Incremental changes in a new smartphone may not sound very appealing on paper but may result in a great device that is a joy to use and easy to recommend. It seems to be the case with the Galaxy Note 9 as well if we go by all the praise the device is receiving in the recent weeks.
 
At the time of the announcement, not many people were excited with the Galaxy Note 9 due to its incremental upgrades, but the narrative seems to have changed quite a bit once the reviews started pouring in. Most of the reviews, including our very own, presented the Galaxy Note 9 as an uncompromising device which excels in almost all the critical aspects of a smartphone.
 
Consumer Reports (CR) is also now joining the chorus with a glowing review for Samsung’s latest flagship. The Note 9 excelled in CR’s extensive tests to climb to the top of their smartphone ratings. CR attributes Galaxy Note 9’s score to its long-lasting battery, improved durability, great cameras, and innovative features like the S Pen.
 
Samsung’s phablet lasted an impressive 29 hours in CR’s battery test that simulates real-world use with a robotic finger programmed to make calls, browse the internet, snap pictures, and use GPS navigation on the test device. In the durability test which involves dropping the device from a height of 2.5 feet into a tumbling machine, the Note 9 reportedly survived all the 100 test drops without any damages to the glass.
 
CR also, unsurprisingly, praises the Galaxy Note 9 for its beautiful OLED display, cameras for taking sharp pictures, and S Pen features. The report points to few obvious shortcomings as well – size, weight, and price. With the new iPhones about to hit the market, we have to wait and see if the Note 9 will be able to hold on to the top rank for long.