[Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Guides, News, & Discussion] jonidog:
Hey, apologies if this is too long of a post. Was hoping to share my recent experiences.

Background: Was on contract with a carrier using the XS Max. Needed to switch carriers, so sold iPhone to cover the contract balance. Switched carrier and got the Mate 20 Pro. After a week returned the Mate 20 and got a Note 9. And now I'm here I guess posting with the Note 9.

Mate 20 Pro: I ended up returning it because my top half of the screen had a red tint to it and the center part of the display had greenish colour to it. For the record, I've owned a Mate 8 in the past. To my surprise, when I started using the Mate 20 Pro I could immediately tell that (a) it's a beautiful and fast device, and (b) that EMUI haven't changed one bit... Whether it's android 7, 8, or 9 -- frustration levels remain high. I hope no one gets me wrong, I love Huawei. Kinda always did. I love the fact that they copy everything they can from Apple and other manufacturers. That's a good thing because it means its users can enjoy awesome features like 3D face unlock (which worked great for me! I think they implemented it really well) or no headphone jack (I'm joking), or even new features like in display finger print scanner or having the Google now integrated to the launcher, or what about the small zoomed in screen when you're moving the typing cursor? Nice touch! But the truth is, you're gonna be googling for hours trying to understand why you can't receive notifications or so many other things that are unique to EMUI. Even me being a user that is already very familiar with EMUI, I still couldn't figure out why I'm not receiving notifications until I wake up the screen in the morning, or why I can't set a live lockscreen wallpaper, or why am I getting punished for switching to Nova Launcher? Or why can't my DPI settings apply to the notification shade. No kidding the battery is awesome, nothing is allowed to run in the background and gets closed after you open a few apps. Also, the device is not as smooth as people make it seem. You do notice lag, and sometimes in places you wouldn't expect. For example, when YouTube plays as PIP, there's no way you're not gonna notice lag everywhere. Did that make me return the phone? No. But the screen issue did. And while returning, I decided to give the Note 9 a chance.

Note 9: Overall, the Note 9 has a better screen, slightly worse cameras, worse facial recognition, no notch! Worse one handed usability, slightly worse battery, much better speakers, a headphone jack! Comes with headphones you'll actually try to use, has a s-pen (not useful for me), AOD that is actually useful, and a better software experience. Do I hate Bixby? Yes. Am I able to remove Bixby and use nova launcher with zero problems? Yes. The battery probably gives me an hour less screen on time. But remember, this is with all my regular apps refreshing in the background and multitasking that keeps much more apps ready to go in the background. The screen is also noticibly better with better viewing angles and better implementation of how the rounded corners look. This phone actually seem to perform better as well. I don't care about Android versions or what nanometer is the processor... All I care about is my experience using the phone. And with the Note 9 it's simpler and smoother. Here for example, the phone doesn't lag when YouTube is in PIP mode or lags less when I'm double pressing the multitasking button (quick app switching). Having no notch allows me to see all my notification icons in the status bar, which is awesome. In terms of user and multimedia experience, this device delivers.

Who knows, maybe I'll change my mind in the future. As it stands now, the thought of returning this device and getting another Mate 20 Pro (potentially with a better screen) haven't crossed my mind...