Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus vs Note 9: Is it worth the upgrade?

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9, see our full review, has been my primary smartphone for the past year and remains one of the best smartphones available. Samsung just announced its newest high-end flagship, the Galaxy Note 10 Plus, and there is a lot to like.

It was only six months ago that Samsung released the Galaxy S10 Plus and the lines between an S series and a Note series phone are blurring as technology advances. The S Pen is one of the most obvious differences between the two series, but there are a couple of other features that may compel you to pick up a Note instead of an S series. These include microSD, improved storage performance, and increased battery life.

Updates to the Note 10 Plus compared to the Galaxy Note 9 include:

• New Snapdragon 855 processor
• Move from UFS 2.1 to UFS 3.0 for the internal storage drive
• Increased battery capacity from 4,000 to 4,300mAh
• Increased display size and brightness levels
• Additional 16MP ultra-wide camera and 3D depth camera on the back
• Removal of the rear fingerprint scanner with the ultrasonic sensor under the front display
• Removal of iris scanning
• Removal of the standard 3.5mm headphone jack

The slightly smaller Galaxy Note 10 has a smaller battery and display, no microSD card, and lacks the TOF rear camera, but we are sticking with comparing the top tier phones right now.

Also: Samsung Galaxy Note 9: The best smartphone of 2018 continues to impress

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Tale of the tape

Specifications don't provide the complete picture regarding the capabilities of a smartphone, but they are useful for comparison purposes and to provide you with an indication of what each device offers.

Both Samsung devices support the S Pen, have microSD storage card slots, have an IP68 dust/water resistance level, and employ other elements of the Samsung Galaxy foundation.

Note 9 has a very capable S Pen that took things to the next level with its Bluetooth control features. The new S Pen is improved with a unibody design and Air Actions that let you control the Note 10 Plus via gestures, while still supporting all the exiting functionality of the Note 9 S Pen.

We will be testing out the Galaxy Note 10 Plus in great detail so we will reserve final judgment until after further testing. In the meantime, I'm planning to trade-in my own Note 9 for the Note 10 Plus through Samsung's Upgrade Program.

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