Samsung Galaxy Note 9 launching in select markets on Aug. 24, 2018. Here's what you need to know.

Take note.

Nyi Nyi Thet | August 09, 2018, 11:30 PM

Across the world from where we were concluding National Day in Singapore, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 was officially launched in New York on Thursday morning (11:30pm Singapore time).

It will be available in select markets from August 24, but the release date and price for Singapore will be announced in the next few days.

But let's get to the most pressing issue first, how's the camera?

Pretty good, actually

Here is what the Note 9 is working with.

- 8-megapixel front camera, the same as the Note 8

- 12-megapixel rear dual camera, a feature introduced in their Galaxy S9+

- 2 times optical zoom, and up to 10 times digital zoom

But the specs alone, as one would expect of the specs on most phone cameras these days, fail to capture what sets the Note 9 apart from its predecessors.

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Photo by Nyi Nyi Thet

This is what does:

Enhanced artificial intelligence. This comprises:

- Flaw detection: An immediate notification pops up if the picture you took was blurry, if the subject blinked, if the backlight impacted the quality of the image or if there is a smudge on the lens.

- Scene optimiser: Identifies and categorises up to 20 different elements of a photo, including scene and subject, before automatically optimising the image based on the categorisations.

The Note 9 camera also comes with a double aperture lens that adjusts to light in a style similar to the human eye, as well as advanced noise reduction.

The other key phone specs

Here are some other specs of the Galaxy Note 9.

- Battery: Largest-ever (4,000mAh battery) in a Galaxy phone. For comparison, the Note 8 had a 3,330 mAh battery.

- Display: 6.4-inch Super AMOLED Infinity Display. The Note 8 had a 6.3-inch infinity display.

- Processor: 10nm 64 bit-octa processor, the same as the Note 8.

- Storage: 6GB RAM, 128GB + MicroSD slot or a 8GB RAM, 512GB +MicroSD slot.

- OS: Android 8.1 (Oreo).

- Weight & dimensions: It's also a bit heavier, but despite having a bigger screen, it's a bit smaller — 161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8mm, 201g compared with the Note 8's 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.6mm, 195g.

The S Pen

The center-piece of the Galaxy Note 9, though, was undoubtedly still the updated stylus.

Here's what it can do:

- Function as a camera timer/clicker

- Control and play music on the phone

- Charge while it's in the phone's dock

And for the first time ever, the S Pen will also come with Bluetooth capabilities.

One slight issue: charging the pen might sap the phone's battery life. But, by our reckoning, the 4,000 mAh battery should be up to the challenge.

The Note 9 will be offered in Midnight Black, Lavender Purple, Metallic Copper with matching S Pens, and Ocean Blue with a Yellow S Pen, but the options in Singapore haven't yet been announced.

Top photo courtesy of Samsung