https://www.theverge.com/2018/8/9/17663512/samsung-galaxy-note-9-vs-7-8-bixby-apple-competitor-event-unpacked-2018

Two summers ago, Samsung had its Icarus moment with the Galaxy Note 7. That device combined the traditional strengths of the Note line — big screen, large battery, and handy stylus — with the slender proportions of a regular phone. But it also had a design flaw that led to its spontaneous combustion, which in turn triggered rushed recalls, a global apology tour, and a substantial hit to Samsung’s bottom line. Singed by the memory of its hubristic excess of ambition, Samsung is returning to the Note series this year with a Galaxy Note 9 that appears to be the precise opposite: a phone so incremental in its upgrades as to scarcely merit the uptick in model number. And that’s a problem for Samsung.

Like the Galaxy S9 earlier this year, the Note 9 is set to reprise all the major features and design elements of its predecessor, the Note 8, with only peripheral changes. Plentiful leaks ahead of today’s event show a device that has the new dual-aperture camera of the S9, which is little more than a cool marketing gimmick. The Note 9 looks like it’ll be Samsung’s first 512GB phone, which will be nice to have, but not an overriding reason to buy this phone (unless you have truly hardcore storage needs). And, lest we forget, one of the new Note models will have a bright yellow S Pen, and the stylus is getting a Bluetooth update for mysterious new functionality. Will any of that be enough to get you to look away from Huawei’s P20 Pro, Oppo’s Find X, or Apple’s iPhone X?