Everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy Note 9

Concerned the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus are a little too small for your hands? Want a smartphone that borders on the comically large? The Galaxy Note range is for you, and the Galaxy Note 9 is likely to be the next model released. The phone isn’t official yet, but there has been plenty of talk about its design, specs, and features already. Here’s everything you need to know about the Galaxy Note 9.

Name and release date

As sure as the Galaxy Note 8 followed the Galaxy Note 7, the Galaxy Note 9 will follow 2017’s flagship big-screen phone. But when will it arrive, and will the naming convention continue? Samsung said it began work on the Galaxy Note 9 immediately after completing the Galaxy Note 8, and was “considering how to approach the development of the next Note by evaluating the latest model and looking for ways to improve upon signature features like the S Pen.” This suggests the Note 9 will be an evolution of the Note 8, rather than a reinvention.

If a name change is coming, it has not been rumored, but a leak did hint at the code name: Crown. Rumors from the end of 2017 suggested Samsung may launch the Galaxy Note 9 in August, around the same time as the Galaxy Note 8, and production was set to begin during the first three months of 2018.

A leak related to the Snapdragon 845 processor put the Galaxy Note 9’s release down as September 2018, which may refer to when sales start, fitting in with an August announcement. But according to the latest report by Korean news outlet The Investor, the device may be released as early as July or August. The prediction of an earlier release stems from reports that Samsung Display will start producing an OLED panel for the Note 9 in April — which is two months earlier than its usual start date in June. It could also be Samsung’s attempt to release the device prior to Apple’s new iPhones, which normally launch in September.

Fingerprint sensor

The Galaxy Note 8 has both a finger- and a face-unlock system, so how will Samsung improve on this for the Note 9? Well, for starters, it may be the first Samsung flagship to feature an on-screen fingerprint sensor. After months of rumors that the Note 9 would not feature such technology, a new report from The Investor reports Samsung is considering the addition of an in-display fingerprint sensor on this year’s Note 9.

On top of that, Samsung has even filed a patent for an in-display fingerprint sensor. The patent was first picked up by Dutch site Let’s Go Digital, and was published by the World Intellectual Property Organization. It describes the use of a relatively small sensor — in-display fingerprint sensors typically take up a lot of space — and involves registering part of the fingerprint as soon as the finger touches the display. Then, depending on where the finger is placed, the second part of the finger is registered. In other words, the technology can recognize different parts of the finger, which may lead to a better authentication rate.

Of course, that doesn’t mean Samsung will for sure include the in-display fingerprint sensor in the Galaxy Note 9. It appears that Samsung is still trying to perfect the technology and that may be the reason KGI Securities reported the company would likely forgo the addition of an in-display fingerprint sensor in 2018. Details are still sketchy but sources say that Samsung will make a decision in the coming weeks.

Samsung has apparently been trying to implement the under-display sensor with its large Infinity Display for two years but hasn’t successfully completed the task to the satisfaction of the engineers, due to problems related to manufacturing, quantity, and accuracy. Another anonymous source in the industry said under-display sensors are difficult to commercialize at this stage, but thinks Samsung will solve the problem in 2019.

Design

We know the Galaxy Note 9 will be big, but will it be much different from the Note 8? In a surprising statement, Samsung’s president of mobile, D.J. Koh, said the 2018 Note phone may have a foldable design, provided it could overcome various technical hurdles. He didn’t elaborate further. Samsung’s foldable phone, often referred to as Project Valley or Galaxy X, has always been viewed as a separate device from the Note range.

Since this statement was made, no other rumors about a foldable Note 9 have emerged, and like the fingerprint sensor, it may have been put on hold for the 2018 phone. Another report from The Bell says the Note 9 will have a 6.3-inch OLED screen, making it the same size as the Galaxy Note 8.

Specifications

The Galaxy Note is Samsung’s productivity powerhouse phone, and we’d expect the Note 9 to have specs to match. What will make the Note 9 special? Samsung said it’s investigating “signature Note features” to upgrade on the Note 9, including the S Pen stylus. However, the statement was made early in the phone’s development, so plans may change by the time the phone reaches store shelves.

Qualcomm is likely to supply the processor for the Note 9 in some regions. The phone was listed in a leak of the devices using the Snapdragon 845 in 2018. While this will probably apply to phones released in the United States, other regions may have a Note 9 powered by a Samsung-designed Exynos chip.

That’s all we know about the Galaxy Note 9 at the moment, but we will make updates here with more rumors, news, and hints about the big-screen Samsung phone.

Updated on March 29, 2018: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 may launch earlier than expected.