The Galaxy Note9: A Device that Doesn't Make Sense

Hey guys, this is Austin, and today I'm reviewing the Galaxy Note9. As you may know from my recent video on it, I wasn't exactly a huge fan of this device. But, there's one major issue with the Note9 that I want to talk about - it just doesn't make a lot of sense.

The Note comes out in August or September, which is a big time for smartphones. A lot of people are buying new flagships, and there's always competition between Samsung and Apple. The iPhone X last year was already hitting the $1,000 price point, and while I complained about it not being a deal breaker, my issue with the Note9 is that it just doesn't make sense. It's like Samsung is trying to release a high-end flagship that's almost identical to their mid-range offering, but at a much higher price point.

My biggest problem with the Note9 isn't even the phone itself, but rather the Galaxy S9 Plus. A few years ago, Samsung started doing something different with their high-end flagships. They would release the Note, which was a substantial upgrade over the Galaxy S line. You'd get a much larger display, a faster processor, and more additional features like a bigger battery. Fast forward to 2018, and we have the Note9, which is essentially the same phone as the S9 Plus, but with an added feature - the S-Pen.

I think Samsung should release the Note when the S9 comes out. There's nothing fundamentally different about the Note that requires an extra six months for development. If they want to make it a different device, then make it different. Don't release the same phone again six months later and charge $200 more for it. The S-Pen is cool, I get it. But it's not worth another $200.

Now, let's talk about some alternatives. There are other devices on the market that offer similar performance to the Note9 at a much lower price point. Take the OnePlus 6, for example. It's going to be around $500, which is half the price of the Note9. And, in my opinion, it's 95% of the experience for 50% of the price. The OnePlus 6 has similar performance to the Note9, and it's already six months old, so there's new competition coming out soon.

Speaking of new competition, we have a bunch of new devices coming out soon. There's going to be a new iPhone, which is going to be in the same price bracket as the Note9. And, if you think about it, the Pixel 3 is also going to be around the corner. It's going to have some high-end features like awesome software and a great camera. So, when we compare the Note9 to these new devices, what do we get? We get a device that came out six months ago competing against a phone that's almost identical to it. And then we add in much cheaper Android flagships that deliver a very similar experience.

It's like Samsung is trying to compete with themselves. They're not doing anything new or innovative with the Note9. They're just releasing the same device again, but at a higher price point. And that's what gets me so upset. I know some people are going to buy this phone because they love the S-Pen, but for everyone else, it's just another overpriced flagship that doesn't offer anything new or exciting.

WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en- Hey guys, this is Austin.This is the Galaxy Note9.And if you saw my recent video on it,you'll know that I wasn'texactly a huge fan.No, no, it's not becausethis is a $1,000 device.There's going to be lotsmore of these phones around,and in fact, the iPhone X last yearwas already hittingthat $1,000 price point,and while I complained,it wasn't exactly goingto be a deal breaker.No, my real issue with theNote9, why I'm so fired up,why I had to do a video,is 'cause this is justnot really a great deal.It just doesn't make a lot of sense.Now I understand whySamsung releases the Notewhen they do, right.The Note comes out inAugust, September or so,and that's a big time for smartphones.A lot of people are buying new flagships,of course there is theiPhone, there's the Pixel,there's a lot of interest,and there's a lot of peoplebuying phones during this time of year.And yes, for a lot of people,I don't think the Note9is worth $1,000,but it is still one of thebest phones of the year,and definitely something thatwould normally be recommended.There's just a couple ofmajor problems with that.My biggest problem with itis actually not even the Note itself,It's this, the Galaxy S9 Plus.See, a few years ago,Samsung started to do a littlebit of something differentwith their high end flagships.Previously when theywould launch the Note,the Note would comeout a few months later,and it would be a substantial upgradeover the Galaxy S line.You'd be getting a much larger display,of course you're goingto be getting the S-Pen,a lot of times, you'd actuallybe getting some additional features,like, say, a fasterprocessor, way bigger battery,higher screen res.I mean, it was a major, major upgrade.Fast forward to 2018,and we have the Note9.This is very, very similar to the S9 Plus.You're getting a 500milliamp hour larger battery,you're going to be gettinga .2 inch larger display,And you are going to be getting the S-Pen.The S-Pen is a legitimate feature, right.I think a lot of people do thinkthat this is worth the price of entry.But if you're someonewho's new to the ecosystem,If you're someone who justwants to get some really nicehigh end flagship in 2018, thisS-Pen is going to cost you.It's gonna cost you in a big way.I totally understand thatSamsung wants to havea high end flagship to be soldduring the holiday season, right?So not only is it going to bea thing where they wanna sell,like, 500,000 phones, or whatever it is,over the holiday season,but it's also a matter of,they wanna be able to competewith the other majorcompetitors, like the iPhone.The main issue here,is that because Samsung wants to be ableto compete with the iPhonesand the Pixels of the world,they released this sort ofmid, half, weird step with the Note,And it's just so expensive consideringthat it's basically thesame as a six month oldphone that was $800, right?Like, that's just to me,that gets me really upset,because so many peopleare spending so much moneyon a phone that is notonly going to be obsoletein six months, but really,isn't a major differencefor what you could've boughtway, way earlier in the year.And on top of that, Worstpart is that everyone knowsthe S10 is going to becoming out in a few months.If there's going to be a plus version,which is going to be basicallythe same size as the Note,There's so many featuresthat you're going to have on the S10,and the Note9 doesn't have any of them.It's just an S9 plus with an S-Penthat they're charging you more for.That was what I wastrying to say in my video.But I didn't wanna get so fired up,I wanted to be a littlebit more diplomatic,I wanted to be a littlebit more reasonable.But, you put a phone table in front of me,and I really can't hold back.And actually, speaking of the phone table,there's actually a bunch ofphones here that I do thinkmake a lot more sense than the Note.First of all, one of thevery interesting onesthat came out rightafter the Note, is this,The Pocophone F1.This phone has some verysimilar features to the Note.First of all, it's not as good, right.Straight up, the Note is a better phone.But this has the same Snapdragon 845,the most high end sort ofmobile chip you can get.It's got very similar sort of cooling,which actually does a really good job.You've got that same 4,000milliamp hour battery,but look, this is less than 1/3 the price.It's $300 vs 1,000.- Hallelujah!- Yeah I agree.(clears throat)Anyway, not only is it goingto be much, much cheaper,but you're getting verysimilar performance.And you can even step up tosomething like the OnePlus 6.This is going to be alittle bit more expensive,but it's still $500, half the price.But I would say, thisis 95% of the experiencefor 50% of the price.On top of that, this is September.The phone just came out, and yet,we've got a bunch of new competitioncoming right around the corner.There is going to be a new iPhone,it's going to be in thatsame sort of price bracket.It's probably going to bebetter in a lot of waysthat the Note9 might notbe able to keep up with.Maybe, maybe not, who knows.The Pixel 3 is going to beright around the corner.It's going to have 500% more notch,which I'm sure everyone is a big fan of,but it is also going to be bringingsome high end features to the table.The awesome software,which probably going tobe some insane camera.So it's like, the Note9is competing against, first of all,a phone that came out sixmonths ago, and the S9 Plus.It's cheaper, it's almostthe exact same thing.It's competing against muchcheaper Android flagships,which are way, way, way cheaper,and deliver a very similar experience,And it's competing againstbrand new flagships,such as the Pixel, and such as the iPhone,which in some ways are going to beat least as good, if notbetter, and maybe even cheaper.Do you see why I'm upset?Do you see why the Note9got me all fired up, here.So if Samsung wants to sell the Note,and I'm sure they shouldbecause lots of people buy it,they should do one of two things.First of all, they should release itwhen the S9 comes out, right?Like there's nothingfundamentally with the Notethat is not sort of like,something that they need anextra six months for, right?So when the S9 Plus came out,the Note9 could haveslided in right above it.Very, very similar phone,they just added an S-Pen.Cool, great.If they don't want to do that,if they want to releaseit six months later,then make it different.Don't make the same phoneagain six months later,and charge you $200 more for it.I get that the S-Pen's cool.I get it, it's great.I do like the S-Pen.But it's not worth another $200.And it's not worth another $200when it's gonna beoutdated in a few months.I'm gonna go, I don'tknow, the Apple fanboy,or whatever it is that everyone says I am.I'm gonna go play withthe OnePlus 6, actually.This is the real move right here.