If a big phone with a big screen and a better stylus is what you’re looking for, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 may be just the right size.
The term “phablet” may have never been official, but it has been colloquially used to describe smartphones that have bigger and bigger displays. Samsung’s Note line kicked off this form factor back in 2012, and while the screens keep getting bigger, subsequent Note phones have been shrinking around the edges. Note 9 is no different, though it borrows plenty from handsets that came before it.
Having tested so many Samsung phones since the company first adopted Android, I have seen its software overlay evolve. I’d personally like to see a more direct turn away from its own overlay, but nevertheless, it’s there and functions as well as you would expect.
Samsung’s interface does carry some consequences related to power in that faster processors handle it so much better. Note 9 is about as smooth as it’s ever been, and it’s pretty noticeable all around. From simple navigation to media streaming and multitasking, the phone held up really well. I rarely ever noted anything that seemed off or shaky while using it all the time.
Having seen the same display before (resolution and aspect ratio, rather than size), there were no surprises there. Everything looked clean, vibrant, and colorful. Objectively speaking, I find little reason anyone would have a problem looking at it.
Epic Games, who developed the megahit game, Fortnite, made a splash launching the beta on Android. The additional emphasis on the Note 9 included a player skin exclusive to the device. But the real story was in how fluid the game would feel playing on it. Despite being a gamer myself, I’m an admitted Fortnite novice, having only recently tried it.