Meizu Note 9 vs. Samsung Galaxy Note9: A Detailed Comparison
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing affordability and decent performance, the Meizu Note 9 is the better choice. While the Galaxy Note9 boasts a superior display and potentially faster processing (depending on region), the Note 9’s more efficient Snapdragon 675 and lower price point make it a more sensible buy.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Meizu Note 9 | Samsung Galaxy Note9 |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 3, 5, 8, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66, 71 - Global |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat18 1200/200 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE |
| CDMA 800 & TD-SCDMA | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66, 71 - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2019, March. Released 2019, March | 2018, August 09. Released 2018, August 24 |
| Status | Discontinued | Discontinued |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | - | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 153.1 x 74.4 x 8.7 mm (6.03 x 2.93 x 0.34 in) | 161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8 mm (6.37 x 3.01 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 170 g (6.00 oz) | 201 g (7.09 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus (Bluetooth integration) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2244 pixels, 18.7:9 ratio (~403 ppi density) | 1440 x 2960 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio (~516 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.2 inches, 96.4 cm2 (~84.7% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.4 inches, 103.2 cm2 (~83.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | IPS LCD | Super AMOLED, HDR10 |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.0 GHz Kryo 460 Gold & 6x1.7 GHz Kryo 460 Silver) | Octa-core (4x2.7 GHz Mongoose M3 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A55) - EMEAOcta-core (4x2.8 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver) - USA/LATAM, China |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SDM675 Snapdragon 675 (11 nm) | Exynos 9810 (10 nm) - EMEAQualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 (10 nm) - USA/LATAM, China |
| GPU | Adreno 612 | Mali-G72 MP18 - EMEAAdreno 630 - USA/LATAM, China |
| OS | Android 9.0 (Pie), Flyme 7.2 | Android 8.1 (Oreo), upgradable to Android 10, One UI 2.5 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 64GB 4GB RAM, 64GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM |
| - | UFS 2.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 48 MP, f/1.7, (wide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF Auxiliary lens | 12 MP, f/1.5-2.4, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, AF, OIS, 2x optical zoom |
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@60fps (no OIS/EIS), 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | - | 8 MP, f/1.7, 25mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.22µm, AF 2 MP (dedicated iris scanner camera) |
| Features | - | HDR |
| Single | 20 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1/2.8", 1.0µm | - |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 1440p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | Yes |
| 35mm jack | Yes | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX |
| NFC | No | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0 | USB Type-C 3.1 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Iris scanner, fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, SpO2 |
| - | Samsung DeX (desktop experience support) ANT+ Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 18W wired | 15W wired Wireless (Qi) (market dependent) |
| Type | Li-Ion 4000 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 4000 mAh, non-removable |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, White, Starlight Blue | Metallic Copper, Lavender Purple, Ocean Blue, Midnight Black, Pure White, Alpine White |
| Models | - | SM-N960F, SM-N9600, SM-N960F, SM-N960U, SM-N960U1, SM-N960N, SM-N960W, SM-N960X, SCV40 |
| Price | About 200 EUR | About 430 EUR |
| SAR | - | 1.29 W/kg (head) 1.03 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.38 W/kg (head) 1.51 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | - | Noise -93.7dB / Crosstalk -94.1dB |
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 97h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal), 4.531 (sunlight) |
| Loudspeaker | - | Voice 71dB / Noise 74dB / Ring 80dB |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 248823 (v7), 315447 (v8) GeekBench: 9026 (v4.4), 2092 (v5.1) GFXBench: 15fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Meizu Note 9
- More affordable price point
- Faster charging (18W vs 15W)
- More power-efficient chipset (Snapdragon 675)
- Significantly less powerful processor
- Likely inferior camera performance
- Less premium build quality
Samsung Galaxy Note9
- Potentially faster performance (Exynos/Snapdragon 845)
- Superior display quality
- Wireless charging support
- Higher price
- Slower charging speed
- Older chipset prone to throttling
Display Comparison
Both devices share an 'Infinite' contrast ratio (nominal) and a 4.531 sunlight contrast ratio, suggesting similar outdoor visibility. However, the Note9’s flagship status likely translates to superior color accuracy and potentially higher peak brightness, though specific nit values are unavailable. The Note 9, being a more budget-oriented device, likely utilizes a less advanced panel, potentially impacting viewing angles and color vibrancy. The Note9’s larger screen size is also a significant advantage for media consumption.
Camera Comparison
While both phones offer photo and video capabilities, detailed sensor information is lacking for the Meizu Note 9. The Galaxy Note9, as a flagship, likely features a larger main sensor and more sophisticated image processing algorithms. The Note9’s variable aperture lens is a key advantage, allowing for better low-light performance. The presence of Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) on the Note9 further enhances image quality, particularly in videos. The Note 9 likely relies on software processing to compensate for a potentially smaller sensor and lack of OIS.
Performance
The Galaxy Note9’s chipset varies by region: the Exynos 9810 (EMEA) and Snapdragon 845 (USA/LATAM, China). Both are significantly more powerful than the Meizu Note 9’s Snapdragon 675. The Note9’s octa-core CPUs, with their higher clock speeds (up to 2.8 GHz), offer a substantial performance advantage in CPU-intensive tasks. However, the Snapdragon 675’s 11nm process node is more efficient than the 10nm nodes of the Note9’s chips, potentially leading to better sustained performance and less thermal throttling during prolonged gaming. The Note9’s Adreno 630 (Snapdragon variant) or Mali-G72 MP12 (Exynos variant) GPUs also outperform the Note 9’s Adreno 618.
Battery Life
Both devices achieve an impressive 97-hour endurance rating, suggesting comparable real-world battery life despite the Note9’s older battery. The Note9’s 15W wired charging is slower than the Note 9’s 18W charging. The Note9 also supports Qi wireless charging, a feature absent on the Note 9. While the mAh capacity isn’t specified, the Note9’s more efficient chipset could offset any capacity difference, resulting in similar daily usage.
Buying Guide
Buy the Meizu Note 9 if you need a reliable daily driver for basic tasks, social media, and light gaming, and value affordability above all else. Buy the Samsung Galaxy Note9 if you prioritize a larger, higher-quality display, potentially faster performance for demanding apps (especially the Snapdragon variant), and the legacy features of a former flagship, and are willing to pay a premium.