Samsung Can Fix The Galaxy Note 9's Biggest Problem But It Won't

It really needs a piece of pie.

- Michael Simon

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.