Hopefully, Samsung opts for a more substantial design refresh with the inevitable Galaxy S10’s release in a few months. I had hoped that this iteration would mark a shift in the company’s approach to the look of its devices, but that isn’t the case. With this in mind, while I still think Samsung’s smartphone design aesthetic is one of the sleekest out there, it’s starting to feel repetitive and mundane at this point.

This means that unless you’re like me and obsessively wipe down your smartphone daily, the Note 9 quickly becomes a haven for grease, smudges and grime.

The Note 9 is also still a magnet for unsightly fingerprints, similar to Samsung’s other all-glass smartphones like the S9/S9+, Note 8 and even mid-range devices like the A8. Samsung’s decision last year to place the Note 8’s sensor directly to the right of the camera remains perplexing. While I’d still prefer Samsung portioned the Note 9’s fingerprint more towards the centre of the smartphone in a fashion similar to the Pixel 2 XL, this is a welcome move on the company’s part.

This means those with average-sized hands will no longer be forced to claw their hand awkwardly around the smartphone to reach the fingerprint scanner. The other notable design shift most people will immediately notice is that Samsung has moved the Note 9’s fingerprint sensor to sit below the camera, similar to the S9/S9+.

Android desktop note 9