Samsung reached the pinnacle of its design prowess with the Galaxy Note 8. How could it top that? It couldn’t, at least not right now, so it decided to keep the same design with the S9 Plus, while fixing some of the biggest issues.
Because of this, the battle between the S-line and N-line is closer than in years past.
Let’s get the obvious out of the way: save for specs and minor details, the S9 Plus is the Note 8, minus the S Pen. But it is better. The annoying vertical dual camera with the fingerprint scanner placed as far as possible from a comfortable position has been verticalized. The fingerprint scanner is in its rightful place: in the center of the back.
The 12MP dual camera also adds variable aperture. Controlling the amount of the light between f/1.5 and f/2.4 will lead to better pictures, according to Samsung. We haven’t had a chance to test this out, but once we do, we’ll provide camera samples for both devices to decide which looks better.
Aside from the that, the only major difference is the specs, but that’s not too exciting. The main difference is the newer Snapdragon 845 processor in the S9 Plus. This should make performance snappy, but it’s not like the Note 8 is slow by any means with the Snapdragon 835. Beyond that, RAM stays the same at 6GB, display size is virtually identical (6.3-inch vs. 6.2-inch QHD+ Infinity Display) and both devices look the same with the glass melded with metal design.
Comparing the S9 Plus and Note 8 comes down to one basic question: do you want a newer phone or a cheaper phone? The S9 Plus is a terrific device, but the Note 8 is equally as great and it can be found with steep discounts.
The choice will ultimately come down to you. Check out the side by side spec breakdown below.
Samsung - Galaxy S9 Plus | Samsung - Galaxy Note 8 | |
---|---|---|
Display Size | 6.2-inch, 1440 x 2960 pixel display (531 ppi) | 6.3-inch, 2960 x 1440 pixel display (522 ppi) |
Resolution X | 1440 | 2960 |
Resolution Y | 2960 | 1440 |
Display Type | Quad HD + Curved Super AMOLED | Quad HD+ |
Operating System | Android 8 (Oreo) at launch | Android 7.1.1 (at launch) |
Processor | 10nm, 64-bit, Octa-core processor (2.8 GHz Quad + 1.7 GHz Quad) | Octa core (2.3GHz Quad + 1.7GHz Quad), 64 bit, 10 nm processor/Octa core (2.35GHz Quad + 1.9GHz Quad), 64 bit, 10 nm processor - Differs by market |
RAM | 6GB | 6GB |
Storage |
|
|
External Storage | Yes | Yes |
External Storage Specs |
|
|
Main Camera (Back) | Dual 12MP | 12MP |
Secondary Camera (Front) | 8MP | 8MP |
Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 (LE up to 2mbps) | Bluetooth 5.0 LE |
Battery | 3500mAh | 3300mAh |
NFC | Yes | Yes |
Connectivity |
|
|
Sensors |
|
|
GPS |
|
|
Height | 158.1 mm (6.22 inches) | 162.5 mm (6.40 inches) |
Width | 73.8 mm (2.91 inches) | 74.8 mm (2.94 inches) |
Depth | 8.5 mm (0.33 inches) | 8.6 mm (0.34 inches) |
Weight | 189 g (6.67 oz) | 195 g (6.88 oz) |
Colors | Midnight Black, Coral Blue, Lilac Purple | N/A |
Supported Audio Formats | MP3, M4A, 3GA, AAC, OGG, OGA, WAV, WMA, AMR, AWB, FLAC, MID, MIDI, XMF, MXMF, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, APE, DSF, DFF | MP3, M4A, 3GA, AAC, OGG, OGA, WAV, WMA, AMR, AWB, FLAC, MID, MIDI, XMF, MXMF, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, DSF, DFF, APE |
Supported Video Formats | MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, WMV, ASF, AVI, FLV, MKV, WEBM | MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, WMV, ASF, AVI, FLV, MKV, WEBM |

Add magic to your living space with these string lights
String lights add personality and soft light to your living space. Here are some of the best.

Disguise your little one with the help of a themed costume
From roaring lions to hoppy bunnies, costumes speak to every child's unique spirit. And we've collected our favorite options.

The Galaxy S20 Ultra's Space Zoom camera is amazing and a bit creepy
The Galaxy S20 Ultra supports up to 100X zoom, which Samsung calls Space Zoom, but is it any good? Can a phone really product usable photos at 100x zoom? We've got our Galaxy S20 Ultra already so join us to find out!

Spoil the father in your life with these amazing finds
It's easy to honor dad when you've found the right gift, but the right gift isn't always easy. To assist, we've compiled a list of the best presents around.