My mobile history: 1990s Ericsson ‘brick’, a few Nokia phones (8390 model), blackberry, iPhone 4S, & Samsung since… Last upgrade was from a Note 5 to 8. Why? In order of importance: Micro SD storage, RAM increase, 18:5:9 edge display, camera.
To answer original post: Future Note Features
1. Fingerprint sensor. It belongs on the display screen front, embedded underneath the display. The tech exists to do so, and is rumoured to arrive on the Note 9. Sure, centered on rear would help some, but that is semantics… It Belongs on the front. Present location is intuitive if you are right handed and have large hands.
2. Bixby button. It can stay if it helps some people. The button, and bixby, are both easy to disable. I have no interest in bixby or it's competition from Google or Amazon.
3. Form factor. 18:5:9 is awesome. I was surprised how strongly I preferred it on my Note 8, vs. 16:9 Note 5. Easier to use. 16:9 would be too big, given the taller Note 8 size…& I don't want to return to a smaller phone.
4. Samsung apps are already easy to disable with Android 7.1.1. Be mindful some countries do not have Google Play services. Permissions, background data, storage etc, all can be utilized. Sure, in a perfect world every app could be deleted.
5. Yes. Although I think once the fingerprint sensor is moved to the display front, that will end consumer interest in facial recognition. Govt, like the Chinese, want citizens to get comfortable with facial recognition, where tracking efforts are rapidly expanding. Introducing facial recognition to phones is a first step in getting it more accepted elsewhere in society. I have no interest in facial recognition, my fingerprint is enough. It is laughable… So much research to unlock a phone.... I don't the like facial tracking trend.
6. Increased internal storage. Yes, 512GB is all but confirmed by Samsung for the Galaxy S9. It will absolutely be on the Note 9. I'd still like to see micro SD storage retained on the Note, as well.
7. 3.5mm headphone jack. Yes! Music sounds better on premium headphones that have a cord. A cord is also the antenna for local area FM radio reception. Apple got rid of the jack to force wireless headphone upgrades, not improve sound or consumer experience.
8. Agreed. Samsung keyboard is awful. If Samsung can't get predictive text right, why would I even consider bixby? I use SwiftKey.
9. Why can't you figure out bixby? Yes, it already can be disabled. In fact, all advanced touchwiz settings (all the gesture settings, etc) can also be disabled.
10. Health tracking. Personally, I have no interest in biometric functions on a phone. Tracking steps is an obsessive compulsive like curiosity. S heslth is disabled on my phone. Watches are the ideal place for biometric data collection.
Plus:
lol, never too much RAM. 8 or 10 GB is welcome.
Battery size.
I don't care if another 3mm was added to the wifth of a Note phone... I want an even longer lasting battery. Not to say the Note 8 is bad... But many use premium phones for nearly all online use... Thus more battery power is always welcome.
North America Market Exynos chip legal problem
The remarkable Samsung Exynos 9 chips were just announced by Samsung January 4th, 2018. The ‘headline feature’ is it can handle 4K video at 120 frames per second. The problem is an agreement with Qualcomm prevents Exynos use in Samsung phones sold in America. Given the benefits of the latest Exynos, it is very important Samsung get out of the awful deal… and is playing out in courts. Rest of the world is guaranteed the Exynos chips in Samsung phones.
Reply to other comments:
The glass body construction is necessary for wireless charging, and the only reason manufacturers choose it. Wireless charging is also why battery replacement was ended.
I'd argue fast charging via USB cord ended the value of being able to swap out batteries. Continued battery improvement is expected, with dramatic recharging advances coming through research with graphene.
You can still get an aging phones battery replaced in phones. Going to a local repair tech specialist is advised.
Having upgraded to the Note 8 from a 5, I'm very satisfied. Regardless of incremental improvements, I won't be looking for a phone until 5G lte networks are rolled out in 3 or 4 years.
I've owned cell phones for over 25 years. Advances since the advent of smartphones are remarkable, but significant improvements have all but ended. Displays have now reached the limit of human eye sight…. But a true 4K display would be nice for virtual reality, and zooming in on photos.
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