is no notch. Thank you Samsung for not jumping on this trend which adds no value to the phone or user experience.

S-Pen

What would a Note phone be without an S-Pen, this is one of its defining features. It is kind of amazing after all this time Samsung still keeps finding ways to improve this little accessory, but they do.

The Note 9 will include a Bluetooth S-Pen for the first time. With the new Bluetooth LE connectivity comes new features such as the ability to use it to take photos, control media playback, navigate powerpoint presentations, and more. Samsung plans on opening the SDK later for companies to add additional functionality.

The new S-Pen will charge through your phone and it only takes 40 seconds of charging for 30 minutes of usage. Don’t worry if the battery dies, because it can still do everything the original S-Pen could do when the battery is dead.

Battery

With a slightly larger screen and a Bluetooth powered S-Pen more battery power will be needed and is always welcomed. Thankfully, Samsung has seen fit to include a massive 4000mAh battery in the Note 9. This should provide a full day worth of battery life and probably more depending on your usage.

Fingerprint Scanner

It is no secret that Samsung screwed up on the placement of the fingerprint scanner on the S8 models and the Note 8 from last year. Fortunately, they have learned from their mistakes and the Note 9 moves it to the center. No longer will you have to shimmy the phone around and stretch your finger just to unlock your phone.

DeX Support

The Note series has always been marketed towards business users and with DeX it even more useful for those working on the go. These days our mobile devices are taking on more responsibilities and become our primary device rather than a secondary.

The power of DeX helps make it more flexible. Note 9 users will be able to plug their phone into a larger display using only a USB-C to HDMI cable and then use it similarly to a desktop. Where the phone will act as your mouse allowing you to navigate on the monitor. You’ll also be able to use the phone separately while DeX is active on the monitor.

More Storage

Cloud storage is great, but do you know what is even better? Not having to rely on cloud storage, especially for important or sensitive files. The Note 9 has raised the bar once again bringing the minimum storage up to 128GB.

You should have plenty of space for all of your photos, videos, music, and any other miscellaneous files. If you find yourself needing more space there is also the 512GB model and microSD card slot that will support cards up to 512GB.

Headphone Jack

Speaking of all that media you have stored on your device. You won’t have to worry about charging up a pair of BT headphones or carrying a dongle to enjoy it. While some phones remove the jack in an effort to sell you Bluetooth headphones or to slim down the device.

Samsung listens to their users and has kept it around ensuring we can still use our collection of headphones. Great news for those of us who have expensive wired headphones. Samsung even includes a nice pair of AKG tuned wired buds in the box.

AI Camera

Everyone is jumping in on the AI bandwagon these days. Now Samsung has even jumped in with the camera in the Note 9. The Note 9 will be able to detect if a photo is not its best.

For example, if someone blinks when you take their photo or it is blurry, the Note 9 will realize this and notify you. This allows you to then take another photo and make sure you don’t miss out on that precious moment. It will also adjust the color settings depending on the scene in order to give you the best-looking image.

Dual Aperture Camera

Variable aperture is a pretty unique feature for a phone to have. It started with the S9 models and is now found on the Note 9. How it works is, the camera on the back of the phone features two different apertures. One is set at f/1.5 for when it is darker and the sensor needs to absorb more light. The other aperture is f/2.4 for when there is plenty of light out.

You might wonder, why not always use f/1.5? The answer is at f/1.5 the photo won’t have as much in focus, especially for close up shots. The f/2.4 aperture allows you to capture more of the scene in focus.

That’s Not All

The Note 9 has way more going on than just these 9 features but these were just some of our favorite. My personal favorite is the larger battery. What is your favorite feature of the Note 9 and do you plan on getting one?

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Specs: A complete monster

Matt Adams
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The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is now official and we’re getting our first look at the device. There are tons of features that are sure to grab people’s attention and generate millions of sales. But, for spec junkies, we want to know what’s under the hood. How much horsepower does this bad boy actually have? How many pictures of horses can we store? Alright, we’re taking the meme a little far, but you get the picture.

If you want an overview of the device and what happened today, be sure to check out our announcement post from earlier today. Now, we’re going to take a look at exactly what’s under the hood!

Display

Samsung returns this year with another class-leading display for the Galaxy Note 9. Last year, we saw the South Korean giant put a massive 6.3-inch display on the Note 8 and this year it has gone even bigger! We now see a 6.4-inch, 2960 x 1440 Super AMOLED display. Based on the measurements of the phone, that gives the Note 9 an ~84% screen-to-body ratio and a pixel density of 516 PPI.

Platform

Like the last several years, we’ll see two variants of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, one with a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and one with Samsung’s own Exynos processor. The former will be released in markets like the US and China, while the latter is normally referred to as the “global” device that will be released in most Asian, European, and African markets.

The Qualcomm variant will feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor. The SD845 is Qualcomm’s flagship processor for 2018 and features a 10nm, octa-core processor clocked at 2.8 GHz.

What’s the difference in Qualcomm Snapdragon processors?

The Exynos variant features the Exynos 9810 processor. It is also an octa-core processor but is clocked in at 2.7 GHz. In years past, we’ve seen the Exynos variants feature better battery life while the Qualcomm variant pulls ahead in graphical processing. We’ll have to see how they perform this year.

RAM and Storage, and Battery

If you want the best specs, you’re probably in the right place. Samsung placed a heavy emphasis of bringing consumers some of the best specs available for that $1,000 price tag.

In terms of RAM and storage, we’re going to see at least two variants. The standard base level Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will come with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. Most flagships today are releasing with either 4 or 6 GB of RAM, so it’s great to see Samsung on the high end of that scale. The 6 GB of the Note 9 matches the previously released Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus from earlier this year.

To get 8 GB of RAM, you’re also going to jump up in storage as well. The upgraded model of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 arrives with 512 GB of storage and 8 GB of RAM. That 512 GB model will come with 8 GB of RAM and match the likes of the ASUS ROG phone and the OnePlus 6 for the most RAM on a device today.

Regardless of which model you choose, two things remain constant: microSD card support and battery capacity. The Note 9 is the first device that (with the help of a microSD card) can support 1 TB of storage. Samsung proudly proclaimed that 1 TB will net you about 370 movies. That’s a lot.

All models of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will feature a massive 4,000 mAh battery. This is a big jump from last year and an end to Samsung playing it safe after the Note 7 fiasco. Samsung claims that the Note 9 will have an all-day battery and support both wired and wireless quick charging.

Cameras

Cameras are one area where Samsung has always been known to excel. The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus brought dual aperture lenses that have the ability to open up and let in more light when needed. That functionality has carried over to the Galaxy Note 9’s dual 12 MP lenses.

The rear of the device features two 12 MP sensors that both of optical image stabilization (OIS). The main shooter has that dual aperture that allows it to switch between f/1.5 and f/2.4. The secondary zoom sensor features a 2x zoom and a f/2.4 aperture. The front of the device features a single 8 MP sensor with a f/1.7 aperture.

Audio and Sensors

While not known as an industry leader in smartphone speakers, Samsung has tried to up its game with the Note 9. On stage at its Unpacked event, Samsung claimed that the speakers on the Note 9 were the loudest ever on a Note. Now, we’re sure that they’re not going to get as loud as some offerings from HTC and LG, but it is certainly a step in the right direction. And hey, the speakers are tuned by AKG so that can’t hurt either, right?

As for sensors, we’re seeing a massive array of them to measure everything you can think of. The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 supports sensors for Iris, Fingerprint, Heart Rate, Accelerometer, Geomagnetic, Gyro, Pressure, Proximity, and RBG Light.

A few of those will pop out at you as important. One of the big gripes with last year’s Samsung Galaxy Note 8 was the placement of the fingerprint sensor. Samsung wisely moved it to under the camera module this year. Iris scanning and Heart Rate scanning also return in this year’s model.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Specs

Display 6.4-inch 2,960 x 1440 Super AMOLED (516 PPI), 18.5:9 ratio, 84% screen-to-body ratio
Platform US: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845

Global: Samsung Exynos 9810
RAM 6 or 8 GB of LPDD4
Storage 128 or 512 GB, supports microSD cards up to 512 GB
Battery 4,000 mAh embedded, supports wired and wireless quick charging
Cameras Rear: Dual 12 MP (f/1.5 + f/2.4) + 12 MP (f/2.4) dual aperture cameras

Front: 8 MP, f/1.7
Network and Connectivity LTE Cat.18

WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac

Bluetooth 5.0

ANT+

USB type-C

NFC

GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou
Sensors Iris, Fingerprint, Heart Rate, Accelerometer, Geomagnetic, Gyro, Pressure, Proximity, RBG Light
Authentication Fingerprint, Iris Scanner, Face recognition, Intelligent Scan, Pattern, Pin, Password
Software Android 8.1, Samsung Experience skin
Dimensions and Weight 161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8 mm (6.37 x 3.01 x 0.35 in)

201 g (7.09 oz)
Colors Metallic copper, Lavender purple, Ocean blue, Midnight black

So, what do you think? Does Samsung have the best specs out there or is there another phone turning your head? Let us know down in the comments.

Samsung’s Galaxy Home is the company’s latest attempt to fight Apple

Andrew Myrick
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We have been seeing an influx of smart speakers more and more and now Samsung is getting in on the fun. During today’s Samsung Unpacked event, the Galaxy Home was officially unveiled.

At first glance, it looks rather awkward, and Marques Brownlee summed it up pretty well:

But for real, let’s take a look at the new Galaxy Home. The speaker sports a round body with a flat top and a tripod attached to the bottom.

There are six speakers that are built into the Home, along with a single sub-woofer. Additionally, there are a total of eight far-field microphones which will help users activate Bixby even easier.

Using just a the command of “Hi, Bixby” will get your assistant up and running. From there, you can complete a myriad of different tasks, including playing music and even order an Uber.

Unfortunately, Samsung stopped short of sharing everything about the Galaxy Home. The company did not reveal pricing or availability. Instead, we are expected to learn more at Samsung’s Developer Conference later this year.

It’s all find and dandy that Samsung is entering the smart speaker game. However, the problem that is still being found is the reliability of Bixby.

Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa are far superior, but Bixby 2.0 is now here. The company hopes that this new Galaxy Home, along with the new Note 9, will help prove the doubters wrong.

Only time will tell what is on the horizon for Samsung’s smart home goals. So we will have to wait and see what’s to come when the Home starts making its way into the hands of users.

In the meantime, we’ll be waiting for Samsung to reveal more so that we can make some type of final determination. Let us know what you think about Galaxy Home and if you’ll be looking to pick one up for yourself.

The Galaxy Note 9 is here but you might not like the price

Andrew Myrick
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Just when you thought the smartphone world had gone quiet, Samsung is back with a new device. However, this time around, the leaks pretty much shared everything about the Samsung Galaxy Note 9.

At its latest “Unpacked” event in New York City, Samsung unveiled its 3rd flagship of 2018. The latest device in the Note lineup sees quite a few improvements under the hood, with one major one on the outside.

Display and Internals

Samsung surely loves its curved Infinity Display, and the same one returns with the Note 9. The Note 9 sports a 6.4-inch display, which is just slightly larger than its predecessor.

Under the hood, we have the usual suspects for a 2018 flagship. This means the Snapdragon 845 at the helm, combined with 6GB of RAM, and up to 512GB of onboard storage.

That’s right, Samsung is including a 512GB storage option, which can be used with a microSD card to expand things. If 512GB microSD cards come sooner rather than later, we’ll be looking at the first device with 1TB of storage.

Bigger battery!

For the last few years, Samsung has been disappointing users with its subpar battery choices. The “play-it-safe” move is understandable considering everything that happened with the Galaxy Note 7.

It seems that Samsung is finally ready to move on thanks to the included 4,000mAh battery. Of course, this is non-removable, but it should still last you throughout the day and then some. Plus, you’ll have Quick Charge if you need to juice things up before heading out for the night.

Cameras Galore

When the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus were announced, one of the biggest features was the mechanical aperture. This allowed your camera to manually switch between f1.5 and f/2.4 modes while capturing images.

It seems that the same aperture is being used in the Galaxy Note 9, to go along with the dual 12MP camera sensors on the rear. Additionally, Samsung has added a new shooting mode called “Intelligent Camera”.

The new mode “intelligently recognizes what you’re looking at” through the lens of the camera. From there, the Note 9 will automatically optimize various settings such as contrast, white balance, exposure, and more.

New fingerprint scanner

Moving onto the fingerprint sensor, Samsung made a similar change to that of the Galaxy S9. Instead of keeping the sensor horizontally in line with the camera, the fingerprint scanner is now placed below.

Hopefully the scanner will be much easier to access now, and will actually be put to use. But you can still rely on biometrics through Iris Scanning if you don’t want to fiddle with the fingerprint.

Extra goodies


When the Galaxy S8 was released, Samsung also introduced the DeX Dock. Essentially, it allowed users to turn their smartphones into full-fledged computers.

Since then, we have seen a few iterations, and the Note 9 expands upon this even further. With Samsung’s latest device, you can create a desktop-like experience with nothing more than an HDMI to USB C cable.

You won’t have to worry about fiddling with docks or anything else, although you may run into issues when it comes to peripherals. The Note 9 will act as your mouse and keyboard, but you can also make use of the new and improved S Pen.

Speaking of the S Pen, there is now Bluetooth built into it, allowing you to “press a button to control the camera”. There is also additional functionality regarding interactions with various applications.

Pricing and availability

Pre-orders for the Galaxy Note 9 will start on August 10th, with the device expected to land in your hands by August 24th. This is a quick turn around, as Samsung is ready to bring its latest flagship to the masses.

Pricing for the Note 9 starts at around $1,000 which is close to the same price as the Galaxy Note 8. If you want to bump up to 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage, you’re looking at about $1,250. We’re still waiting on carrier pricing to see if they’ll sell it at different prices.

What do you think about the Samsung Galaxy Note 9. Is it worth the money? Let us know down in the comments.

Want to see the new Samsung Galaxy Note 9 unveiled? Click here to watch!

Alexandra Arici
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The biggest smartphone announcement of the summer is here! Samsung is finally ready to unveil the Galaxy Note 9 flagship during an Unpacked event in New York.

The press conference starts on 11 am EDT, local New York time. Now if you’re curious about the Galaxy Note 9, you should know you can easily tune in and watch the live stream on YouTube.

Or you can keep an eye on one of this websites:

With all the recent leaks and rumors surrounding the device, the Galaxy Note 9 is hardly a mystery. Samsung will most likely confirm what we already know during the event.

The Galaxy Note 9 takes form

The Galaxy Note 9 will borrow most of its specs from the Galaxy S9 Plus and boast a similar size. The upcoming phablet is expected to sport a 6.38-inch screen, which is slightly bigger than the 6.22-inch panel on the Galaxy S9+.

As for the rest of the device, current rumors peg the Note 9 as having a Snapdragon 845 and a standard 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Samsung touted the Galaxy Note 9 as being “1TB ready” with expandable memory in a recently leaked video by showing 512GB microSD card going in the phone.

As per a reliable Samsung leaker, the phone should also land with a pretty big 4,000 mAh battery under the hood. By comparison, the Galaxy S9 Plus relies on a 3,500 mAh one.

Other highlights of this year’s Note model include an upgraded S Pen experience and Bixby 2.0, which will be introduced during the event.

The company just released the Galaxy Tab S4 tablet last week and has just announced it is hosting a press conference for IFA 2018 on August 30. It seems like it’s a very busy summer for the Korean tech giant who is also rumored to have a new smartwatch up its sleeve.

Will we see it go live in Berlin or in a few days? We’ll just have to wait and see. Don’t forget to tune in to watch the Unpacked event.

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