[Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Questions & Answers] KOLIOSIS:
I usually don't put too much thought into renders/speculation/etc..... but,as the OP states,it hurts nothing & is a much more enjoyable read vs the battery life threads/repeat questions on topics/threads that have been covered ad nauseam.

Soooo..................... here's my 2¢ (yes,overvalued,most def,LOL):

Yes,the Note 10 will likely have one or two things that are new/different,likely an in-display FPR & the usual upticks in processor/cameras.

Is that enough to "upgrade" from the Note 9?

For myself,not even close.

While the Note series has been one of my favorite models in smartphones,I think the form factor has been in decline since the Note 5 was introduced.

Yes,for the most part,the internals are better than ever & the overall performance as well.

The display ratio,removable battery,usable (necessary) bezels for navigation/sensors & just handling the phone in general,are more sensible on the Note 4.

The changes away from this design were just for change sake,labeled as "new & improved" & it's been in a downward spiral since.

What would make sense to me?

A Note 10 Active:

Ditch the ridiculous glass-sandwich design,I hope Apple does,so that the Android mfgs follow suit.....................

The Active design makes sense.....for people on the go who are multi-tasking & use the S-Pen extensively,they're more prone to dropping their phone.

Why not ruggedize it & if one chooses,they can go sans case w/o much worry.

OK,that was slightly OT,so here's wish list item #2,closer to the topic,but,just as unlikely:

Pop-up Cameras

I had both the Oppo Find X & Vivo NEX for a brief period of time:

Yes,both have the presumed greater potential for hardware failure,but,one I think is worth risking vs the notch/hole-punch iterative design.

The mechanical failure,I'm guessing,is a far less likely scenario vs someone dropping their phone & breaking something else (the display comes to mind,LOL).

The pop-up mechanism was nice,especially on the Find X,for two reasons (outside of the obvious all-display form-factor):

1) The cameras,front & back,are stowed until ready for use,protecting the lenses from everyday wear & tear.

2) The privacy bonus:

If by chance you have a wayward app on your phone that has an unnecessary camera permission,this will be made apparent when the camera module pops-up for seemingly no reason.

I'm not the paranoid type,but,the added benefit of the cameras being tucked away for that very reason is kinda cool to have.

On this same line of thinking,I wouldn't mind a slider design,it gets rid of the notchole.

The former isn't happening (Note 4 retro design) & if I had to bet,neither are the pop-up or slider designs.

Yes,most likely,you'll have the option to "hide" the notchole via blackout,but,that just reduces the whole point of going "faux-full display".......

The bezels/sensors on the Note 9 are sensible & we're still left with a more than ample display,the camera-in-display destroys that.

Throwing this ridiculous iteration into the mix until the sensors are truly hidden is an entirely unnecessary step.

If Samsung wants to keep up appearances with improvements from the previous year/model,throw in true front-firing speakers (top&bottom) & continue improvements on both cameras,something everyone would appreciate. ( & for good measure,dare to be different w/a FLAT DISPLAY.)

The notchole will be on the Note 10,it's an easy pass.

If you're on a Note older than the Note 8,then I could see jumping on the Note 10.

Otherwise,grab a Note 9 (in any RAM/ROM configuration) & sit out Notcholegate until the design process evolves to a sensible form factor.