As most of us do, I brought along a smartphone for a vacation this summer. But I decided to try something different in selecting my electronic traveling companion and took the oversized Galaxy Note 9.

The Galaxy Note 9 is large and relatively heavy, which goes against the mantra of packing light tech for trips. I can easily understand why a smaller smartphone like the Pixel 2 would seem like a better choice, as it can do almost everything the Galaxy Note 9 can do in a smaller, lighter package.

Yet, I found that the big, heavy Galaxy Note 9 was actually a fantastic device to bring along for trip with long flights, hiking, and for generally being a tourist.

Check out all the reasons why the Galaxy Note 9 was better than a smaller, lighter phone for traveling: