TL;DR: The Launch Reality
The Samsung Galaxy Note9 officially hit Malaysian shores on August 15, 2018, with a nationwide retail launch on August 24. Launching at a starting price of RM3,699, it was the most ambitious Note release in the country, supported by massive pre-order bundles including free Gear Sports and aggressive telco subsidies from Celcom that brought the device price down to as low as RM999.
Official Pricing & Availability
At launch, the Note9 was positioned as a premium workhorse, offering two storage tiers to Malaysian consumers:
- 128GB (6GB RAM): RM3,699 RRP
- 512GB (8GB RAM): RM4,599 RRP
- Colors: Midnight Black, Metallic Copper, and the iconic Ocean Blue (with the yellow S Pen).
Note: The 512GB Ocean Blue variant was a delayed “Special Edition” release, arriving later in September with a free Samsung POWERstick vacuum.
The Celcom Pre-order Breakout
Celcom was the most aggressive telco partner for the Note9 launch. They offered the 128GB model across several tiers of their FIRST Postpaid plans on 24-month contracts:
| Celcom Plan | Monthly Fee | Device Price (128GB) |
| Gold Plus | RM98 | RM1,948 |
| Gold Supreme | RM128 | RM1,758 |
| Platinum | RM148 | RM1,598 |
| Platinum Plus | RM188 | RM999 |
Legacy Tip: Celcom also ran a “Free Phone” promo later in the year where existing customers with good payment history could get the Note9 with RM0 upfront payment.
Retail & Pre-order Perks (Senheng & Roadshows)
Samsung Malaysia utilised “Onyx Cinema” events and nationwide roadshows (KLCC, AEON Tebrau, Queensbay Mall) to drive hype.
- The Pre-order Bundle: Early adopters who pre-ordered between August 10–19 received a free Samsung Gear Sport (worth RM1,219).
- The Roadshow “Double Up”: Roadshow attendees were offered an instant RM999 cash rebate on a second Note9 unit—arguably one of the best “Buy 1, get the 2nd heavily discounted” deals in Malaysian tech history.
- Senheng/senQ Extras: Beyond the official Samsung gifts, Senheng offered additional value-adds like 5,000mAh power banks, SanDisk Dual Drives, and their signature PlusOne extended warranty.
Trade-Up Program: Transitioning from Note8
Samsung encouraged the transition to the Note9 with a substantial trade-in program.
- Note8 Valuation: Up to RM1,950 (nearly 50% of the Note9’s launch price).
- iPhone X Valuation: Up to RM3,200 for the 256GB model, aiming directly at switching Apple users over to the S Pen ecosystem.
