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New leak gives us our best look yet at a Galaxy Note 9 prototype

Published Jul 20th, 2018 11:44AM EDT
Galaxy Note 9 Release Date
Image: Jacob Siegal/BGR

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The Galaxy Note 9 is just a few short weeks away, but there aren’t likely to be any surprises left. When it comes to specs, the Note 9 will pack the same hardware as the Galaxy S9. Just add a redesigned S Pen stylus to that, and you get a Note handset. Maybe that’s why Samsung is considering merging the Note and S Plus lines in the future.

As for the design, the new Note will look a lot like the old Note when it comes to overall design, although there is one significant change worth noting: the rear camera. And a new leak gives us our best look at the actual handset. A few days ago, alleged Galaxy Note 9 press renders also leaked.

Instagram user lajotatech posted a collage of two images that show the front and rear sides of a Galaxy Note 9 prototype. From the looks of it, this is a Note 9 prototype that was somehow photographed in the wild. A similar unit was spotted a few days ago, but the new images provide more details:

The first image shows a phone with the screen turned on, and with the About Phone section of the Settings app showing the model number of the handset, SM-N960U, which we saw in plenty of other leaks. It sure looks like a phone with an Infinity Display design, complete with curved edges and a small top bezel.

The second photo is where things get interesting as it gives us our best look at the new camera setup for the handset. The Galaxy Note 9 will have a dual-lens camera on the back just like its predecessor, but the fingerprint sensor won’t be placed on the right side of the camera module. Instead, it’ll be found right under the camera, just like on the Galaxy S9 phones.

Unlike the Galaxy S9+, which has a vertical dual camera setup, the Note 9 will retain the horizontal camera introduced by its predecessor. That’s because Samsung is rumored to pack a much bigger battery inside, and the horizontal orientation of the camera helps make room for the battery.

Samsung will debut the Galaxy Note 9 at an Unpacked event in New York City on August 9th.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.