Samsung Galaxy Note 9 vs Samsung Galaxy S9

A spec-by-spec comparison of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and the Samsung Galaxy S9, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.

Head to head

Samsung Galaxy Note 9Samsung Galaxy S9
Price$219$159
Our rating8/107/10
Battery4,000 mAh3,000 mAh
Wired charging15W15W
RAM (max)8 GB4 GB
Storage (max)512 GB400 GB
Screen size6.4 in5.8 in
Main camera12 MP12 MP
Weight (lower is lighter)201 g163 g
ReleasedAug 2018Mar 2018
Summary: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is ahead on our rating, battery, ram (max), storage (max). Samsung Galaxy S9 is ahead on weight (lower is lighter).
★ 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 S9 is the cheaper option.

Display

Samsung Galaxy Note 9Samsung Galaxy S9
TypeSuper AMOLED, HDR10Super AMOLED, HDR10
Size6.4 inches, 103.2 cm2 (~83.4% screen-to-body ratio)5.8 inches, 84.2 cm² (~83.6% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution1440 x 2960 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio (~516 ppi density)1440 x 2960 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio (~570 ppi density)
ProtectionCorning Gorilla Glass 5Corning Gorilla Glass 5

Platform

Samsung Galaxy Note 9Samsung Galaxy S9
OSAndroid 8.1 (Oreo), upgradable to Android 10, One UI 2.5Android 8.0 (Oreo), upgradable to Android 10, One UI 2.5
ChipsetExynos 9810 (10 nm) - EMEA; Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (10 nm) - USA/LATAM, ChinaExynos 9810 (10 nm) - EMEA or Qualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 845 (10 nm) - USA/LATAM, China
CPUOcta-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, ChinaOcta-core (4x2.7 GHz Mongoose M3 & 4x1.7 GHz Cortex-A55) - EMEA or Octa-core (4x2.8 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver) - USA/LATAM, China
GPUMali-G72 MP18 - EMEA; Adreno 630 - USA/LATAM, ChinaMali-G72 MP18 - EMEA or Adreno 630 - USA/LATAM, China

Memory

Samsung Galaxy Note 9Samsung Galaxy S9
Card slotmicroSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model only; microSDXC (dedicated slot) - single SIM model onlymicroSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model only or dedicated slot - single SIM model, up to 400 GB
Internal128GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM
Storage TypeUFS 2.1—

Main Camera

Samsung Galaxy Note 9Samsung Galaxy S9
Dual12 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—
FeaturesLED flash, auto-HDR, panoramaLED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
Video4K@60fps (no OIS/EIS), 4K@30fps, 1080p@240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS, OIS
Single—12 MP, f/1.5-2.4, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS

Selfie Camera

Samsung Galaxy Note 9Samsung Galaxy S9
Single8 MP, f/1.7, 25mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.22µm, AF—
FeaturesDual video call, Auto-HDRDual video call, Auto-HDR
Video1440p@30fps1440p@30fps
Dual—8 MP, f/1.7, 25mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.22µm, AF; 2 MP (dedicated iris scanner camera)

Battery

Samsung Galaxy Note 9Samsung Galaxy S9
TypeLi-Ion 4000 mAh, non-removableLi-Ion 3000 mAh, non-removable
Charging15W wired, QC2; Qi/PMA wireless charging15W wired, QC2.0; Qi/PMA wireless charging

Body

Samsung Galaxy Note 9Samsung Galaxy S9
Dimensions161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8 mm (6.37 x 3.01 x 0.35 in)147.7 x 68.7 x 8.5 mm (5.81 x 2.70 x 0.33 in)
Weight201 g (7.09 oz)163 g (5.75 oz)
BuildGlass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frameGlass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame
SIMSingle 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)
ProtectionIP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min)—
Water & Dust Resistance—IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min)

Comms

Samsung Galaxy Note 9Samsung Galaxy S9
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspotWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
Bluetooth5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX
GPSYes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO—
NFCYesYes
RadioNoNo
USBUSB Type-C 3.1USB Type-C 3.1
Positioning—GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO

Launch

Samsung Galaxy Note 9Samsung Galaxy S9
Announced2018, August 09February 25, 2018
StatusAvailable. Released 2018, August 24Available. Released March 16, 2018.

Frequently asked questions

Which has the better battery, Samsung Galaxy Note 9 or Samsung Galaxy S9?

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 — 4,000 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 versus 3,000 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy S9.

Which has more RAM, Samsung Galaxy Note 9 or Samsung Galaxy S9?

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 — 8 GB for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 versus 4 GB for the Samsung Galaxy S9.

Which is lighter, Samsung Galaxy Note 9 or Samsung Galaxy S9?

Samsung Galaxy S9 — 201 g for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 versus 163 g for the Samsung Galaxy S9.

Which is newer, Samsung Galaxy Note 9 or Samsung Galaxy S9?

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 — Aug 2018 for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 versus Mar 2018 for the Samsung Galaxy S9.

Is the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 or the Samsung Galaxy S9 rated higher?

We rate the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 8/10 and the Samsung Galaxy S9 7/10.

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