For those just getting back from a long weekend, Women’s Day didn’t just bring a call to honour females, it also brought the launch of Samsung’s latest phablet, the Galaxy Note 9.

The device has kept to its roots of going big – both literally in its size (6.4”) and figuratively, in its features. On the latter, there certainly hasn’t been any corners cut. The Note 9 boasts a Super AMOLED screen with a 2960x1440 resolution, giving it 516 pixels per inch (ppi); a dual pixel 12 megapixel rear camera and 8 megapixel front camera, and between 6 GB and 8 GB of RAM.

Which of the two memory options users have will depend on the capacity for the model they choose, with the base model offering 128 GB of internal storage and the highest end version offering 512 GB.

Both models though will be expandable by a further 512 GB via MicroSD. Also going big is the onboard battery, a huge 4 000 mAH offering which should outlast even the most taxing usage.

This, noted Samsung, is the largest battery to be included on its phones to date. However, time will tell whether the battery can redeem the fiasco that was exploding Note 7s.

Perhaps one of the biggest step-ups for the Note series though, is the latest S-Pen This sees a bunch of new functionality, including its own Bluetooth connectivity, making it a viable way to navigate presentations from the device using the stylus alone. As well, the stylus can be used to launch apps or take photos – essentially make it the Note 9’s remote control.

One unwelcome area where the Note has also gone big is on its price. With a gulp worthy starting pricetag of R19 000 for the 128 GB model, and past the 20k mark for the 512 GB version, this is definitely going to be considered by only the most dedicated content creators/mobile communicators, or well-heeled. Whether this though is because of its high end nature, or due to the current shoddy performance of the Rand, or even the trade war, is uncertain.

Quite clearly, the Note  9 has not been afraid to go big. The question is, will you be bringing it home?

You should get a chance to answer that question for yourself soon. While it is already available for pre-order, it is slated to become available on August 21, 2018. It will be offered in Midnight Black, Metallic Copper with matching S-Pen and Ocean Blue with a vibrant Yellow S Pen. Also, watch out for our impending review.