Date: 29 March 24, 00:35 AM
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 Samsung Galaxy Note 9



scuzzy


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My current Note 5 has given me occasional problems and I was in the market for a new phone. As such I've been poking at possible replacements. I spent some time looking at LG phones, but the closer I looked the more I realized LG is in the habit of missing the bus. They are often in a rush to get their half-baked phones out before the competition, and it shows.

I wasn't looking at Samsung phones as I wanted to save some money, so I didn't pay much attention to their offers. Having said that, I bought a Galaxy S9 through T-Mobile for my wife a couple months back and it seems to be a good phone for her. I knew the Galaxy Note 9 was in the horizon, but I didn't give it much thought as I was expecting it later in the year.

Late last night I came across a T-Mobile ad for pre-ordering a Note 9. The base model (6GB RAM/128GB storage) is pricey at $999, and the 8GB/512GB model is a whopping $1,249. However, T-Mobile offered $500 trade-in credit on my Note 5 in the form of monthly bill credits over 24 months. Since I know my Note 5 has the value of a bag of peanuts, I broke down and pre-ordered a base unit through T-Mo. I put $279 down on the phone, plus tax and shipping, which leaves me paying an extra $10 monthly on my T-Mo bill over the next 24 months. The phone is set to ship in 2 weeks.

With the pre-order, Samsung is giving me AKG N60NC noise-cancelling headphones valued at $250. That's not something that I'd likely purchase on my own, but sure, I'll take them for free.

The phone is big with a 6.4" screen, which is fine for my old eyes. It also comes with a large 4,000mAh battery, and pretty much doubles as a PC that can be connected to a monitor. More here: The Verge: Samsung Galaxy Note 9

Bill


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The specs all sound very impressive but It's awfully big.  I don't know just how practical plugging it into a monitor will be but it's a nice option.
The specs. on the screen itself are great particularly if you do any streaming with your "phone".
Fractal Design R5 | Asus  Z170 Pro | Intel i5 6600k | 16 GB G.Skill Ripjaws  DDR4 2133 | Seasonic 650w PSU | eVGA GTX 550 TI | Samsung 960 M2 500 GB | Samsung 850 EVO 500 GB | ASUS Burner | Windows 7 64-bit

scuzzy


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I find my Note 5 (5.7") too small at times. I have no problem packing around a large phone anymore, since it no longer matters. It was an issue when I was on patrol, however. Hopefully, I won't be eating my words. Lol

As for plugging the phone into a monitor, it's nice but not something I have a particular need for. I rarely stream, but when I do it's certainly convenient. It's usually while I'm waiting for my car to be fixed, or waiting on my wife on one of her appointments.

My current phone problems are software related, so they can likely be fixed with a factory reset. I just hate doing that, and the phone is old enough that if I have to start over it may as well be with a new phone. The Note 9 will also take advantage of T-Mo's rapidly expanding 600mHz signal, so that will be a really big plus.

scuzzy


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I got my Note 9 last week on Wednesday, and it sat for over a day before I could get to it. The phone is awesome, but I sure spent a lot of time getting it set up and customized to my liking. It's way too much work to start from scratch, and not all that different from a new PC build.

I activated the phone a couple days ago and it is now my daily driver, so to speak. It's about 95% customized, at least as far as I can tell. I still have to get the custom ringtones setup for all my family members. I'm sure I forgot something.

Scuzzy; I should have had a smaller family. Lol

Bill


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I will be following any future comments, impressions, etc.  New phone time is coming in a couple of months.
Fractal Design R5 | Asus  Z170 Pro | Intel i5 6600k | 16 GB G.Skill Ripjaws  DDR4 2133 | Seasonic 650w PSU | eVGA GTX 550 TI | Samsung 960 M2 500 GB | Samsung 850 EVO 500 GB | ASUS Burner | Windows 7 64-bit

scuzzy


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  • In an emergency, 9-1-1 calls ME.

My early reports are that I'm quite satisfied with my purchase. The phone is definitely large, but I very quickly got used to it and I don't notice it in daily use. If anything, it's a lot easier on my old eyes and the 10 fat thumbs on my hands.

T-Mo gave me $500 credit on my old phone for pre-ordering (I *might* have gotten $200 for it on the open market), and Samsung gave me an awesome Bluetooth headset. I received the headset a couple days ago, and I admit it sounds fantastic.

Overall, I call this a win.

Bill


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It will be interesting to hear how much coverage you have in NM.  I checked the T-mo coverage map, NM doesn't look too bad but CO and Wy look pretty spotty.
Fractal Design R5 | Asus  Z170 Pro | Intel i5 6600k | 16 GB G.Skill Ripjaws  DDR4 2133 | Seasonic 650w PSU | eVGA GTX 550 TI | Samsung 960 M2 500 GB | Samsung 850 EVO 500 GB | ASUS Burner | Windows 7 64-bit

scuzzy


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I've been with T-Mo several years now and I'm very pleased. It's certainly not perfect, but I get coverage in most places I go. Traveling across country I do get spotty coverage in areas, but T-Mo is expanding its network at breakneck speed. If the merge with Spring goes through, it will only get better.