The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 just launched, but the high-end smartphone already has a set of lenses and accessories to aid the A.I.-powered camera built into the phone. On Thursday, August 9, Moment launched the new collection for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, which includes two cases that support the company’s current lineup of lenses and an upcoming anamorphic lens.
The two new cases come in a black or walnut finish, but the biggest feature is that the cases open up the smartphone to use with Moment lenses. The company says the Note 9, with a case, is compatible with all of Moment’s current lenses (excluding the older original Moment lenses). The launch makes Moment the first company to outfit the new smartphone with photography accessories, thanks to the Samsung Accessory Program.
The case, like Moment’s other cases, is slim and minimalistic, the company says. While thin, Moment says the rubberized case will help protect the phone from drops and scratches. The case can also be used with a wrist strap.
The case’s lens support includes Moment’s not-yet-launched anamorphic lens. The anamorphic lens creates a 2:40:1 aspect ratio designed for cinematic videos. Moment says the lens also allows for a shallower depth of field despite the wide angle of the lens. The lens uses an updated mounting option, so the upcoming filmmaker’s lens isn’t supported by all of Moment’s cases.
The Note 9 will also support Moment Pro, a camera app with manual controls and RAW shooting, including advanced video modes. The newly redesigned app also uses double taps and a simplified user interface.
The new Moment cases offer the first options for expanding the Note 9’s built-in cameras. Like the S9, the Note 9 main lens can swap between f/2.4 and f/1.5, the latter for better low-light shots and softer backgrounds. The secondary lens offers a 2x zoom, working together with the main lens to offer a portrait mode called Live Focus.
The Note 9’s camera also uses artificial intelligence to enhance the images. Scene recognition helps choose the best settings for around 20 different types of shots — and in our early tests, the Note 9 had the best performance for this type of scene recognition that we’ve seen so far. The smartphone’s AI will also warn you when someone blinked in that photo or if the lens is dirty.
Moment calls the mix between the mobile lenses and the Note 9 “a supercam.” The new Samsung Note 9 accessories are available for pre-order beginning today with a 20 percent discount, which puts the usual $30 case at $24.
