Samsung Galaxy S3 (SCH-i535 16GB) vs Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 128GB)

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Side by side comparison between Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 9 phones, differences, pros, cons and full specifications. What's the better?

8/9/2018 6:28 PM, updated: 6/19/2025 6:19 PM

Compare Samsung Galaxy Note 9 X Samsung Galaxy S3 (SCH-i535 16GB) 04Points

Specifications Compare Models Pictures

4.8"
AMOLED

720x1280

8
MP

2mp

2GB
RAM

Dual-core

2100
mAh

(Removable)

38Points Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 128GB) Compare Samsung Galaxy S3 X

Specifications Compare Models Pictures

6.4"
AMOLED

1440x2960

12.2
MP

8mp

6GB
RAM

Octa-core

4000
mAh

(Non removable)

What's the better phone? Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 128GB)

The phonemore's choice is much more technical than personal. Therefore, you shouldn't only consider this. Our goal is to help you, but what's important to us may not be important to you. You decide which one is the best! Comment!

4 Advantages Samsung Galaxy S3 (SCH-i535 16GB)	vs	38 Advantages Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 128GB)
+133 grams (4.66 ounces)51% Lighter	vs	201 grams (7.04 ounces)
+8.6 millimeters (0.34 inches)2% Thinner	vs	8.8 millimeters (0.35 inches)
+Li-Ion: lithium-ion (Removable)Advantage Removable battery can be replaced easily	vs	Li-Ion: lithium-ion (Non removable)
+DLNAAdvantage With DLNA technology you can access and play media files on TV, tablet or DLNA compatible device.	vs	Not supported
1.5GHz 32bit Dual-core (28nm)	vs	+2.7GHz 64bit Octa-core (10nm)159% More powerful processor, you can open your applications faster
2GB LPDDR2	vs	+6GB LPDDR4X2 times More RAM memory. Typically more responsive and better for multitasking.
16GB (11GB available)	vs	+128GB (111GB available)9 times More internal storage for applications and files
eMMC 4.41	vs	+UFS 2.1Advantage Fastest write and read storage.
Until 64GB microSD, microSDXC	vs	+Until 1TB microSD, microSDXC15 times More external storage for files using memory cards
Plastic body, glass front	vs	+Aluminum frame, glass front/backAdvantage More resistant material
Not supported	vs	+HDR10Advantage The HDR10 display provides vibrant colors and more details
720x1280 pixels	vs	+1440x2960 pixels4 times Higher resolution screen
306 PPI	vs	+514 PPI68% Crisper display of text, images and videos because it has more pixels per inch (ppi)
4.8"	vs	+6.4"33% Larger screen
(back) 8MP	vs	+(dual camera) 12.2MP + 12MP2 times Higher resolution main camera
LED flash	vs	+Dual-LED flashAdvantage The Dual-LED flash helps in dark places or in low light
Only digital zoom	vs	+Digital and optical zoomAdvantage The zoom allows for better focus and approach to take pictures
EIS: Digital stabilization	vs	+OIS: Optical stabilizationAdvantage Image stabilization prevents blurry photos and helps in recording motion video
HDR photo only main camera	vs	+HDR photo/video on both camerasAdvantage The HDR technology produced photos with more detail in dark areas
1/3" inches	vs	+1/2.55" inches18% The larger sensor camera lets you take photos with better depth.
f/2.6 (aperture)	vs	+f/1.5 (aperture)73% Diaphragm opening (Aperture) of the camera which has the smallest F number takes photos with better light exposure.
(front) 2MP	vs	+(front) 8MP3 times Higher resolution secondary camera to take pictures and selfies
Full HD (1920x1080)	vs	+4K UHD (3840x2160)3 times More image quality for recording videos with the primary camera
(front) HD (1280x720)	vs	+(front) 2K UHD (2560x1440)3 times More image quality for recording videos with the secondary camera
Android 4.3 Jelly Bean	vs	+Android 10Advantage Android 10 is newer and safer
(4G LTE) 100 Mbps	vs	+(4G LTE-A) 1200 Mbps11 times Faster for surfing the internet and download files
Not supported	vs	+ANT+Advantage Sensors help you use the device
Not supported	vs	+Face unlock 2DAdvantage Sensors help you use the device
Not supported	vs	+Fingerprint sensor (rear-mounted)Advantage Sensors help you use the device
Not supported	vs	+Heart rateAdvantage Sensors help you use the device
Not supported	vs	+Iris scannerAdvantage Sensors help you use the device
Not supported	vs	+SpO2Advantage Sensors help you use the device
2100 mAh	vs	+4000 mAh90% Battery - higher amperage (mAh) allows more device usage time, but it also depends on the hardware and use
Not supported	vs	+Qi wireless charging (Qi/PMA)Advantage Wireless charging is another way to charge the battery.
1 slot (Single-SIM) (dedicated slot)	vs	+2 slots (Dual-SIM) (hybrid slot/shares the same microSD slot)Advantage You can have more mobile carriers/operators on the same device.
Mono sound (not stereo)	vs	+Stereo soundAdvantage Better sound quality for listening to music or clearer hands-free calls
Not supported	vs	+FMAdvantage The radio lets you listen to your songs and sports in general
802.11 a/b/g/n [wifi4]	vs	+802.11 a/b/g/n/ac [wifi5]Advantage WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac [wifi5] is newer and faster
4.0 + A2DP	vs	+5.0 + A2DP/LEAdvantage Bluetooth 5.0 + A2DP/LE is newer and faster
MicroUSB 2.0, USB OTG On-The-Go	vs	+USB 3.1 Type-C, USB OTG On-The-GoAdvantage Newer and faster USB version for transferring photos, mp3 or data.
MicroUSB 2.0, USB OTG On-The-Go	vs	+Type-CAdvantage Reversible connector, you can stick in a USB-C cable any which way; either side is up.
Not supported	vs	+IP68 certifiedAdvantage Protection against water allows you talk to your friends in the rain, for example

23 Common items in both devices

Super AMOLED

60Hz

16 million

Autofocus / PDAF on back camera and autofocus front camera

BSI sensor

4G LTE / 4G LTE-A

Capacitive

+16 specs and more in the table below

Check the comparison table below for more items that are not evaluated in comparison score above.

Highlight differences

📱 Model features
	Galaxy S3 (SCH-i535 16GB)	Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 128GB)
Change model		Choose the model
Model	Galaxy S3 (SCH-i535 16GB)	Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 128GB)
Other model names	Verizon Samsung Galaxy S3 SGH-i535, Galaxy S III R530	Galaxy Note9 (Exynos) Dual-sim (6GB RAM), Samsung Crown
Country or region available	USA	(Europe), (Global, International), United Arab Emirates
Brand	Samsung	Samsung
Release date	7/12/2012	8/24/2018, Announced: 8/9/2018
Depth	8.6 millimeters (0.34 inches)	8.8 millimeters (0.35 inches)
Size (width x height)	70.6 x 136.6 millimeters (2.78 x 5.38 in)	76.4 x 161.9 millimeters (3.01 x 6.37 in)
Weight	133 grams (4.66 ounces)	201 grams (7.04 ounces)
Build, materials	Plastic body, glass front	Aluminum frame, glass front/back Back: Gorilla Glass 5
Protection against water and others	Not supported	IP68 certified: water-resistant up to 1.5 meters for 30min and dust-resistant
📲 Display
	Galaxy S3 (SCH-i535 16GB)	Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 128GB)
Display type	Super AMOLED	Super AMOLED
Screen size	4.8" inches	6.4" inches
Screen-to-body ratio	~65.9% (screen-to-body ratio)	~84% (screen-to-body ratio)
Display resolution	720x1280 pixels	1440x2960 pixels (18.5:9)
Touchscreen	Capacitive Multitouch	Capacitive Multitouch 10-points
Pixel density (dot pitch)	306 PPI	514 PPI
Colors	16 million	16 million
Scratch-resistant glass	Gorilla Glass 2	Gorilla Glass 5
Refresh rate	60Hz	60Hz
Display features	Not supported	HDR10 2.5D glass Always-On Display
🤖 Operating System
	Galaxy S3 (SCH-i535 16GB)	Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 128GB)
System version	Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich ICS	Android 8.1 Oreo
Firmware update	Android 4.3 Jelly Bean	Android 10
User Interface	TouchWiz UI	One UI 2.0 / 2.5
⚙️ Processor
	Galaxy S3 (SCH-i535 16GB)	Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 128GB)
Chipset	32bit: Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus (MSM8260A) (28nm)	64bit: Samsung Exynos 9810 (10nm)
CPU	Dual-core, 1 processor: 2x 1.5GHz Krait (Dual-core)	Octa-core, 2 processors: 4x 2.7GHz Mongoose M3 (Quad-core) 4x 1.79GHz ARM Cortex-A55 (Quad-core)
GPU graphical controller	Qualcomm Adreno 225 (400MHz)	ARM Mali-G72 MP18 (572MHz)
Performance (benchmark)	feature not registered	AnTuTu: 249124 (v7), 316449 (v8) Geekbench: 9026 (v4.4), 2092 (v5.1) GFXBench: 15fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)
💽 Memory and storage
	Galaxy S3 (SCH-i535 16GB)	Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 128GB)
RAM memory	2GB LPDDR2	6GB LPDDR4X
Internal storage	16GB (11GB available) eMMC 4.41	128GB (111GB available) UFS 2.1
External storage	Until 64GB microSD, microSDXC (dedicated slot)	Until 1TB microSD, microSDXC (hybrid slot/shares the same SIM-2 slot)
📶 Mobile networks
	Galaxy S3 (SCH-i535 16GB)	Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 128GB)
Dual-SIM	Not supported	Dual-SIM Standby - Call active on one sim card (hybrid slot/shares the same microSD slot)
SIM card	1 slot (Single-SIM) micro-SIM (3FF)	2 slots (Dual-SIM) nano-SIM (4FF)
Maximum Download / Upload	100/50 Mbps	1200/150 Mbps
Network technology	2G, 3G, 4G	2G, 3G, 4G
Frequency, bands	Expand band details Collapse details
GSM MHz band	Not supported	Quad-Band 850/900/1800/1900
Primary 2G network	CDMA 800/1700/1900/2100	GSM 850/900/1800/1900
Primary 3G network	CDMA2000 1xEV-DO	UMTS 850/900/1700/1900/2100
Primary 4G network	LTE 700/850/1700/1900/2100	LTE Cat18 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 28, 29, 30) TD-LTE (38, 39, 40, 41)
Primary 5G network	Not supported	Not supported
Primary data network	CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev A, LTE	GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, TD-LTE, LTE, LTE-A
Secondary 2G network	Not supported	GSM 850/900/1800/1900
Secondary 3G network	Not supported	UMTS 850/900/1700/1900/2100
Secondary 4G network	Not supported	LTE Cat18 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 28, 29, 30) TD-LTE (38, 39, 40, 41)
Secondary data network	Not supported	GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, TD-LTE, LTE, LTE-A
📷 Camera
	Galaxy S3 (SCH-i535 16GB)	Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 128GB)
Back camera (main camera)	8 megapixels	(dual camera) 12.2 megapixels 12MP telephoto f/2.41/3.4"52mm1.0µmAFOIS2x-optical-zoom
Main camera resolution	3264x2448 pixels	4032x3024 pixels
Video recording (primary)	Full HD (1920x1080) 30 fps	4K UHD (3840x2160) 60 fps
Flash	LED flash	Dual-LED flash
Focal aperture	f/2.6 (aperture)	f/1.5 (aperture)
Focal length	feature not registered	26mm (lens)
Sensor size	1/3" inches	1/2.55" inches
Pixel size	feature not registered	1.4µm pixel
Autofocus	Autofocus	PDAF on back camera and autofocus front camera
Touch focus	Supported	Supported
Image stabilization	EIS: Digital stabilization	OIS: Optical stabilization
Zoom	Only digital zoom	Digital and optical zoom
Face/smile detection	Face detection, Smile detection	Face detection, Smile detection
BSI sensor	Supported	Supported
HDR	HDR photo only main camera	HDR photo/video on both cameras
Camera extras	feature not registered	feature not registered
📸 Front camera
	Galaxy S3 (SCH-i535 16GB)	Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 128GB)
Front camera (secondary)	2 megapixels	8 megapixels
Front camera resolution	1600x1200 pixels	3264x2448 pixels
Video recording (secondary)	HD (1280x720)	2K UHD (2560x1440)
Front flash	Not supported	Not supported
Focal aperture	f/2.6 (aperture)	f/1.7 (aperture)
Focal length	feature not registered	25mm (lens)
Sensor size	feature not registered	1/3.6" inches
Pixel size	feature not registered	1.22µm pixel
🔉 Sound and multimedia
	Galaxy S3 (SCH-i535 16GB)	Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 128GB)
Loudspeaker	Mono sound (not stereo)	Stereo sound 32-bit/384kHz
Active noise cancellation	2 microphones	2 microphones or more
Radio	Not supported	FM
TV	Not supported	Not supported
Video formats	MP4, H.264, H.263, XviD, MKV	MP4, H.265, H.264, H.263, DivX, XviD
Audio formats	MP3, WAV, WMA, eAAC+, FLAC	MP3, OGG, eAAC+, FLAC
🔌 Connectivity
	Galaxy S3 (SCH-i535 16GB)	Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 128GB)
USB	MicroUSB 2.0, USB OTG On-The-Go	USB 3.1 Type-C, USB OTG On-The-Go
Audio output	3.5mm jack	3.5mm jack
TV output	Micro-B USB MHL	USB Type-C SlimPort®
Bluetooth	4.0 + A2DP	5.0 + A2DP/LE
WiFi	802.11 a/b/g/n [wifi4] (2.4GHz, 5GHz) + MIMO WiFi hotspot	802.11 a/b/g/n/ac [wifi5] (2.4GHz, 5GHz) + MIMO WiFi Direct, hotspot
DLNA	Supported	Not supported
GPS	A-GPS, GeoTagging, GLONASS	A-GPS, GeoTagging, GLONASS, GALILEO, BeiDou
NFC	Supported	Supported
Infrared port	Not supported	Not supported
🧭 Sensors
	Galaxy S3 (SCH-i535 16GB)	Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 128GB)
Sensors	Accelerometer Ambient light sensor Barometer Compass Gyroscope Proximity sensor	Accelerometer Ambient light sensor ANT+ Barometer Compass Face unlock 2D Fingerprint sensor (rear-mounted) Gyroscope Hall effect Heart rate Iris scanner Proximity sensor SpO2
Vibrating alert	Supported	Supported
🔋 Battery
	Galaxy S3 (SCH-i535 16GB)	Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 128GB)
Battery type	Li-Ion: lithium-ion (Removable) EB-L1G6LLU	Li-Ion: lithium-ion (Non removable)
Battery capacity	2100 mAh	4000 mAh
Charger, watts	Wired charging	15W Wired fast charging
Inductive / wireless charging	Not supported	Qi wireless charging (Qi/PMA)
Talk time autonomy	15 hours	feature not registered
Standby	200 hours (8.3 days)	feature not registered
➕ Other features
	Galaxy S3 (SCH-i535 16GB)	Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 128GB)
Call control	Voice dialing, Voice recorder, Voice commands	Voice dialing, Voice recorder, Voice commands
Messaging	SMS (Swype), MMS, E-mail, Push mail	SMS (T9), MMS, E-mail, Push mail
Hands-free calling	Supported	Supported
Video calling	Supported	Supported
Ringtones	Polyphonic and customized	Polyphonic and customized
Web browser	HTML, XHTML, HTML5, Flash player	HTML, XHTML, HTML5
Antenna	Internal antenna	Internal antenna
Qwerty physical keyboard	Not supported	Not supported
Miscellaneous	• Colors: Pebble blue, Marble white Smart Stay eye tracking • S-Voice Java framework	• Colors: Black, Copper, Purple, Blue S Pen Stylus (Bluetooth) • Samsung Pay • Samsung DeX
☢️ Radiation rate
	Galaxy S3 (SCH-i535 16GB)	Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N960F/DS 128GB)
SAR 1.6W/kg (USA, Mexico, etc.)	0.48W/kg (head), 1.29W/kg (body)	feature not registered
SAR 2W/kg (Europe, UK, etc.)	0.088W/kg (head)	0.381W/kg (head), 1.509W/kg (body)