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 9 | Samsung Galaxy S9 |
|---|
| Price | $219 | $159 |
| Our rating | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Battery | 4,000 mAh | 3,000 mAh |
| Wired charging | 15W | 15W |
| RAM (max) | 8 GB | 4 GB |
| Storage (max) | 512 GB | 400 GB |
| Screen size | 6.4 in | 5.8 in |
| Main camera | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 201 g | 163 g |
| Released | Aug 2018 | Mar 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.
Researched with AI assistance by infozme.com from manufacturer and retailer sources — see how we research & rate phones.
Display
| Samsung Galaxy Note 9 | Samsung Galaxy S9 |
|---|
| Type | Super AMOLED, HDR10 | Super AMOLED, HDR10 |
| Size | 6.4 inches, 103.2 cm2 (~83.4% screen-to-body ratio) | 5.8 inches, 84.2 cm² (~83.6% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 1440 x 2960 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio (~516 ppi density) | 1440 x 2960 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio (~570 ppi density) |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
Platform
| Samsung Galaxy Note 9 | Samsung Galaxy S9 |
|---|
| OS | Android 8.1 (Oreo), upgradable to Android 10, One UI 2.5 | Android 8.0 (Oreo), upgradable to Android 10, One UI 2.5 |
| Chipset | Exynos 9810 (10 nm) - EMEA; Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (10 nm) - USA/LATAM, China | Exynos 9810 (10 nm) - EMEA or Qualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 845 (10 nm) - USA/LATAM, China |
| CPU | 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 | Octa-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 |
| GPU | Mali-G72 MP18 - EMEA; Adreno 630 - USA/LATAM, China | Mali-G72 MP18 - EMEA or Adreno 630 - USA/LATAM, China |
Memory
| Samsung Galaxy Note 9 | Samsung Galaxy S9 |
|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model only; microSDXC (dedicated slot) - single SIM model only | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model only or dedicated slot - single SIM model, up to 400 GB |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM | 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM |
| Storage Type | UFS 2.1 | — |
Main Camera
| Samsung Galaxy Note 9 | Samsung Galaxy S9 |
|---|
| Dual | 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@60fps (no OIS/EIS), 4K@30fps, 1080p@240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS | 4K@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 9 | Samsung Galaxy S9 |
|---|
| Single | 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 |
| Dual | — | 8 MP, f/1.7, 25mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.22µm, AF; 2 MP (dedicated iris scanner camera) |
Battery
| Samsung Galaxy Note 9 | Samsung Galaxy S9 |
|---|
| Type | Li-Ion 4000 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 3000 mAh, non-removable |
| Charging | 15W wired, QC2; Qi/PMA wireless charging | 15W wired, QC2.0; Qi/PMA wireless charging |
Body
| Samsung Galaxy Note 9 | Samsung Galaxy S9 |
|---|
| Dimensions | 161.9 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) |
| Weight | 201 g (7.09 oz) | 163 g (5.75 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) |
| Protection | IP68 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 9 | Samsung Galaxy S9 |
|---|
| 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 | — |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1 | USB Type-C 3.1 |
| Positioning | — | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
Launch
| Samsung Galaxy Note 9 | Samsung Galaxy S9 |
|---|
| Announced | 2018, August 09 | February 25, 2018 |
| Status | Available. Released 2018, August 24 | Available. 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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