The Samsung Galaxy S9+ is the company’s most powerful smartphone to-date. However, there’s another device in the Galaxy lineup that can go head-to-head with this new flagship, the Galaxy Note8. Check out which phablet is better on paper in our specs comparison below.
| Samsung Galaxy S9+ | Samsung Galaxy Note8 |
|---|---|
| 6.2-inch WQHD+ (2960 x 1440) 18.5:9 Super AMOLED display, 531ppi | 6.3-inch QHD+ (2960 x 1440) 18.5:9 Super AMOLED display, 522ppi |
| Gorilla Glass 5 (front and back) | Gorilla Glass 5 (front and back) |
| Samsung Exynos 9810 octa-core CPU (4 x 2.7GHz Custom CPU + 4 x 1.8GHz ARM Cortex A55) | Samsung Exynos 8895 CPU (4 x 2.3 GHz & 4 x 1.7 GHz) |
| Mali G72-MP18 GPU | Mali-G71 GPU |
| 6GB LPDDR4 RAM | 6GB LPDDR4 RAM |
| 64GB, 128GB, 256GB UFS 2.1 internal storage | 64GB UFS 2.1 internal storage |
| microSD card slot (uses SIM 2 slot) | microSD card slot (uses SIM 2 slot) |
| 12MP f/1.5-f/2.4 Dual Pixel, OIS, 2x optical zoom + 12MP f/2.4 dual pixel, OIS, wide-angle, dual-tone LED flash | 12MP f/1.7 DualPixel +12MP f/2.4 TelePhoto dual rear cameras: OIS, Dual Tone LED Flash |
| 2160p @ 30fps video recording, Slow-mo 960fps @ 720p (0.2 secs) | 2160p @ 30fps, 1080p @ 60fps, Slow-mo 240fps @ 720p |
| 8MP f/1.7 front-facing camera | 8MP f/1.7 front-facing camera |
| Dual-SIM (nano, hybrid) | Dual-SIM (nano, hybrid) |
| 4G LTE Cat. 18 6CA 1.2Gbps | 4G LTE Cat. 16 5CA |
| WiFi 802.11ac | WiFi 802.11ac |
| Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX | Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX |
| NFC | NFC |
| Iris scanner | Iris scanner |
| Heart rate scanner | Heart rate scanner |
| Fingerprint scanner | Fingerprint scanner |
| USB Type-C | USB Type-C |
| GPS with aGPS, GLONASS, BeiDou | GPS with aGPS, GLONASS, BeiDou |
| IP68 dust and water-resistance | IP68 dust and water-resistance |
| Dual AKG speakers, Dolby ATMOS | Single speaker |
| S-Pen Stylus | |
| Samsung Bixby, Bixby Vision 2.0 | Samsung Bixby, Bixby Vision |
| Android 8.0 with Samsung Experience 9 | Android 7.1.1 Nougat (Upgradable to Oreo) |
| 3,500 Li-Po battery, Fast Charging, Wireless Charging | 3300mAh battery, Fast Charging, Wireless Charging |
| 158.1 x 73.8 x 8.5 mm | 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.6mm |
| 189 g | 195g |
| Midnight Black, Lilac Purple, Coral Blue | Midnight Black, Maple Gold, Orchid Gray, Deep Sea Blue |
Summary of advantages
Samsung Galaxy S9+:
* Newer and more powerful CPU and GPU
* Up to 256GB storage
* Wider main rear camera aperture
* Slow-mo 960fps @ 720p
* Faster LTE modem
* Stereo speakers
* Android Oreo out of the box
* Larger battery
* Thinner and lighter
Samsung Galaxy Note8:
* Slightly larger screen
* S-pen stylus
* S-Pen feat es
Looking at the summary above, it looks like the S9+ has plenty of improvements over the Note8, like the updated chipset, stereo speakers, 256GB storage option, and the larger 3,500mAh battery.
The cameras are almost identical, having dual 12MP shooters with 2x optical zoom, but the S9+ has a wider main camera aperture at F/1.5 versus the F/1.7 on the Note8. The S9+ can also take 960fps slow-motion videos at 720p while the Note8 maxes out at 240fps.
The Note8, though, still have some aces up its sleeves, specifically the S-Pen and the S-Pen features which are still exclusive to the Note series. So if you’re one of those who can’t live without the S-Pen, there’s little reason to upgrade to the S9+ and just better wait for the Note9.
The Galaxy S9+ is priced at Php52,990 (64GB), Php55,990 (128GB), Php60,990 (256GB). The Galaxy Note8 launched in the Philippines last year for Php49,990 (64GB).
Check out more stories from our Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ coverage:
Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ now official
Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+ price and pre-order in the Philippines
Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ in-depth Hands-On
Samsung Galaxy S9 Review
7 Best Features of the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+
WATCH: Samsung Galaxy S9 vs Samsung Galaxy S8 Comparison
WATCH: Samsung Galaxy S9 vs iPhone X Comparison
INFOGRAPHIC: Evolution of the Samsung Galaxy S series
Specs Comparisons:
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• Samsung Galaxy S9+ vs Samsung Galaxy Note8
• Samsung Galaxy S9+ vs mate 10 pro
• Samsung Galaxy S9+ vs Samsung Galaxy S8+
• Samsung Galaxy S9+ vs Razer Phone
• Samsung Galaxy S9+ vs Google Pixel 2 XL
