The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is an incremental upgrade to the Galaxy Note 8 but small changes to a great phone can make a big difference.

A big smartphone with a big price tag. It won't suit everyone, but the improved Note 9 is one of Samsung's best But all this tech doesn't come cheap. The Note 9 is Samsung's most expensive phone yet: the 512GB version will set you back an eye-watering £1099.

Bright and punchy screen; Smooth; speedy performance; Huge battery life and storage

iPhones offer better sound quality; Expensive

Many people said the Note 9’s only purpose was to give Samsung more time to prepare a more dramatically-overhauled smartphone in order to remain relevant in a fight where Apple keeps impressing with the new-generation iPhone.

Samsung's Galaxy Note phones have always been about more. More screen, more battery, more specs, more power, more features; if you want more of something, the Note is the phone to get. It's a phone designed and built for the power user who won't settle for anything less.

Gorgeous; vibrant; bright; big display; Fast performance; True all-day battery life; Lots of storage; even in the base model

High price tag; Large; unwieldy size; Duplicate apps and extra features that don't add much value

Where the Galaxy Note9 trumps the competition is that it truly does not compromise on performance and addresses all the traditional pain points of a smartphone user in a decisive fashion.

Beautifully vibrant and sharp display, exceptionally powerful hardware, impressive battery life, superb cameras, S Pen has innovative features.

Casing is still a fingerprint magnet, needs a learning curve to truly master every trick available, conservative design.

Samsung's Galaxy Note line has had a rocky couple of years with the ill-fated Note7 followed by what could only be considered a brain fade by Samsung with their fingerprint sensor placement in the Note8.

But perhaps because Samsung’s been in the flagship game longer, there’s a certain confidence and sophistication to the Note’s form that other brands beyond Apple are just finding now. – Rappler.com

Maybe as I start using the phone more, I'll figure out what Samsung is bragging about. I bought this phone becuase I loved my Note 5 (but it kept turning itself off), but I think I am still missing my Note 5 or having trouble with change. All I am seeing is that they moved things around.

Did not meet expectations

The Samsung Galaxy Note series has a reputation for great design, unparalleled performance, and great cameras. The Note 9's camera is definitely up there, but it's still hard to beat beasts like the Huawei P20 Pro and a couple others. Regardless, an overall 8.5 score is nothing to scoff at.

Good exposure White balance is almost always right Great Portrait Mode performance Food Mode performs amazingly Vibrant colors

Bad dynamic range (HDR) Food Mode can make images look warm Over-processing can hurt detail

The first thing that you will want to do when you get your Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is pop out the S-Pen and start scribbling on the screen. At least, that's what I did. This is a device that is a lot more fun to use than your regular phones.