Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is a premium smartphone with high-end features and specs. However, accidents happen, and the device’s screen can get cracked or damaged. In such cases, you need to find a reliable repair shop for Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra screen replacement.
Before choosing a repair shop for your Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra screen replacement, there are some things you need to know. In this article, we’ll discuss some crucial factors that you should consider before selecting a repair shop.
Quality of the Replacement Screen
The first thing that you should consider is the quality of the replacement screen. You want to make sure that the repair shop uses high-quality screens that are compatible with your device. Low-quality screens can cause display issues or even damage your phone further.
Experience and Expertise
You want to choose a repair shop that has experience and expertise in repairing Samsung devices specifically. Look for reviews online or ask for recommendations from friends or family members who have had their Samsung devices repaired before.
Pricing
Pricing is also an essential factor when choosing a repair shop for your Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra screen replacement. You want to make sure that you’re getting a fair price for the service without compromising on quality.
Warranty
Make sure to ask about any warranty offered by the repair shop before committing to their service. A reliable repair shop should offer at least a few months’ warranty on their services and parts used in the repairs.
Turnaround Time
The turnaround time is also crucial when it comes to choosing a repair shop for your Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra screen replacement. You don’t want to be without your phone for an extended period, so choose a store that can provide same-day service or quick turnaround times.
Conclusion
In conclusion, finding the right repair shop can be challenging when it comes to Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra screen replacement. Consider factors such as quality of replacement screens used, experience and expertise, pricing, warranty, and turnaround time before choosing a repair shop. By taking the time to research and choose the right shop, you can ensure that your device is in good hands and that you’re getting the best possible service for your money.
Finding a reliable repair shop to replace a damaged Samsung Galaxy A52s screen can be difficult, especially in Sydney CBD. The CBD has many electronics stores, but not all of them will be able to offer professional Samsung Galaxy A52s screen replacement services. To make sure you get the best service possible, it’s important to do your research and find a trusted repair centre that specializes in Samsung phones.
Step 1: Read Online Reviews
When looking for a professional Samsung Galaxy A52s screen replacement service in the Sydney CBD area, the first thing you should do is check online reviews. There are many websites that allow customers to rate and review repair shops they have used before. This can be an invaluable resource when trying to decide which store is right for you. Additionally, you should look up customer testimonials on the store’s website or social media pages. This will give you an idea of what other customers think about their experience with the store and their level of satisfaction with the repairs they received.
Step 2: Contact the Business
Once you’ve narrowed down your search to a few potential shops, it’s time to contact them directly. You should ask questions about their experience working on Samsung phones, their warranty policy and any other details that may help you make an informed decision. It’s also important to inquire about pricing so that you know how much it will cost before committing to any work being done on your device.
It’s also essential to get an estimate of how long it will take for your device to be repaired before taking it in for repair services at any shop offering professional Samsung Galaxy A52s screen replacement services in Sydney CBD area. Most reputable stores will provide accurate estimates and even offer same-day repairs if possible so that your phone can be quickly returned back into use as soon as possible!
Finally, make sure that all repairs done by shop are covered under warranty so if there are any problems with the parts or labour after leaving the store, these issues can easily be dealt with without having additional costs added onto your bill! As long as all these points have been taken into consideration when finding a reliable place for professional Samsung Galaxy A52s screen replacement service in Sydney CBD area then rest assured – your phone will be good as new once again!
Whether you’re looking to replace a cracked screen, damaged charging port, or any other issue with your Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, finding the best repair centre in Sydney CBD is essential. After all, you don’t want to risk further damage to your phone by entrusting it to an inexperienced technician. Here are some tips on how to find the best repair service for your Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus in Sydney CBD.
1. Consider Your Options
First and foremost, consider your options before deciding on a repair centre. Depending on where you live in Sydney CBD, you may have access to a variety of options – from independent shops offering repairs at competitive prices to authorised repair centres such as Samsung Service Centres or mobile phone retailers that specialise in repairing Samsung devices. Before making a decision, make sure that you compare prices and ask about warranty information and customer service policies at each option.
2. Check Reviews
Once you’ve narrowed down your choices based on cost and services offered, it’s time to check reviews from previous customers. Reviews will give you an idea of how reliable and knowledgeable technicians are at the various repair centres as well as how well they treat their customers. If there are too few reviews for a particular shop or if the reviews are not particularly positive then it may be best to look elsewhere for repairs for your Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus.
When selecting a repair centre for your Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, it is important that they use genuine parts when making repairs or replacements so that you get the most out of your device after it has been repaired or replaced. Ask potential repair centres what kind of parts they use before committing to any work – this will ensure that if anything else goes wrong with your device after the initial repairs have been made then they can quickly provide replacements with genuine parts so that there is no extended disruption caused by faulty components being used during repairs or replacements.
4. Get Quotes
It can be helpful to get quotes from different repair centres so that you can compare costs before choosing who will carry out any necessary work on your device – this way you can make sure that you’re getting the most cost-effective solution without compromising on quality of service or components used in any repairs or replacements needed for your Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus .
5 . Get Advice
Ultimately , it’s important to choose a reputable repair centre who can provide advice and assistance throughout the entire process , from diagnosing problems with initial inspections through recommendations for fixing them up . If possible , speak directly with technicians who will be working on repairing your phone so that you can get an idea of their level of expertise and trustworthiness before committing yourself financially .
Following these steps should help ensure that not only do find reliable technicians who know their way around repairing smartphones but also make sure that any work done won’t put further strain on already damaged parts while also providing cost-effective solutions which don’t leave gaping holes in one’s wallet either!
let’s just turn this one off oops [Music] so we can turn the smartphone off through the display so because we can’t tap on the menu for the shutdown button so we’re gonna replace the screen now to enable the features that is lacking in this smartphone we’re just going to remove the back cover slowly [Music] and as you can see the components are intact and it’s just the back cover and the display that are cracked and needs to be replaced but this time we’re not going to replace the back cover since we can just reuse that one so as you can see the entire motherboard is one piece and there’s just a single battery in the middle and after removing the shrouds we’re gonna remove some of the components that are attached to the motherboard so that we can free up the motherboard and uninstall it from the device and the same with other samsung smartphones when you replace the screen you are also replacing the chassis or the main housing so we’re just going to remove all of the components from this old screen and chassis and then once we have this replacement display we’re just gonna install them back so here’s how we install the motherboard you should be very careful if you want to try this on your own if you want to diy your own note 9 screen replacement
this is how you install or handle the motherboard so we recommend you doing your own screen replacement for note 9 not so much because of the risk and of course the high value of the smartphone but if you want to practice on your own device then who can stop you right but if you want a professional help you can call your local repair shop or sydney cbd repair center we do this every day we can also replace the battery of your old node devices or your s devices from samsung we also do iphones and smart watches if your battery is more than two years old you should just replace them so now we’re on the final part of the of the reassembly we’re just gonna install the shrouds and of course the wireless charging pad and the screws on the motherboard shroud to put them all back together and before we send this off to the client we have rigorous testing and we’re just gonna show you right now this one is a success by the way [Music] so we’re going to test the cameras the sensors the buttons see if they are all working so this is the just like a diagnostic [Music] suite for samsung devices which is very handy to test if the replacement display is displaying accurate colors and responding to touch without delay so as bad as the back cover is we’re just gonna reinstall it we can just be practical about it but to prevent further damage or future damage to the front display we’re just gonna put a silicone cover this is just a freebie for the client it is also like an added protection but i still prefer the tempered glass but this one has a curved edge so tempered glass is not really recommended i also don’t like tempered glass on the s8s or the note 9s with curved glass like this this plastic material is pretty good and very ideal so we’re just going to show you how we how david installs this one so if you don’t know how to install your own cover screen cover that now you can see some techniques [Music] so if you have an iphone android or smartwatch that needs to be repaired you can contact us through facebook or our landline numbers or through our website https://sydneycbd.repair or you can mail in your smartphones if you’re outside of sydney and you really want to have a screen replacement during lockdown you can also do that and once we’re done with the repair we can just send it back to you a lot of people are approaching us to perform rog phone repairs which is pretty good so same with the front glass we’re also installing a cover for the back glass to prevent it from being damaged further [Music] this is just a freebie for the client also so once you touch it it’s not really gonna hurt you or shorts of glass will fall off slowly from the cracked areas so this is good it turned out pretty well thanks for joining guys till next time cheers [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] you
5 Ways the Galaxy Note 9 is the Ultimate Phone for Gamers of All Interests.
Introduction: The Benefits of Samsung’s Note 9 Smartphone
The Note 9 is a high-end phablet with a stylus as its USP. The stylus as been used by Samsung to offer finer control for those who need it.
In the past, the S-Pen was mainly used for drawing and annotation on the screen, but now Samsung has added handwriting recognition capabilities.
Apart from the S-Pen, Samsung has also added an AI-enabled camera assistant in its latest phone. The camera assistant is able to detect what you are trying to capture and change settings accordingly based on the setting you want to use.
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Why Galaxy Note 9 is Perfect for Gamers
With the Note 9, users get a large, beautiful screen that is perfect for playing games. It has a new cooling system that makes it even more powerful and a lot of storage space. The S Pen stylus is also improved and it has a few new features. For example, you can use it to open apps and menu items on the phone.
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Samsung Galaxy Note 9 – Gaming Mode in Detail
The gaming experience on the Galaxy Note 9 is enhanced with the new Gaming Mode. This gaming mode optimizes the Galaxy Note 9’s performance for smoother graphics and faster response time. It also features a customized interface, timer, and recent apps list to help gamers stay focused on their game.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 has many features that make it ideal for gamers, such as the larger screen size and up to 512GB of storage space for all their favorite games. The phone also has a new cooling system that provides optimal battery life while playing intensive games.
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Conclusion: The Samsung Galaxy Note is an Excellent Phone Option if You’re a Gamer
The Samsung Galaxy Note is an excellent phone option if you want a phone that can run your favorite games. Especially since this device has a large screen and a powerful processor, which may translate into a smoother gameplay experience.
Additionally, the Samsung Galaxy Note is also an excellent choice if you’re looking for the best gaming apps. This device may have more apps available for you to download than your average smartphone.
Finally, the Samsung Galaxy Note is also an excellent choice if you’ve been wanting to try out VR gaming technology. The Samsung Gear VR headset was designed specifically for this device to make it easy to enjoy immersive gaming experiences from the comfort of home or wherever you are!
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#1 👍 Galaxy Note 9 Screen Replacement - Fix It On The Spot
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Android 11 brings much-needed privacy and security features alongside exciting UI changes.
Android 11 continues to push Google’s vision of Android forward. With Android 11, Google is making a few tweaks to refine the platform instead of making wholesale changes. Privacy is a big focus with Android 11, with Google introducing one-time permissions and granular control over what sort of data you share.
There are new features to get excited about as well — the power button menu picked up a massive overhaul, the Conversations view does a great job highlighting your messages, and there are little tweaks throughout the interface that give it an added polish.
Android 11 is powering the best Android phones of 2021, and manufacturers are doing a better job rolling out the update to their 2020 phones. So here’s everything you need to know about all the new features in Android 11, and when your phone will receive the update. We also highlight what’s on the horizon with Android 12; Google just rolled out the first public beta, introducing a radical new UI and exciting new features.
Is Android 11 available for my phone?
Following months of Developer Previews and Betas, Google launched the final build of Android 11 on September 8, 2020. The update was available for Pixel phones on day one as per usual. This year, Android 11 was also available on the same day for select handsets from the likes of OnePlus, Xiaomi, OPPO, and Realme.
That’s a big step forward for Android updates as a whole, but there’s also still plenty of work that’s left to be done. Samsung is now rolling out One UI 3.0 based on Android 11 to its flagships and mid-range devices, but the likes of Motorola, Nokia, Sony, and others are yet to roll out the update.
While that’s certainly annoying, we’re making things as easy as possible for you by tracking any and all Android 11 updates as we learn more about them.
What’s going on with Android 11 on non-Pixel phones?
As noted above, this year’s Android update rollout was a bit different compared to past releases. Instead of Pixels being the only phones treated to the new software, handsets from other select manufacturers were also treated to Android 11 in some form.
Let’s first look at Samsung, which is marketing its Android 11 update as One UI 3.0/3.1. Most of the core design principles remain in place, but there is a lot that’s new to check out. Samsung’s touting things like an improved lock screen, a more customizable always-on display, new accessibility tools, and more.
Samsung has already delivered the Android 11 update to most of its 2020 phones, and is now working its way down the list to its 2019 phones. It shifted to the One UI 3.1 build in recent months that debuted on the Galaxy S21 series.
We should also mention OxygenOS 11, which is the Android 11 update for OnePlus phones. OxygenOS 11 introduced a major design shift for OnePlus, with the company moving away from its stock Android aesthetic and embracing design elements found in Samsung’s One UI interface. OnePlus rolled out the OxygenOS 11 stable build with the 8T, and the Android 11 update is now available for the OnePlus 8 series, 7 series, and set to make its way to the 6/6T. The stable build is also making its way to the Nord shortly.
Nokia has also kicked off its Android 11 update rollout, with the Nokia 8.3 5G picking up the stable update starting February 8. HMD has lagged behind in this area over previous years, but with the Nokia 8.3 now on Android 11, we should see the update rolling out to other Nokia devices in the coming months.
Then there’s Xiaomi. The stable MIUI 12 update based on Android 11 is now rolling out to the Mi 10 series and Redmi Note 9 devices and should make its way to other Xiaomi phones very soon. We’ve rounded up Xiaomi’s Android 11 rollout timeline to make it easier for you to learn when your phone will get the update.
Motorola has kicked off the Android 11 update to the foldable Razr 5G starting April 15. LG has also started to roll out the Android 11 update, with the V60 and the Velvet receiving the stable build. Although LG will no longer make phones, it has stated that it will deliver the Android 12 and Android 13 updates to its current portfolio.
Lastly, we have ColorOS — the custom Android interface used on OPPO smartphones. ColorOS 11 is rolling out now to OPPO devices, and it offers a lot of exciting improvements. In addition to the usual Android 11 goodies, some other highlights include a customizable dark mode, a power-saver mode to extend battery life, and a new feature called OPPO Relax 2.0 that aims to help you unwind and fall asleep at night.
Where can I learn more about Android 11?
We’ll dive into some of Android 11’s biggest features below, but before we do any of that, we should address the elephant in the room — is Android 11 any good? The short answer, yes — it is very, very good, as per our Android 11 review.
Understandably, some people may find Android 11 boring or not very different from Android 10, but the fact of the matter is that Android no longer needs massive overhauls every year the way it used to. The core Android experience is darn good, and Android 11 elevates it even more. All of the conversation improvements are great for streamlining notifications, more powerful permissions are always something we’re happy to see, and the new power button menu adds a ton of extra functionality.
There are a couple of changes we aren’t completely in love with (namely the new multitasking window and Suggested Apps feature for the home screen), but those things are easy to overlook. The vast majority of what Google did with Android 11 was for the better, and the result is software that’s more functional and enjoyable to use.
How do Android 11 chat bubbles work?
As mentioned above, there isn’t one single overhaul or massive change found with Android 11. Instead, it’s a mix of many small tweaks here and there. A few of them focus on improving your messaging experience, with Google offering a lot in this department.
First on the list, we have chat bubbles. Similar to what Facebook’s offered for years with its Messenger app on Android, chat bubbles in Android 11 hide your ongoing conversations in little bubbles on the side of your screen. You can move the bubbles around, and tapping on them reveals that specific conversation. The Bubbles API is available for all messaging apps, with Google encouraging developers to adopt it.
In another effort to make sure you can get to your messages as quickly as possible, Android 11 introduces a dedicated conversation section in your notification shade that offers instant access to any ongoing conversations you have. It also makes it easier for your messaging notifications to stand out from others, ensuring you never miss an important text ever again.
Speaking of messages and notifications, Android 11 makes it possible to send images directly from the notification shade when replying to a message.
What’s new with permissions in Android 11?
Looking back on Android 10, one of its highlights was its improved handling of app permissions. Android 10 gave users more control over applications and what they could access, and Android 11 keeps this train rolling with a wonderful new addition.
Now, when an app asks for permission to use sensitive features like your location, microphone, or camera, you can choose to only grant it access on a one-time basis. The app will be able to use that permission during that instance of you using the app, but the permission is revoked as soon as you leave it. The next time you use the app, and it wants to use that permission, it needs to be granted access again.
Giving apps permission to these aspects of your phone should not be taken lightly, so we’re thrilled to see Google giving users more control over their data like this.
Does Android 11 have a built-in screen recorder?
For the past few Android releases, we’ve been patiently waiting for Google to add a built-in screen recorder. It’s not something you’ll use every day (if ever for some people), but the fact that such a basic function isn’t baked into Android at its core is getting annoying.
Thankfully, Android 11 finally changes that. This Android version does include the feature, accompanied by a clean UI and toggles for recording audio and showing touches with your recording.
There’s not much else to say about this, other than the fact that we’re glad we can finally put this feature request to bed.
Is Android 11 compatible with folding phones?
If there’s been a place of notable advancement in the Android space, it’s been with displays. Companies are doing what they can to offer the best and most exciting smartphone screen possible, and as great as this is, Android needs to catch up with better support for all of these advancements.
Folding phones are proving to be quite popular so far, and especially with devices like the Galaxy Z Flip and Motorola RAZR that have the “flip phone” folding design, Android 11 adds the “hinge angle sensor API” so apps can easily detect the hinge of these folding phones. With this information, developers can adapt their apps to work around the hinge and create unique experiences because of that (like how Google Duo changes its UI when you do a half-fold on the Z Flip).
The other big upgrade displays have seen has to do with faster refresh rates. It’s no longer uncommon for phones to ship with screens that refresh at 90Hz or 120Hz, and Android 11 allows developers to take better advantage of these powerful displays. Developers can select which refresh rate their services should run at, and if the developer determines their app looks best at 90Hz or 60Hz, they can make that decision and have the phone’s display change its refresh rate accordingly when using that app.
How does Android 11 work with 5G?
5G is finally starting to make its way to people, and more and more folks have started connecting to the next generation of wireless data. To ease the transition, Android 11 adds a very important “Dynamic Meterdness API.”
That may not sound very exciting on paper, but it essentially allows phones to take full advantage of all the power 5G brings.
If the API detects that you’re connected to an unlimited 5G signal, you’ll access the highest possible quality for videos and graphics. The potential for 5G is pretty darn cool, and this API ensures you take full advantage of the speeds available to you.
What phone should I get for the best Android 11 experience?
Whether you want to be among the first to get Android 11 or experience it the way Google intended, the Pixel 5 is the phone for you. It’s the newest flagship Pixel currently available, and if you prefer metal over plastic or glass, it’s a hard phone to ignore.
The Pixel 5 is all about delivering a flagship-quality Android experience for a relatively low price, and in these regards, it succeeds tremendously. Google crammed a lot into the Pixel 5, including phenomenal cameras, an OLED display, good performance, long battery life, and more. The design is a little plain, but the phone’s also a great size for one-handed use.
Best of all, the Pixel 5 and other Pixel devices get quarterly Feature Drops from Google, bringing new features to the Android 11 experience without requiring a full-scale platform update.
When is Android 12 coming?
The Android 12 public beta is now live, and the OS is the biggest visual change in Android’s history. Google is rolling out the new Material You design aesthetic, giving you much better customizability and new privacy features.
The key highlight is that you now have a color palette that lets you change system-wide colors to your liking, including the notification shade, volume controls, lock screen, and more. The notification shade has a cleaner design, and there’s a dedicated snooze button that lets you mute notifications with ease.
Android 12 is also set to add scrolling screenshots, but the feature isn’t quite live at this moment. And while the home screen UI itself is unchanged from Android 11, there’s now an option to set a 4×5 grid. You can also easily share Wi-Fi with Nearby Share, making it easier for others to connect to your Wi-Fi network.
Last year’s Galaxy Note9 wasn’t the big upgrade everyone expected it and it was even considered as a boring upgrade over the Note8. Despite that, the phone was well-received because it went by the Note series’ mantra of zero compromises. Don’t fix if it ain’t broken, right? This year’s Galaxy Note 10 and the Note10 Plus, however, are a big departure from what we are used to seeing from Samsung’s flagships, which in turn has stirred up some controversy.
And it’s mostly because of the 3.5mm jack. Yes, that’s right, Samsung seems to be one of the last OEMs to abandon that ship and it’s going jack-less with both phones – the vanilla Note 10 and the Plus-sized version. Luckily, the Note 10 Plus retains the microSD card slot.
Aside from that, we expect the Note10 Plus to be a significant upgrade in almost every aspect – battery life, display, camera performance, charging speed and as per tradition, the S-Pen brings over a couple of new features to the table as well.
Samsung Galaxy Note10 Plus
Body: 162.3 x 77.2 x 7.9 mm, 196 grams, curved Gorilla Glass front and back, metal side frame.
Front camera: 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1.22µm, Dual Pixel PDAF; 2160p@30fps video recording.
Battery: 4,300 mAh, 45W fast charging over Power Delivery 3.0 (25W charger supplied in the box).
Misc: microSD card slot up to 1TB support; Fast Qi/PMA wireless charging 15W; Power bank/Reverse wireless charging 9W; S-Pen stylus; Ultra-sonic under-display fingerprint reader; NFC; FM radio (USA & Canada only); Stereo loudspeakers; Samsung DeX support (desktop experience).
As you can see, one of the most noticeable changes is the screen size and the camera cutout. Samsung was able to fit a fairly big screen in the body thanks to the curved edges and trimmed bezels and OCD freaks will be pleased to see the punch-hole camera centered instead of being pushed to the edges like the S10 series. It begs the question, though, is it really better than a standard notch?
And even though the Note10 Plus disappointed some die-hard Note fans (at least according to our polls), there’s no denying that the handset is an absolute powerhouse and keeps up with the 2019 trends, although not necessarily the right ones. Let’s see how it fares in our tests and day-to-day usage before we make any conclusions.
Unboxing the Samsung Galaxy Note10 Plus
The phone comes in a premium-looking black box containing almost everything you’d expect. We say almost because there’s no sight of the USB-C to audio jack dongle, meaning you will have to buy it separately.
Otherwise, you will be greeted with a USB-C to USB-C cable supporting Power Delivery 3.0 along with a 25W charger, again complying to the PD 3.0 standard. There’s also a pair of nice-sounding AKG earbuds with braided cables – a nice touch as always.
Our only complaint would be the lack of 3.5mm audio dongle. For the asking price, one would expect a $5 worth dongle inside but it is what it is. Oh, and if you want to take full advantage of the highest possible charging speeds, you will have to shell out for the faster 45W charging brick.
The competition
Right now, the Galaxy Note10 Plus is in a very favorable position. Most of its direct rivals are a month or two away from being released so it has very few big-screen alternatives out there. The new iPhone XS Max successor should be out in a month, the Pixel 4 XL and the Mate 30 Pro are expected in October and the Huawei P30 Pro isn’t in the same price range nor does it have a screen as big as the Note10 Plus‘s.
So if you are strictly looking for a Samsung device but the S-Pen isn’t of great importance, the Galaxy S10+ appears to be a pretty good alternative. Of course, the screen is smaller and has a larger off-centered cutout but you’d get pretty similar experience. The camera experience is virtually the same, the chipset’s raw performance matches the Note10 Plus‘s Exynos 9825 and if the Snapdragon versions are available in your area, there won’t be any difference at all. And you stand to gain the trusty old 3.5mm audio jack that was eliminated on the Note10 Plus. So it all boils down to screen size, the S-Pen, marginally better battery life and that sweet fast charging. Those are the main key selling points of Samsung’s newest flagship. Otherwise, you’d be spending less for the Galaxy S10+ even if memory configurations are matched.
So if you are strictly looking for a Samsung device but the S-Pen isn’t of great importance, the Galaxy S10+ appears to be a pretty good alternative. Of course, the screen is smaller and has a larger off-centered cutout but you’d get pretty similar experience. The camera experience is virtually the same, the chipset’s raw performance matches the Note10 Plus‘s Exynos 9825 and if the Snapdragon versions are available in your area, there won’t be any difference at all. And you stand to gain the trusty old 3.5mm audio jack that was eliminated on the Note10 Plus. So it all boils down to screen size, the S-Pen, marginally better battery life and that sweet fast charging. Those are the main key selling points of Samsung’s newest flagship. Otherwise, you’d be spending less for the Galaxy S10+ even if memory configurations are matched.
Samsung Galaxy S10+ • Oppo Reno 10x zoom • Sony Xperia 1 • OnePlus 7 Pro
Sony’s Xperia 1 deserves a mention here despite its bizarre screen aspect ratio. Sure, the screen is smaller but makes up with higher pixel density and arguably better multimedia capabilities due to its cinematic 21:9 aspect. For the first time in generations, we can finally compare the Xperia’s camera quality to the Note10 Plus‘s. However, the former falls short in fast charging and battery life. The Xperia 1 is a very niche device, just like the Note10 Plus so it makes it harder for us to recommend one over the other universally. Each has specialty features that might swing the scales in a particular direction regardless of the overall feature mix.
Finally, the runner-up, the OnePlus 7 Pro. It’s actually the only big-screen alternative to the Note10+ right now and it makes a strong case as a competent rival. It does a lot of things as good as the Note10+ or better – it has great battery life, fast charging, an excellent screen with a 90Hz refresh rate (something the Note10+ lacks), a full-screen design without cutouts (again lacking in the Note10+) and to our surprise, the 7 Pro’s main camera takes better night shots. Daytime both cameras are pretty much neck and neck. The biggest selling point here is the almost pure Android experience and the price. The former is strongly a subjective matter but even if we match memory configurations on the two devices, the 7 Pro is considerably cheaper. Then again, you might be able to snatch a good carrier deal on the Note10+ and if you are willing to wait a couple of months, the price difference between the two devices will be negligible.
Verdict
As we’ve already pointed out, the Note10 Plus is in favorable market position as it doesn’t have to deal with a lot of direct rivals for the time being. Things are bound to change in two- or three-months time, of course.
But enough about the competition. Let’s reflect on how the Note-series has grown compared to the previous generations. Some die-hard Note fans are unhappy with some of the changes like the punch-hole camera and the lack of 3.5mm audio jack. The Note family used to be the embodiment of zero-compromise enthusiast’s phone which has everything and the kitchen sink. The new Note10-series is a departure from that and it’s introducing more than one trade-off. And after spending enough time with the handset, we have a couple of small complaints too. The ultra wide-angle camera still needs autofocus, the fingerprint scanner, although better than most under-screen solutions out there still needs some tweaking. And we think it’s mostly due to the unlocking animation Samsung is using. The small fingerprint area isn’t helping with accuracy and consistency either. Most of the issues we had with the fingerprint are software-related and Samsung could potentially tackle them with future updates.
Additionally, the ergonomics of the device aren’t stellar. The sharp edges and corners make it harder to use with one hand and had us constantly fear dropping the device. And don’t get us started on the controversial power button placement.
As you may have gathered by now, most of our complaints are of the nitpicking kind. Otherwise, the Note10 Plus introduces a handful of improvements over its predecessor – better camera experience, more camera and S-Pen features, better screen, more screen in the same size, thinner bezels for that 2019 look, better battery life, more convenient fingerprint reader placement and more importantly – fast charging that can go head-to-head with the best in the industry.
The high price makes it hard to sell, however, but if you get a good carrier-subsidized deal or wait a couple of months, you might get it at the price of a 7 Pro, for example. In the end, as always, it all boils down to the S-Pen and its unique features. If you are a fan of the stylus, that’s pretty much your only option on the market.
Pros
S-Pen is more versatile than ever.
Bright OLED screen with small hole and razor-thin bezels.
Excellent battery life.
Great-sounding stereo loudspeakers.
Fast battery charging, supports even faster speeds with another wall charger.
Nice camera experience all-around, with small exceptions.
S-Pen with tons of unique features.
Surprisingly compact and slim body given the hardware and screen size.
Retains the microSD card support and adopts fast UFS 3.0 storage.
Base model has a generous 256GB/12GB storage and memory configuration.
Cons
No 3.5mm audio jack.
Controversial power button placement.
The in-display fingerprint needs more optimization (mostly software-wise).
A high-refresh rate screen would have made it a lot more competitive.
It’s Galaxy Note season and this year the best one is the Ultra. Samsung‘s mixed things up a bit atop the lineup and the one you want in 2020 is the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. We have it right here.
Last year, in a one-off effort, Samsung put out the Note10 and Note10 Plus – a relatively closely-specced pair where size was really the key factor for picking one over the other. Not so this time around. The Note 20 Ultra and Note20 are both big and feature parity is out the door – in a similar fashion to how the S20 Ultra is above and beyond the S20+, only even more so.
Pounding on the Note20 in absentia isn’t what we’re here for and we’ll deal with its shortcomings and limitations when one shows up at our doorstep. For now, let’s focus on the Ultra.
First appearing on the other S20 Ultra, the oversized camera hump makes a return on the Note 20 Ultra. Most of the bits inside are the same, including the main 108MP cam and the 12MP ultra wide. But the periscope telephoto that’s in part responsible for the sheer size of the assembly is now 12MP, swapping out the 48MP unit of the S-series phone – we’ll have to see about that.
Galaxy family shot: S20 Ultra • Note20 Ultra • Note10 Plus
The display is a nice marriage of Note-style geometry with some high refresh rate coming in from the S20s, now supposedly made even better with an adaptive refresh rate adjustment. Oh, and spoiler – it’s the brightest AMOLED screen we’ve seen to date.
The S Pen is here, of course, now relocated to the left side. It’s improved too, getting a 9ms latency (down more than 4 times compared to the Note10), system-wide Air actions, and a Notes app to make you forget Google Keep.
All this comes in a redesigned package featuring a stainless steel midframe where once was aluminum and the brand new Gorilla Glass 7 (aka Victus) for improved durability. For improved looks, the matte finish on the back will ward off fingerprints, though only the Mystic Bronze color option gets that treatment, sadly. The Mystic Black is all shiny.
Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support)
ANT+
Bixby natural language commands and dictation
Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified)
Ultra Wideband (UWB) support
BATTERY
Type
Li-Ion 4500 mAh, non-removable
Charging
Fast charging 25W
USB Power Delivery 3.0
Fast Qi/PMA wireless charging 15W
Reverse wireless charging 4.5W
MISC
Colors
Mystic Bronze, Mystic Black, Mystic White
Models
SM-N985F, SM-N985F/DS
SAR
0.57 W/kg (head) 1.02 W/kg (body)
SAR EU
0.32 W/kg (head) 1.47 W/kg (body)
Price
$ 1,044.99
Some other points on that list raise questions, however. Like the battery capacity that’s less than on the S20 Ultra, and the axing of the 45-watt charging support. The increasing gap between the Snapdragon and Exynos platforms is another less than ideal reality that users in half the world need to come to terms with.
Speaking of, we’ll be reviewing the Exynos version of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, in 5G spec. That’s one of few times you’ll hear 5G mentioned in the review, however, as we’ll be dropping it for the sake of brevity.
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra unboxing
A rather typical Samsung presentation, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra‘s two-piece black cardboard box features the S Pen printed on the lid. A slightly glossy ‘N20’ contrasts against the matte material while the side edges of the top surface have striped patterns to allude to the curved display inside.
As part of the package, you’d be getting a 25-watt charger that adheres to USB PowerDelivery with the PPS bit of the standard supported as well. A USB-C-to-C cable is included, naturally. A pair of AKG-branded in-ear headphones are in there too, if you’re not getting a pair of Galaxy Buds Live as part of some pre-order bundle.
This being a review unit and not strictly a retail-ready package, it was missing the usual spare S Pen tips and the tool for replacing them. Different sizes of tips for the earbuds were nowhere to be found either. We can’t imagine Samsung‘s skipping either of these things and commercially available units will likely have them.
Competition
If you want the ultimate smartphone with a stylus available now, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra has no competition even at its steep price of $1300/€1300, it’s simple as that. If you’re willing to compromise in one direction or another, a world of options opens up to you.
If you’re dead set on the S Pen, but the Ultra is too expensive, you have a couple of options – a plain Note 20 or a Note10 Plus. The newer model will get you a next-gen processor and camera setup as well as longer software support. It will come in at $1000/€1000, however, and you won’t be getting a high refresh rate display in the process, and we’re not yet ready to forgive it for its plastic back either.
The Note10+ is glass on both sides all right, and while it too refreshes at 60Hz, at least it’s got the 1440p resolution unlike the Note 20. The Note10 Plus is, admittedly, a generation behind in camera technology, but it still has an easily good enough tri-set. Best bit about it is the price, though that does vary wildly from region to region – a little over half the Note 20 Ultra in Europe at about €800, but a less enticing $1100 in the US. It’s actually more expensive than the Note20 in India at current rates, so that’s easily settled there.
Pick a Note: 20 Ultra or 10 Plus
If, on the other hand, the S Pen is little more than a nice-to-have to you and you’re willing to sacrifice that, but want to keep the camera system, the Galaxy S20 Ultra is just the one for you. If you’re in Europe that is – while the S20U is a good €250-300 less than the N20U there, for some reason it is $100 more in the US and about the same price as the Note in India. A minor hit in battery life is also part of the deal in the Eurozone, but it’s hardly consequential and you’ll probably live just fine with the S20 Ultra’s ‘only’ 1200nits of peak brightness instead of the Note’s 1500nits.
That’s just the Samsungs, though. Oppo will sell you a Find X2 Pro for €1100 through official channels and a case could be made it’s the better deal. It’s a different camera system on the Oppo with its own pros and cons, but it’s a very capable one nonetheless and offers similar coverage, plus the all-important (if only to select few) autofocus on the ultra wide cam. It’s mostly a tie in battery life with the Find charging twice as fast. The Find’s display is nearly as good as the Note’s too – arguably even better in a way because it can run in 1440p at 120Hz. You’ll be sacrificing memory expansion (is it an issue with 256GB of base storage on the Oppo?) and the selfie cam tops out at 1080p30 which could be limiting if you’re one to vlog.
Another entrant from China is the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro – since Xiaomi’s Ultra isn’t leaving its home market. We’re seeing deals for the Mi 10 Pro for as low as €800, and the €500 that you’ll get to keep in your pocket can justify a lot of trade-offs – not that you’d have to make a ton. The Mi’s display isn’t quite up there with the Note’s but refreshes at a sensible 90Hz and is as bright as a Galaxy from the spring. A true quad-cam setup can give the Note 20 Ultra a hard time in most conditions, but this one too is underpowered on the selfie video front. Perhaps the Mi’s biggest downside is the lack of an IP68 rating.
If you’re eyeing the Note 20 Ultra for its zoom power, maybe Huawei could interest you in a P40 Pro+ that can do 10x optically (sort of). That one has no Google services and no stereo speakers, yet is even pricier, though at this point does an extra €100 really count? It matches the Note 20 Ultra for selfie video capture, for a change, adding 3D face mapping in the process. Battery life is a toss up, the display is very good on the Huawei if not quite as good and the 990 Kirin is a bit behind the 990 Exynos. But 10x zoom, though. Okay, 8.5x, technically, but still 8.5>5.
Verdict
With the bulk of smartphones at most price points, some careful examination is needed to establish if they are a good deal or if the competition offers better bang for your buck. It’s rarely so when it comes to Galaxy Notes thanks to the lineup’s practically exclusive feature set – yes, the S Pen is a big chunk of that, but it’s about the entire full-featured package. Taking that a level up to Ultra in 2020, the concept of value-oriented deal almost becomes irrelevant.
The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is not twice as good a smartphone as the Note10+ that you can find for half its price in some parts of the world. Dropping this much money on a phone in these… unusual times is irresponsible. This phone or that phone will give you 90% of the experience at 60% of the price – or randomly cooked-up numbers of the sort. The Note 20 Ultra itself isn’t perfect, not to mention it’s even less perfect in half of the world.
Perhaps all of that is true. But the Note 20 Ultra is the most complete Galaxy and very likely the most complete smartphone you can buy right now. If your latest bank statement signs off on it, so do we.
Pros
The best display on the market.
Surprisingly good battery life for the display/battery combo.
S Pen is a joy to use, wireless DeX is a nice addition.
Incredibly versatile and well-performing camera system.
Cons
The camera bump could be unsightly depending on who you ask.
Performance divide between versions, Exynos variant isn’t up to the same standard.
Charging speed is not competitive.
Either 120Hz or 1440p, why not both? Also Adaptive refresh rate mode has a questionable effectiveness.
Only four months after officially announcing the One UI 3.0 update, Samsung already brought its custom Android 11 implementation to quite a few of its Galaxy devices. At least compared to the pace of its Android 10-based One UI 2.x deployment efforts which have been ongoing until this very month. And assuming we’re counting Android 11 beta builds, which we are.
As Samsung is expected to begin ramping up the development and release of various One UI 3.0 iterations, this is a fine time for us to start keeping detailed tabs on that endeavor. This would primarily constitute tracking the exact lineups and models that have already been updated, as well as the order in which that happened.
We will be updating this list on a regular basis, so feel free to bookmark it if you’re eager to embrace Samsung’s latest mobile OS ASAP. Our definition of that term is about to change soon, anyway, seeing how the One UI 3.1 update is right around the corner.
One UI 3.0 stable update release schedule for Galaxy devices in Egypt
December 2020
Galaxy S20
Galaxy S20+
Galaxy S20 Ultra
January 2021
Galaxy Note 10
Galaxy Note 10+
Galaxy Note 20
Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
Galaxy S10
Galaxy S10+
Galaxy S10 Lite
Galaxy Z Fold 2
Galaxy Z Flip
February 2021
Galaxy Fold
March 2021
Galaxy A51
Galaxy M21
Galaxy M30s
Galaxy M31
Galaxy Note 10 Lite
Galaxy Tab S7
April 2021
Galaxy A50
Galaxy M51
May 2021
Galaxy A21s
Galaxy A31
Galaxy A70
Galaxy A71
Galaxy A80
Galaxy Tab S6
Galaxy Tab S6 Lite
June 2021
Galaxy A01
Galaxy A01 Core
Galaxy A11
Galaxy M11
Galaxy Tab A
July 2021
Galaxy A30
Galaxy Tab S5e
August 2021
Galaxy A10
Galaxy A10s
Galaxy A20
Galaxy A20s
Galaxy A30s
Galaxy Tab A 10.1
Galaxy Tab Active Pro
This might not be the full list of devices, though, and we see that the Galaxy A50s, Galaxy S10e, and a few other phones are missing from the list. We will update the article when we find more information about the release schedule.
With that said, you can download the latest system images from our firmware archives almost as soon as Samsung makes them available.
Galaxy devices that have received Android 11/One UI 3.x update
Galaxy S10 series (still in beta)
Galaxy Z Fold 2 (still in beta)
Galaxy S20 series
Galaxy Note 20 series
Galaxy Note 10 series (still in beta)
Android 11 is the eleventh major iteration of Google’s mobile operating system. The first developer preview was released in February 2020 with the public beta being scheduled for an announcement at Google I/O 2020 which was supposed to take place on June 3. However, the COVID19 pandemic forced Google to cancel the event and just release the beta online.
Many of our readers will now be curious to learn more about Android 11 for Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets. It will take some time before Samsung officially confirms which of its devices will get Android 11. However, we can make an educated guess on the devices that will be updated to the latest iteration of Android.
Samsung will most definitely release Android 11 for its devices with a new version of its One UI custom skin. Since One UI 2.5 will be released with Android 10, there’s a good chance that Samsung will release One UI 3.0 with Android 11.
Best Android 11 features
Google is focusing on enabling users to better take advantage of the latest innovations with Android 11 while also emphasizing privacy and security. There will also be enhancements for 5G, support for new screen types that utilize pinhole and waterfall design elements, machine learning enhancements and more.
New permission options are among the best Android 11 features. Users will be able to grant apps temporary access to sensitive data like microphone and camera with a one-time permission. The app will not be able to access that data once the user moves away from it.
Android 11 is going to simplify conversations with a dedicated conversations section in the notification shade. Bubbles will be used to keep conversations in view while multi-tasking on the phone. If an app supports image copy/paste, it will also be possible to insert images directly into notification inline replies.
A rather useful enhancement is that Airplane mode will no longer disable Bluetooth. This means that people who enable Airplane mode don’t have to open the notification shade again and reconnect their Bluetooth devices.
It’s not exactly easy to see previously dismissed notifications on an Android device. Google is set to change that with Android 11 which will have a Notification History option.
Android 11 on Samsung devices
These are some of the general Android 11 features and enhancements. Many of the user interface changes that Google has introduced to the core OS won’t be available on Samsung phones since the company applies its own custom skin.
There’s no information available right now about the new features and improvements that Samsung will bring with One UI 3.0. Some features that are new to Android 11 like a context-aware Dark mode and a native screen recorder are already present in existing One UI versions.
Android 11 beta for Samsung
Samsung devices don’t get developer preview builds of Google’s mobile operating system. However, the company itself launches a beta program so that it can get the latest Android version and the One UI version that will accompany it out in the hands of testers.
However, it will take some time before such a program is launched. For context, Samsung launched the Android 10 and One UI 2.0 beta in October last year, about a month after Google had released the stable Android 10 firmware for its Pixel smartphones. The Android 11 beta for Samsung can be expected to follow a similar timeframe.
Only Samsung’s latest devices are eligible to take part in the beta. So it will most definitely be open to the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Note 20 lineups. Samsung also opened up the beta to the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy Note 9 last year so it may do the same for the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10 this time around.
Which Samsung devices will get Android 11
Samsung releases dozens of smartphones every year for every price segment of the market. Providing software support for all of these phones is no simple task. The company does guarantee two major OS upgrades for all of its smartphones. This means that any Samsung phone that shipped with Android 9.0 and Android 10 will be eligible for Android 11.
The company continues to release security updates for devices even when they have received their two major OS updates. It splits them between the quarterly and monthly release schedules. Samsung also releases security updates for devices older than three years as and when required. It will continue to do so after Android 11 arrives as well.
Check back for more on the Android 11 update for Samsung devices
We still have a few months until the Android 11 update is released for Samsung’s smartphones and tablets. Do keep checking back in with us to learn more about how the Android 11 update landscape for Samsung’s devices is evolving. We’ll continue to provide coverage on this topic and update you as and when there are new developments.
Samsung Galaxy devices eligible for Android 11 update
The devices listed below are currently expected to get Android 11. The list is based on Samsung’s policy of providing two major Android upgrades to all of its devices and three major upgrades for flagship and select mid-range devices, which means your device will probably get Android 11 if it came with Android 9 Pie or Android 10 out of the box.
Samsung announced the Galaxy Note 9 today at its Unpacked event in Brooklyn, New York. The Galaxy Note 9, for the most part, lives up to the many leaks that surfaced ahead of the official announcement. But it is still shaping up to be a pretty impressive device from many aspects. Particularly the S Pen. This year, Samsung made more changes to the S Pen then it has ever before. Not only has it changed up the paint job on the S Pen, but it has made it, essentially, a remote control for the Galaxy Note 9. We’ve spent some time – albeit brief – with the Galaxy Note 9, and have some thoughts, so let’s talk about Samsung’s latest Big Thing.
The Galaxy Note 9 does look a whole lot like the Galaxy Note 8, and that’s not a surprise at all. Samsung, like the majority of the smartphone world, doesn’t change up its smartphone design every single year. So seeing the similarities here is not a surprise. But you do get a slightly larger display here, at 6.4-inches. Though the overall size of the Galaxy Note 9 is the same as the Galaxy Note 8. That means that the bezels are just a tad bit thinner this year. Under-the-hood, you’re getting all of the hardware you’d expect in a phone that costs $999. And that includes the Snapdragon 845 chipset, 6GB of RAM and comes with 128GB of storage as the base model. That’s definitely a good look for 2018, and shows that this is going to be a future-proof smartphone for a few years. Samsung also packed in a 4000mAh capacity battery, so it’ll last you all-day and then some. At least that is what Samsung is hoping here.
Samsung has brought out some new colors for the Galaxy Note 9 this year, and it’s a pretty bold color palette. In the US, there’s the Ocean Blue and Lavender Purple, while internationally, the Midnight Black and Metallic Copper are also available. The Lavender Purple is a really good color here, while the Ocean Blue is a bit darker than the “blue” colors that Samsung has used on other smartphones. The Ocean Blue also gets a Yellow S Pen while the others match the phone’s color. The rest of the design here is not too flashy, but it gets the job done – and yes Samsung kept the headphone jack.
The biggest change, as already mentioned, is actually in the S Pen. On the surface, it’s the same S Pen as before, but Samsung has included Bluetooth connectivity this time around. This allows you to use the S Pen as a remote and do different things throughout the OS. One of the biggest features that Samsung is showing off is the fact that you can long-press the button on the S Pen to open the camera, and then press it to take a photo. You can switch from the back to the front camera (and vice versa) by double-clicking the button as well. This means that you can get selfies without holding your phone nearby, giving you a really great shot. Now the S Pen is able to do this in other apps too. Like the gallery. You can press once to go forward, or double-tap to go back.
Speaking of pictures, the Galaxy Note 9’s camera is supposedly “all-new” this year. Now we did check out the camera on the Galaxy Note 9 here in Brooklyn, but this was in a controlled environment – and likely on unfinished software. So we’ll have to take that with a grain of salt, but it did a really great job. The camera can also adjust the aperture automatically, depending on the situation, which is a step above the variable aperture that Samsung showed off on the Galaxy S9 Plus earlier this year. This is going to allow those that aren’t professional photographers to get some great shots as well.
Finally, the software. It’s still Samsung Experience and unsurprisingly, it is running on Android Oreo. This isn’t surprising, given the fact that Android Pie only went stable on Monday, so most new smartphones are still going to be sporting Android Oreo for the next few months. But the software has all of the great Samsung apps you’d expect, including the Screen-Off Memo, which now uses the same color as your phone. So if you have the Ocean Blue Galaxy Note 9, it’ll be shown in “Ocean Blue” on your Galaxy Note 9. It’s a small thing, but it looks really nice.
Samsung announced that pre-orders start tonight at midnight EDT, and the Galaxy Note 9 will go on sale on August 24. The Galaxy Note 9 will start out with 128GB of storage at $999, and for those that need more storage, there is a 512GB model available for $1249. In the UK, the prices are similar, at £899 and £1199 respectively.
For seven years, Samsung has been consistent in releasing two flagship devices each year. In the spring, we get the Galaxy S model. This phone is Samsung’s bread and butter, ushering in the newest version of Samsung’s software and giving general consumers a sleek and powerful device. If you’re a true Samsung loyalist you probably know that the company’s fall release is typically the device you should wait for, but that’s not really the case this time around.
I think we can all agree that the prestige around owning a Note isn’t what it used to be. In the past people, bought the note because it was a bit ridiculous. It was substantially larger than mainstream devices and offered a battery which could easily last two days. But the screen on the new Galaxy Note8 is just 0.1-inches bigger than the Galaxy S8 Plus’ and the battery inside the phone is roughly the same size as well.
After the explosive demise of the Galaxy Note7, it’s quite evident that Samsung is playing things safe with the Note8.
Design
It’s clear that Samsung’s done a lot of work to bring a unified design to its phones in 2017. If it weren’t for the S Pen on the bottom edge and the rearrangement of the camera and fingerprint sensor array on the back of the phone, the Note8 could easily be mistaken for the Galaxy S8 Plus. The placement of the fingerprint sensor is definitely awkward since you need to readjust your grip to reach it, but you should at least have fewer fingerprint smudges on the camera lens since Samsung placed the heart rate sensor between them.
As for everything else, the Note8 looks and feels like the S8. You get a metal frame that’s sandwiched between the front and back glass panels, a pretty useless Bixby button next to the volume rocker on the left edge, a power button on the right and the S Pen, USB-C port and 3.5mm headphone jack on the bottom. And despite having all those holes, the Note8 is also IP68 dust and water resistant.
Overall, the phone looks and feels like a thousand bucks — as it should, since the phone sells for $929.
Gallery
Specs
The Note8 is the most expensive mainstream Android device on the market, but that doesn’t mean that its specs are any better than what you’d get if you bought any other 2017 flagship device.
The phone runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. There are also 128GB and 256GB storage options for those who don’t mind paying a bit more, but you can always bump the storage capacity up later with a microSD card. The battery measures in at 3300mAh and it supports wireless charging as well as Fast Charging with Adaptive Fast Charging.
It also has a 6.3-inch, 18.5:9, Quad HD+ AMOLED display which features curved edges. Biometric security features include a fingerprint reader, an iris scanner and facial recognition with the front-facing camera.
The main camera setup features a pair of 12-megapixel cameras, both with optical image stabilization. The main sensor features a f/1.7 lens while the second one sports a f/2.4 lens with 2X optical zoom. Like the Galaxy S8, the front-facing camera on the Note8 features an 8-megapixel sensor which is paired with a f/1.7 autofocus lens.
Performance
The Snapdragon 835 that’s used in this phone is quite common, but Samsung’s done a bit more tweaking on the software to make sure it’s incredibly fast. In the past, Samsung has gotten a lot of flak for its bloated UI since it has always hindered the performance of its devices. While we expect this phone could run faster if it were running stock Android, Samsung’s software tweaks don’t seem to get in the way this time around.
Benchmark scores show that the Note8 is one of the fastest devices of 2017 and day-to-day use confirms that. There’s not even a hint of stutter or lag and it kills the competition when it comes to multitasking. Thanks to the phone’s 6GB of RAM (a first for a Samsung device), you can easily jump in and out of apps and even pick up a game exactly where you left off 2-3 hours ago without it needing to reload. Pair that performance with the phone’s 6.3-inch display and the included S Pen and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a device that’s better suited for multi-tasking.
Display
The 6.3-inch AMOLED panel is absolutely stunning. It’s bright, crisp and doesn’t have any of the issues that we’ve seen on the LG V30 or the Pixel 2 XL. The 18.5:9 aspect ratio does take some time to get used to, but the taller display means that the Note8 is surprisingly manageable despite its obnoxious size.
Since the edges of the display aren’t as curved as those of the Galaxy S8, the visual appeal isn’t quite the same, but it’s definitely more functional since there’s a clear distinction between the actual display and the edge of the phone. Samsung says the curve was reduced to improve the usability of the S Pen. While that makes total sense, it’s interesting to see how the edge display seems to be getting smaller and smaller with every new Galaxy phone that comes out.
As with other AMOLED panels, you get extremely deep blacks. Unfortunately, the colors seem to pop a bit too much, but you can tone things down manually in the settings.
Battery
As you might expect, the battery life by the Galaxy Note8’s 3300mAh cell is a bit disappointing. Yes, Samsung is playing it a bit safe since it admitted that the demise of the Note7 was in part because it had crammed too large of a battery into the phone, but they could have done a bit better than this.
The phone will still make it through a full day with more than 4 hours of screen-on time, but I’ve come to expect a whole lot more from Samsung’s Note series. Making things worse is the odd inclusion of Adaptive Fast Charging that is equivalent to Quick Charge 2.0 when Quick Charge 4.0 is readily available. This means you’ll need to wait nearly two hours for the phone’s battery to fully charge.
Gone are the days when Samsung’s Note devices were known for exceptional battery life.
Camera
As mentioned before, the main camera on the Galaxy Note8 features two 12-megapixel sensors. We all know that Samsung is a bit late to the dual-camera game, but they are the first to include optical image stabilization on both sensors.
Like most other dual-sensor camera setups, Samsung is using the wide angle and zoom approach with a portrait mode which will digitally blur the background in the photo. But rather than just copy everyone else, Samsung’s phone can capture your shots with both sensors, allowing you to choose between the wide angle and zoomed-in image.
The results you get from the camera are quite impressive. Colors are well balanced, the edges are crisp and there’s very little noise in the shots unless you’re taking pictures in extremely low light situations. The auto white balance can be a little too cool at times, but that’s easily adjustable in the settings.
We were pretty impressed with the Galaxy S8’s camera earlier this year, but Note8 takes things to a whole new level.
Gallery
S Pen
While there are plenty of large phones on the market these days, the real reason to buy the Note8 is for the S Pen. There’s nothing stopping you from using a stylus with the phone you already own, but the experience will never match what the Note8 offers out of the box. And this year, the S Pen has learned a few new tricks. It can now be used for live currency and measurement conversion along with language translation within the browser and other apps when you use the S Pen to select the text.
If you want to jot down notes when the phone’s display is off, you can now write to your heart’s content since the feature has been updated so that users can write up to 100 pages of notes without having to turn the screen on.
And if that wasn’t enough, the S Pen also allows you to create animated notes which can be shared with your friends. Just jot down a quick note and sketch something out and the phone will save your stroke work as an animated GIF which can be shared via your favorite messaging apps.
But of course, the main appeal is still the basic note-taking functionality of the S Pen. We may be living in a digital era, but there’s still something extremely satisfying about writing by hand rather than punching it out on a virtual keyboard. And that’s really the only reason why you should buy the Note 8.
Samsung Galaxy Note8 8.5 / 10
There’s a lot to love about the Samsung Galaxy Note8, but the only way you can really justify spending this much money on a phone is if you simply can’t live without the S Pen. The large display is nice and the camera is great, but there are other devices on the market with displays which are just as large or cameras which are just as good.
It’s a bit odd to say this about one of Samsung’s Note devices, but the Note8 would definitely be worth its $930 asking price to a lot more people if its battery life wasn’t simply mediocre.
How to Shoot RAW/DNG Photos on Samsung Galaxy Note 8
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is the first flagship device from Samsung to feature a dual-camera setup at its rear. The secondary 12MP telephoto lens features an f/2.6 aperture and OIS and allows the Note 8 to take some pretty incredible shots.
Overall, the Note 8’s camera is among the best you can find in a smartphone right now. And if you know the basic aspects of photography, you can make the most out of the camera by using the manual mode in the camera. If that’s not enough though, you can always shoot photos in RAW/DNG format on the Note 8 so that you can process them on your PC later on. Wondering how to shoot photos in RAW format on the Galaxy Note 8 though? Follow the steps below to know how.
Step 1: Open the default Camera app on your Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and tap the Settings button (cog icon) located on the top-right corner of the display.
Step 2: Tap on Picture size and from the menu that opens up, simply enable the ‘Save RAW and JPEG files’ toggle.
Enabling the toggle in itself is not enough to make your Galaxy Note 8 start saving photos in RAW/DNG format. You will also have to take all photos in the ‘Pro’ camera mode to ensure they are saved in RAW/DNG format. You can switch to the Pro mode on Galaxy Note 8 by swiping to the left from the camera viewfinder and selecting the relevant option.
If you know your way around Photoshop or any other image editor, you should be able to extract a wee bit more from the Note 8’s camera by manually tweaking the RAW/DNG photos shot from it. In the end though, do remember that we are talking about a smartphone camera here so the gains are going to be limited.