It really needs a piece of pie.
Samsung passed up a golden opportunity with the Galaxy Note 9 (go. pcworld.com/gn9). Just days before the Note 9 shipped, Google officially launched Android 9 Pie (go.pcworld.com/a9p), bringing a brand new way to navigate, smarter notifications, and indoor mapping with Wi-Fi RTT. The world’s most dominant mobile platform reinvented itself to stay ahead of the ever-changing smart phone landscape.
But you wouldn’t know it by looking at the Note 9. Samsung launched its new $1,000 phone with Android Oreo 8.1, an OS that’s technically newer but nearly indistinguishable from the one that’s running on the Galaxy S9 (go.pcworld.com/gs9). And instead of making a statement to the Android community that it will not only make the best hardware but pair it with the best software, Samsung continued to treat Android as a necessary burden standing in the way of its vision.
Instead of giving would-be Note 9 buyers the best of both worlds—the highest-end hardware with the freshest software—Samsung’s latest handset runs the same version of Android that Pixel users downloaded more than eight months ago. Mind you, this is nothing new for anyone who’s used a Samsung phone, but it could have been different with the Note 9. And customers might finally be starting to notice.
SPECS AND PERFORMANCE AREN’T THE SAME
I’ve been using the Galaxy Note 9 for a few days now and there’s a lot to like about it, especially if you’re a power user. But while the Snapdragon 845 processor, 4,000mAh battery, and 128GB of storage are all best in class, the OS feels like a step behind. It’s not just that it’s missing smart little features like manual orientation lock and proper volume controls, it’s that the Note 9 feels like a phone that could have released a year ago.
This story is from the September 2018 edition of PCWorld.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 2018 edition of PCWorld.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
5 Compelling Reasons to Buy a Windows Laptop Instead of a MacBook
MacBooks are powerful and chic. That's also true of many Window Notebooks - And they have other advantages that MacBook can't counter.
5 tips to make Gmail more secure
Bank statements, contracts, tickets, love letters…most things in this world can be sent via email, and protecting your email is extremely important.
TunnelBear VPN: It's just right for beginners
Come for the bear puns, stay for the security.
Contour SliderMouse Pro: This mouse saves your hands
Unusual ergonomic mouse is here to save your hands
Woohoo! You can get a Raspberry Pi again
Availability hasn't completely recovered, but it's looking much better already.
Microsoft begins pulling the plug on Cortana
Cortana probably won't live for much longer.
Norton's free Al-powered Genie tool helps you spot online scams
Not sure if the message, email, link or social media post you've received is a scam? The Al-powered Norton Genie is designed to help.
Google now alerts you if your contact info appears online
Better decades late than never.
Microsoft 365 makeover: Office docs are getting new default look
Significant changes are coming to your Office documents with Microsoft 365's new default theme.
Smart Answers: GenAl tool makes it easier to find the info you need on PCWorld
Smart Answers puts you in the driving seat for content discovery.