Neither phone is easy to use one-handed, but the Note 10 Plus gives you more screen.
The first thing you'll notice about the Galaxy Note 10 Plus is that it's a massive device. At 6.8 inches, it's one of the largest phones you can buy. Some folks may see this as an argument in favor of the 6.4-inch Note 9, which is a bit easier to hold.
But the reality is that both phones are large. You won't be able to comfortably use either with one hand unless you have very large hands — and forget about fitting either into a tight pants pocket.
On the other hand, you'll notice the 0.4 extra inches of screen on the Note 10 Plus. You'll have more space to write, draw, edit, and do everything else you use your Note for. For a slightly bulkier phone, I think the trade-off is worth it.
Winner: Note 10 PlusThe Note 10 Plus has a better display, but you probably won't notice the difference unless you're looking for it.
The Note 10 Plus has a 6.8-inch AMOLED screen with 3,040 x 1,440 pixel resolution, while the Note 9 has a 6.4-inch AMOLED screen with 2,960 x 1440 pixel resolution.
In layman's terms, these are both superb displays with bright, accurate colors. The Note's famous rival, the iPhone XS Max, has just an OLED screen with 2,688 x 1,242 pixel resolution.
Unless you're holding the phones right next to each other, you likely won't notice the difference in screen resolution. What you will notice, however, are the bezels. The Note 9 has very visible bezels on the top and bottom of the screen, while the Note 10 Plus, with Samsung's signature "Infinity-O" display, is about as bezel-free as you can get. If you covet a bezel-less experience, the Note 10 Plus is the phone for you.
The 10 Plus does have a camera notch in the center of the top of its display, which is visible when you're watching videos. Check out some photos and make sure this won't be a deal-breaker for you before you upgrade.
Winner: Note 10 PlusThe Note 10 Plus has cooler S Pen features.
The Note 10 Plus can do a number of nifty new things with the S Pen, Samsung's signature stylus.
The S Pen now acts as a remote control; you can swipe it through the air before you to control certain apps. For example, you can flick it back and forth to swap between camera lenses, and draw an arc to zoom the camera in. You can see how this might be useful for taking selfies, or for skipping tracks while streaming music.
The Note 9 doesn't support gesture controls, so the S Pen's tricks are more limited, and all involve its button. For instance, pressing a button in the camera app takes a picture. It's comparable to using a TV remote, while the Note 10 Plus's S Pen feels more like a magic wand.
The S Pen is also still great at drawing and taking notes, which will please Note fans who enjoy having a stylus.
Winner: Note 10 PlusThe Galaxy Note 10 Plus has a faster processor and more RAM than the Note 9 — but you might not care.
The Galaxy Note 10 Plus has a top-of-the-line processor in the Snapdragon 855 — the same chip you'll find in most of this year's Android flagships. The Note 9 is powered by last year's Snapdragon 845. The Note 10 Plus also packs in 12GB of RAM, while the Note 9 comes in 6GB or 8GB configurations.
Thanks to new processor and increase in RAM, the Note 10 Plus will deliver smoother, snappier performance when it comes to photo processing, video playback, and other intensive tasks, and can better multitask and run apps in the background.
However, the Note 9's Snapdragon 845 and 8GB RAM are still more than enough for most people's needs. For context, Google's flagship Pixel 3 XL sports the Snapdragon 845 with only 4GB of RAM, and it still delivers a pleasant browsing experience. Unless your Note 9 is lagging, you probably don't need the Note 10 Plus' performance boost.
Winner: Note 10 PlusThe Note 10 Plus has a better camera, particularly for shooting video.
The Note 10 Plus comes with — brace yourself — a 16-megapixel ultra wide-angle lens, a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens, a 12-megapixel telephoto lens, and a depth-sensing camera, in addition to a 10-megapixel selfie shooter on the front.
The Note 9 comes with dual 12-megapixel wide-angle cameras and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens, as well as an 8-megapixel selfie-shooter. The Note 10 Plus's photos look noticeably better, especially in low-light settings.
But the Note 10 Plus really stands out when recording video, where it comes with a slew of unique features, including a Live-Focus Mode that adds filters and depth effects while you shoot, and a Zoom-In feature that filters out background audio. The phone also has a native video editor that you can use to trim your clips, and add animations and other effects. If you're an artist, you can also use the S Pen to add your own doodles to your videos.
If you put a high premium on your smartphone's camera, and if you use your Note for any sort of video editing, the Note 10 Plus is head and shoulders above its predecessor.
Winner: Note 10 PlusIt's close, but the Note 10 Plus has better battery life.
The Note 10 Plus has a 4,300-mAh battery, while the Note 9 has a 4,000-mAh battery. This isn't a huge difference; the phones tend to last comparable amounts of time in battery tests, but the Note 10 Plus a few minutes ahead.
That said, battery life degrades over time. If you already have a Note 9, it probably doesn't last as long as it did when you first bought it, so you'll get a bit of an upgrade with the Note 10 Plus.
Winner: Note 10 PlusThe Note 10 Plus and Note 9 both offer more storage than you need.
The Note 10 Plus comes in 256GB and 512GB configurations, while the Note 9 has expendable storage as well, and comes in 128GB and 512GB configurations. I am only using 45GB of my iPhone's storage right now, and I have more than 100 apps and thousands of photos; it's unlikely you need anything close to 512GB of storage if you're an everyday user like me.
That said, if you've run out of space on your Note 9 or your Note 10 Plus, both phones have expendable storage as well.
Winner: Note 10 PlusThe Note 10 Plus doesn't have a headphone jack, but it's not a big deal.
The Note 10 Plus doesn't have a headphone jack, while the Note 9 does. If you want to cling to your wired headphones for another year, I guess you'll need to stick with the Note 9.
Look, I know change is hard. But it's 2019. Almost every major flagship phone has ditched the headphone jack, and it's probably not coming back. I implore you to pick up a pair of wireless headphones or a nice dongle: It's time to let go.
Winner: Note 9 for headphone jack lovers; Note 10 Plus for wirelessThe Note 10 Plus costs a heck of a lot more.
The Galaxy Note 9 has a starting price of $999.99, but you can get the base model for as little as $750 from a number of retailers, including Amazon. The Note 10 Plus starts at $1,099.
Yes, $400 is a big difference, but many stores offer trade-in promotions that can help offset the cost of an upgrade. If you trade in an old Galaxy Note 9, Samsung will give you $600 towards a new phone. That means you'll actually be paying around $500 for the Note 10 Plus.
Winner: The Note 9 costs less, but if you can get a good trade-in offer for your old phone, the Note 10 Plus is a good deal.Should you upgrade?
The big question is whether you're happy with your Note 9.
While last 2018's Samsung flagship is a year old, it still delivers better specs and better performance than many of the best phones on the market today. If those specs suit you, you don't need the Note 10 Plus. You won't be using it to its full potential.
On the other hand, if you feel limited by your Note 9 — your apps are crashing, you're not getting the battery life you need, or you need to shoot higher-quality photos and video — and budget is no object, consider this your green light to splurge. The Note 10 Plus is, hands-down, the better phone. It's Samsung's best to date, and you won't be disappointed.
Buy the Galaxy Note 10 Plus on Samsung for $1,099 Buy the Galaxy Note 9 on Amazon for $999.99
