Samsung Galaxy Note 8 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 9
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
VS
Head to head
| Samsung Galaxy Note 8 | Samsung Galaxy Note 9 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $139 | $219 |
| Our rating | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Battery | 3,300 mAh | 4,000 mAh |
| Wired charging | 15W | 15W |
| RAM (max) | 6 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage (max) | 256 GB | 512 GB |
| Screen size | 6.3 in | 6.4 in |
| Main camera | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 195 g | 201 g |
| Released | Sep 2017 | Aug 2018 |
Summary: Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is ahead on weight (lower is lighter). Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is ahead on battery, ram (max), storage (max), screen size.
★ Which should you buy? Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs. If budget matters more than the extra capability, Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is the cheaper option.
Display
| Samsung Galaxy Note 8 | Samsung Galaxy Note 9 | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors | Super AMOLED, HDR10 |
| Size | 6.3 inches, 101.1 cm2 (~83.2% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.4 inches, 103.2 cm2 (~83.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 1440 x 2960 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio (~521 ppi density) | 1440 x 2960 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio (~516 ppi density) |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Features | HDR10 compliant, Always-on display | — |
Platform
| Samsung Galaxy Note 8 | Samsung Galaxy Note 9 | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android 7.1.1 Nougat, upgradable to Android 9.0 Pie with One UI 1.0 | Android 8.1 (Oreo), upgradable to Android 10, One UI 2.5 |
| Chipset | Exynos 8895 Octa (Global) or Qualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 835 (USA, China, Japan) | Exynos 9810 (10 nm) - EMEA; Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (10 nm) - USA/LATAM, China |
| CPU | Octa-core (4x2.3 GHz Mongoose M2 & 4x1.7 GHz Cortex-A53) - EMEA; Octa-core (4x2.35 GHz Kryo & 4x1.9 GHz Kryo) - USA & China | Octa-core (4x2.7 GHz Mongoose M3 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A55) - EMEA; Octa-core (4x2.8 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver) - USA/LATAM, China |
| GPU | Mali-G71 MP20 - EMEA; Adreno 540 - USA & China | Mali-G72 MP18 - EMEA; Adreno 630 - USA/LATAM, China |
Memory
| Samsung Galaxy Note 8 | Samsung Galaxy Note 9 | |
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model only; microSD, up to 256 GB (dedicated slot) - single SIM model | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model only; microSDXC (dedicated slot) - single SIM model only |
| Internal | 64GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM |
| Type | UFS 2.1 | — |
| Storage Type | — | UFS 2.1 |
Main Camera
| Samsung Galaxy Note 8 | Samsung Galaxy Note 9 | |
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 12 MP, f/1.7, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS; 12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, AF, OIS, 2x optical zoom | 12 MP, f/1.5-2.4, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS; 12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, AF, OIS, 2x optical zoom |
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@240fps, HDR, dual-video rec. | 4K@60fps (no OIS/EIS), 4K@30fps, 1080p@240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS |
Selfie Camera
| Samsung Galaxy Note 8 | Samsung Galaxy Note 9 | |
|---|---|---|
| Single | 8 MP, f/1.7, 25mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.22µm, AF | 8 MP, f/1.7, 25mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.22µm, AF |
| Features | Dual video call, Auto-HDR | Dual video call, Auto-HDR |
| Video | 1440p@30fps | 1440p@30fps |
Battery
| Samsung Galaxy Note 8 | Samsung Galaxy Note 9 | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Non-removable Li-Ion 3300 mAh battery | Li-Ion 4000 mAh, non-removable |
| Charging | Fast charging 15W (Quick Charge 2.0), Qi/PMA wireless charging | 15W wired, QC2; Qi/PMA wireless charging |
Body
| Samsung Galaxy Note 8 | Samsung Galaxy Note 9 | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.6 mm (6.40 x 2.94 x 0.34 in) | 161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8 mm (6.37 x 3.01 x 0.35 in) |
| Weight | 195 g (6.88 oz) | 201 g (7.09 oz) |
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame |
| SIM | Single SIM (Nano-SIM) or Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | Single SIM (Nano-SIM) or Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) |
| Other | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min), Stylus (S Pen support) | — |
| Protection | — | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) |
Comms
| Samsung Galaxy Note 8 | Samsung Galaxy Note 9 | |
|---|---|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | 3.1, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector | USB Type-C 3.1 |
Launch
| Samsung Galaxy Note 8 | Samsung Galaxy Note 9 | |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | August 23, 2017 | 2018, August 09 |
| Status | Released September 15, 2017 | Available. Released 2018, August 24 |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Samsung Galaxy Note 8 or Samsung Galaxy Note 9?
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 — 3,300 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 versus 4,000 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9.
Which has more RAM, Samsung Galaxy Note 8 or Samsung Galaxy Note 9?
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 — 6 GB for the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 versus 8 GB for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9.
Which is lighter, Samsung Galaxy Note 8 or Samsung Galaxy Note 9?
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 — 195 g for the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 versus 201 g for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9.
Which is newer, Samsung Galaxy Note 8 or Samsung Galaxy Note 9?
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 — Sep 2017 for the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 versus Aug 2018 for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9.
Is the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 or the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 rated higher?
We rate the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 8/10 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 8/10.